Lisbon is a beautiful, hilly coastal city famous for its pastel buildings, café culture, and Fado music. It’s also very friendly on the wallet when compared to other Western European cities — food and lodging are both priced reasonably and attractions are about average. But hurry because Lisbon is quickly becoming much more popular so prices are starting to rise.
In this Lisbon travel price guide, we’ll outline the estimated travel expenses for food, accommodation, attractions, alcohol, and other common costs to help you budget your trip to Lisbon.
This Lisbon Price Guide is part of our City Price Guide Series where we break down the travel costs of Europe’s most popular cities.
Average Daily Costs To Visit Lisbon
It costs around €40-€75 per day to visit Lisbon as a budget traveler. If you want to upgrade your accommodations, add another €50-€80 per night depending on where you stay.
These prices also don’t include things like big nights out at the bar/pub, club entry fees, souvenir/clothing shopping, tours, random purchases, nicer food, etc. so be sure to budget for those incidentals.
Daily Cost of Budget Travel in Lisbon: €65 (Approx. $70)
- Attractions: €15 (one paid attraction + any free sights)
- Food: €21
- Breakfast: €3
- Lunch: €6
- Dinner: €13
- Treat (dessert/beer/wine): €2
- Transportation: €1
- Accommodation (Hostel): €30
Daily Cost of Frugal Travel in Lisbon: €40 (Approx. $45)
- Attractions: €5 (free walking tour + visit one of the free sights)
- Food: €16
- Breakfast: €0 (free hostel breakfast)
- Lunch: €5 (street food or takeaway shop fare)
- Dinner: €10 (make your own meal in the hostel or grab something cheap)
- Beer: €1 (chill out at the park and have a cold one)
- Transportation: €0 (walk)
- Accommodation (Cheap Hostel): €19
Lisbon Attraction and Museum Prices
Lisbon’s attractions are affordable (many are free) so you won’t break the bank if you want to see a few things. Of course, the city is beautiful, so you’d be perfectly happy just walking around.
- Museu Sao Roque: €2.50
- Castelo de São Jorge: €15
- Museu Colecao Berardo: €5
- Torre de Belem: €9
- Oceanario de Lisboa: €22
- Museu Calouste Gulbenkian: €10
- The LX Factory: Free (a repurposed textile factory that houses small cafés and eateries, art galleries, and shops)
- Walking Tours: Free – €22
- Cycling Tours and More: Lisbon’s location on the coast makes it perfect for cycling tours (€30-€33) or surfing classes (€75/half-day).
Lisbon Food Prices
Food can be fairly affordable in Lisbon so eating on a budget won’t be too much of a challenge. Lisbon’s cuisine heavily incorporates seafood—Bacalhau (salted cod) is the Portuguese national dish and is used for scores of traditional recipes, including stew, stir-fry, and egg dishes. Read more of our strategies for Eating and Drinking in Europe on a Budget.
Budget Breakfast Prices in Lisbon: €2-€7
- Many hostels will offer a free simple breakfast that normally consists of cereal, bread/croissant, and maybe milk, coffee, tea, or juice (some hostels will offer more and some less). Hotel breakfasts tend to be overpriced, so skip those in most cases.
- Pasteis de Nata, a kind of custard tart, is ubiquitous – and best found at Pasteis de Belem, the original bakery to create it: €2-€3, another €1 for coffee.
- A full breakfast runs €3.50-€7.
- Torrada (traditional breakfast toast) to accompany coffee runs about €2.
Some Budget-Friendly Breakfast Places in Lisbon
- Pastelaria Alfama Doce: A popular little pastry place.
- Manteigaria: One of the most popular Pasteis de Nata spots in Lisbon. Maybe the best.
- Pasteis de Belem: “The” spot for Pasteis de Nata. Very touristy but still great.
- Fabrica da Nata: Excellent Pasteis de Nata.
- Quase Cafe: A nice little breakfast spot with tasty pancakes and other fresh options.
- Frutaria: Lots of healthy breakfast and smoothie options.
- Fabrica Coffee Roasters: Excellent coffee.
Budget Lunch Prices in Lisbon: €3.50-€10
- Super budget travelers can make a super cheap lunch of bread, cheese, and fruit from any grocery store for a few euros.
