Porto vs. Lisbon – Essential City Comparison
Carina
TL;DR
Lisbon or Porto – A no frills travel guide to help you choose if you have to.
When we talk about our travels to Portugal, there is one question everybody seems to ask: Did we prefer Porto or Lisbon? We were lucky enough to have the time to travel both and give our personal answer in the end.
But first, we’ll give you a short overview of Porto or Lisbon – Which Portuguese city should you visit?
Porto or Lisbon: Which City is Better to Visit
Is Lisbon Worth Visiting? |
Is Porto Worth Visiting? |
| Yes! | Yes! |
Lisbon Overview |
Porto Overview |
|
Capital Inhabitants: 500,000 |
Inhabitants: 230,000 |
Lisbon Location |
Porto Location |
|
South At the Tagus River Close to the Atlantic Ocean Area: 100 km² (38 mi²) Known as The City of the Seven Hills |
North At the Douro River Close to the Atlantic Ocean Area: 41 km² (16 mi²) |
Climate in Lisbon |
Climate in Porto |
|
Warmest month: August Coldest month: February Warmer (1°C on average) Half as much rain: 66.54mm |
Warmest month: August Coldest month: February Colder (1°C on average) Twice as much rain: 140.76mm |
How to Get to Lisbon |
How to Get to Porto |
Plenty of cheap national and international flight connections, e.g.
|
Plenty of cheap national and international (mostly within Europe) flight connections, e.g.
|
Transportation in Lisbon |
Transportation in Porto |
|
The city centre is walkable but larger than Porto’s. If you want to go further out, like to Belem, you need to take public transport:
Tip 2: Elevadores take you up the hills! |
Small enough to be walkable. Public transport possible:
|
Best Things to do in Lisbon |
Best Things to do in Porto |
|
|
Beaches in Lisbon |
Beaches in Porto |
TONS of beaches, well connected by public transport.
|
Some beaches.
|
Lisbon Day Trips |
Porto Day Trips |
Many must-sees:
|
Some hidden gems and countryside vibes:
|
How Many Days in Lisbon? |
How Many Days in Porto? |
|
1 day is enough for a fast-paced visit. 2 days for a relaxed visit. 3 - 4 days for beaches and day trips! |
1 day is enough for a fast-paced visit. 2 days for a relaxed visit. |
Lisbon Vibe |
Porto Vibe |
|
|
Crowds in Lisbon |
Crowds in Porto |
|
Longer established as a tourist destination, more tourists, better infrastructure. 4.5 million tourists per year.* |
Starting to become more established as a tourist destination. 1.6 million tourists per year.* *the numbers are not completely up to date, but a trend is visible |
Cost of Living in Lisbon |
Cost of Living in Porto |
|
Higher According to Numbeo Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant 12.00 € (+50.0 %) Domestic Beer (0.5 l draught) 2.50 € (+25.0 %) One-way Ticket (Local Transport) 2.00 € (+33.3 %) Rent Per Month 1,243.95 € (+44.4 %) |
Lower According to Numbeo Meal, Inexpensive Restaurant 8.00 € Domestic Beer (0.5 l draught) 2.00 € One-way Ticket (Local Transport) 1.50 € Rent Per Month 861.62 € |
Lisbon Hotels |
Porto Hotels |
Cheapest with distance >1km on booking.com
|
Cheapest with distance >1km on booking.com
→ Cheaper |
Food in Lisbon |
Food in Porto |
|
Traditional, international, and fusion cuisine. Great street food.
|
Portugal’s foodie capital. More traditional Portuguese food.
|
Nightlife in Lisbon |
Nightlife in Porto |
Livelier!
|
|
Coworking Spaces in Lisbon |
Coworking Spaces in Porto |
|
Great for digital nomads, with many coworking space options. The average price for a monthly membership is around €200-225. There are at least 25 cool and affordable coworking spaces in Lisbon. |
Great for digital nomads, with many coworking space options. The average price for a monthly membership is around €200-225. |
Security in Lisbon |
Security in Porto |
|
Both cities are amongst the safest in Europe and the world. According to Numbeo
|
Both cities are amongst the safest in Europe and the world. According to Numbeo
|
Who should pick Lisbon? |
Who should pick Porto? |
Great for 1. solo travellers, 2. families, 3. couples.
|
Great for 1. couples, 2. solo travellers, 3. families.
|
Lisbon Itinerary |
Porto Itinerary |
| One day in Lisbon | One day in Porto |
 |
 |
Porto vs Lisbon: Our Personal Conclusion
While travel bloggers probably should not pick favourites, we did: First of all, if you have the time to visit both, absolutely do so! But if you don’t, we would pick Lisbon.
Why would we personally pick Lisbon?
- It’s the capital.
- It’s more lively.
- The weather is a bit nicer.
- You have amazing day trip options to Sintra and the beaches.
Porto AND Lisbon
Even if you only have as little as 2 days, you can combine both cities with our 1 day Lisbon and 1 day Porto itinerary.
Buses and trains between the two cities take around 3 hours and run from the early mornings to the late nights.
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