Portugal on a Budget: How to Save on Food, Stays and Travel

Portugal is still one of the best-value destinations in Western Europe, even if Lisbon and the Algarve in summer aren’t the bargain they once were. With a few tricks from our members, you can eat well, see a lot and travel around without spending a fortune.

Quick answer: travel outside July and August, eat the prato do dia at lunch, use public transport passes and early-booked trains, enjoy the many free viewpoints and walks, and avoid the tourist ATMs.

Why Portugal is good value

Everyday things are still cheap by Western European standards: a coffee at the counter, a bakery breakfast, a glass of house wine or a lunchtime set menu. Trains and long-distance buses are reasonably priced, beaches are free, and many of the best experiences, from city viewpoints to clifftop walks, cost nothing. The trick is to avoid the few places and months where prices spike.

When to go

• Cheapest: November to March (except Christmas, New Year and Carnival). Flights and hotels can cost a fraction of summer prices.
• Best value: May, June and late September, with great weather and mid-season prices.
• Most expensive: July and August, especially in the Algarve.

More in our best time to visit Portugal guide.

Where to go for the best value

• The north: Porto, Braga, Guimarães and the Minho are generally cheaper than Lisbon for food and rooms.
• The centre: Coimbra, Tomar, Leiria and the Silver Coast offer history and beaches without big-city prices.
• The Alentejo: Évora and the small hill towns have good-value guesthouses and hearty, cheap food.
• The Algarve off season: from October to April, apartments in Lagos, Tavira and Albufeira can be a real bargain.

Accommodation

• Stay a little outside the centre but near a metro stop. In Lisbon, areas like Arroios, Anjos or Alcântara are cheaper than Baixa and Chiado.
• Guesthouses (pensões) and hostels with private rooms are good value.
• Apartments with a kitchen save money on longer stays, especially for families.
• Book early for summer and festivals.
• Remember the tourist tax: a few euros per person per night in many places. Lisbon charges €4 (children under 13 are free) and Porto €3, usually for a limited number of nights.

See where to stay in Lisbon and Porto.

Food and drink

• Lunch is the bargain: the prato do dia (dish of the day) or menu do dia at local restaurants often includes a main course, drink and sometimes soup or coffee for around €10–15.
• Eat where locals eat: a street or two away from the main squares, prices drop and quality often rises.
• Send back the couvert if you don’t want it. Bread and olives aren’t free, but you only pay for them if you eat them.
• Cheap classics: a bifana or prego sandwich, soup, a pastel de nata and coffee at the counter. See bifanas and pregos.
• Stand at the counter: coffee and pastries are often a little cheaper at the bar than at a table or on a terrace.
• Order the house wine: the vinho da casa is usually decent and much cheaper than a bottle from the list.
• Supermarkets (Pingo Doce, Continente, Lidl) have great bread, cheese, fruit and very good cheap wine for picnics.
• Tap water is safe to drink in most places, so carry a refillable bottle. See is tap water safe in Portugal.

See what to eat in Portugal.

Getting around

• Use the navegante card in Lisbon (zapping or a 24-hour pass) and Andante in Porto. Never buy tram tickets on board. See our Lisbon transport guide.
• Lisbon fares in 2026: a single metro ticket is €1.90, but each ride costs €1.72 with zapping credit. The 24-hour pass is €7.25, or €11.40 including CP trains to Sintra and Cascais.
• Book trains early: Lisbon to Porto costs from about €28 on the Intercidades and about €35 on the Alfa Pendular, and CP promo fares booked ahead can be much less. See Lisbon to Porto by train.
• Buses (Rede Expressos, FlixBus) are often the cheapest way between cities.
• Regional trains to places like Sintra, Cascais and Aveiro are cheap and need no booking.
• Walk. Lisbon and Porto are best explored on foot anyway.
• Car hire is cheapest in winter. Factor in fuel and tolls, though several motorways, including the A22 in the Algarve, have been toll-free since 2025. See Portugal tolls explained.

Free and cheap things to do

• Viewpoints (miradouros): Lisbon and Porto are full of them, and they’re all free.
• Wander the old towns: Alfama, Mouraria, the Ribeira and São Bento station’s tiles cost nothing.
• Beaches: free everywhere. Bring your own umbrella instead of renting loungers.
• Coastal walks: the Seven Hanging Valleys trail in the Algarve, or Cascais to Estoril.
• Clifftops: the clifftop at Cabo da Roca, Europe’s most westerly point, is free to visit. Only the lighthouse, open to visitors since July 2026, charges a fee.
• Free walking tours: available in Lisbon and Porto (tip what you think it’s worth).
• Churches, many of them stunning, are often free to enter.
• Do the maths on passes: the Lisboa Card costs €31, €51 or €62 for 24, 48 or 72 hours, so it only saves money on sightseeing-heavy days.

More ideas in free things to do in Lisbon and in Porto.

A sample budget day in Lisbon

• Morning: coffee and a pastry at a local bakery, then walk through Alfama to the free viewpoints.
• Lunch: the dish of the day at a neighbourhood restaurant.
• Afternoon: a cheap regional train to Cascais or Belém for the riverside and beaches.
• Evening: a picnic at a miradouro at sunset, or petiscos (small plates) at a local tasca.

Money tips

• Use a fee-free travel card and always pay in euros.
• Avoid Euronet ATMs and their high fees. Use bank-run Multibanco machines instead.
• Tipping is modest in Portugal. See tipping in Portugal.
• See money in Portugal.

FAQ

Is Portugal cheap to visit?

Compared with most of Western Europe, yes, especially for food, coffee, wine and public transport. Lisbon and the Algarve in July and August are the exceptions, so travel in spring or autumn for the best value.

What is the cheapest month to visit Portugal?

Usually January to March, outside Carnival, when flights and hotels are at their lowest. November is also good value.

Do you have to pay for bread and olives in Portuguese restaurants?

Only if you eat them. The couvert brought to your table is charged, so send it back straight away if you don’t want it.

Our free Portugal trip checklist has the rest.

See also: Lisbon, Porto, the Algarve, Madeira on a budget, plus how much a trip costs, backpacking Portugal, Interrail and rail passes in Portugal, Portugal’s tourist tax by city and Lisbon to Porto by bus.

Prices and details change, so please double-check before you travel. Spotted something out of date? Tell us in the groups.