- Takeaway from a kebab stand (or similar): €4.50
- A local favorite, bacalhau a bras (shredded cod with onion and potatoes, a traditional Portuguese dish): €6-€9
- Pizza or fast food: €5-€7
- Pao Pao, Quijo Quijo, another local favorite for a takeaway cheap lunch: €4-€7
Budget Dinner Prices in Lisbon: €8-€20
- Pretty much all the options from the ‘Budget Lunch’ section above will also apply for dinner.
- Ethnic and vegetarian fare range from €6-€9 for generous portions.
- Chicken Piri-Piri, a common traditional Portuguese dish, runs €8-€15 for a full dinner entrée.
- Caldeirada (seafood, fish, vegetable stew) another national dish costs around €7-€9.
A Few Budget-Friendly Lunch and Dinner Places in Lisbon:
- Restaurante Mili: Tasty fish place in a cozy and casual atmosphere.
- Cultura do Hamburguer: Tasty burger joint.
- Frangasqueira Nacional: So much meat! Chicken, Ribs, Sausage…
- Churrasqueira da Paz: Small restaurant serving up traditional fish and meat dishes.
- Floresta Das Escadinhas: Very tasty, traditional dishes.
- Oasis Vegetariano: Lots of nice vegan and vegetarian options.
- Frankie: Hot dogs!
Drinks and Alcohol Prices in Lisbon:
- Beer at a bar or restaurant: €1.50-€3
- Beer at a grocery runs about €1.10
- A bottle of wine is around €4.50
Lisbon Transportation Prices
Lisbon’s public transit system, CARRIS, includes buses, funiculars, and trams. The Lisbon Metro is separately maintained, but transit tickets allow access to both CARRIS and the metro with the Viva Viagem card. Zapping cards allow access to multiple transit systems by storing money on the transit card and fares are deducted from the card’s value when used.
Visitors to Lisbon can also purchase the LisboaCard, which offers unlimited access to the transit system and to numerous museums and attractions throughout the city. LisboaCards are available in 24/48/72 hour denominations (€18.50/€31.50/€39).
Single fare:
One-time Viva viagem card purchase: €0.50
1 CARRIS/metro fare: €1.40
24-hour CARRIS/metro fare: €6
Zapping cards:
1 bus fare (1-hour): €1.35
1 Metro fare (entire network/one journey): €1.35
1 ferry transport (river connections on the south bank, one journey): €1.12-€2.65
Airport Transportation:
Airport transport, 1 trip (via CARRIS local bus service or metro): €1.40
Airport transport, 1 trip (via CARRIS AeroBus): €3.50
Taxi from Lisbon city center to Lisbon International Airport: About €15
Bicycle rental from Bikeiberia: €5 (1 hour)/ €10 (4 hours)/ €14 (daily)
Lisbon Hostel, Hotel, & Rental Apartment Prices
Hostel Prices in Lisbon: €20-€45/night
A well-rated hostel in Libson will cost around €25-€35/night per person—although many hostels raise their prices on the weekend. These prices are for a bed in a shared dorm room so expect to pay €65-€125 total for a private room
Here are a few recommended Lisbon Hostels [Read our full guide to the best hostels in Lisbon]:
We book our hostels through Hostelworld because they have the best selection of hostels.
BUDGET HOTEL PRICES IN LISBON: €55-€130+/NIGHT
A decent centrally located budget hotel in Lisbon will cost around €85-€100/night. You can find cheaper hotels if you stay farther away from the center of the city. Prices will also be higher if you book your hotel last minute so booking early is recommended.
We suggest checking out Booking.com to see hotel prices for your dates since they’re always changing.
RENTAL APARTMENT PRICES IN LISBON: €85-€110/NIGHT
Lisbon has a healthy inventory of rental apartments throughout the city. They can be a good option for large groups or travelers who want a little more space (and a kitchen). On the other hand, you may also have to deal with inconvenient check-in processes and things like extra cleaning fees and service charges. For short stays, we prefer hotels/hostels but rental apartments can be a nice option for longer stays. Be sure to check out the vibe of the neighborhood as some can be very lively (i.e. loud) at night. Airbnb is always popular but you can sometimes find cheaper/better options on our list of Airbnb Alternatives.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE COST TO VISIT EUROPE
Check out our guide on How Much It Costs To Backpack Europe to learn more about budgeting your entire trip (including many more city price guides).
Be sure to check out our Lisbon Travel Guide to learn more about visiting Lisbon.
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