🇵🇹Lisbon
Seven hills, yellow trams and tiled façades above a river the size of a sea. Western Europe's best-value capital, and one of the few where the historic centre is still somewhere people live.
Prices checked · how we work these out
In photos
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Quick facts
Money & what things cost
Cards are accepted almost everywhere and contactless is standard, though small tascas, markets and the odd bakery are still cash-preferred. ATMs on the Multibanco network are everywhere and charge no fee at the machine — use those rather than the blue Euronet machines aimed at tourists, which offer poor rates and a hefty surcharge. Portugal is the cheapest country in Western Europe for a visitor, and Lisbon is the most expensive part of it: still meaningfully cheaper than Madrid or Paris, no longer the bargain it was a decade ago.
What locals earn
| Average monthly salary | ≈ €1,550–1,780 gross ($1,690–1,940) | Take-home is closer to €1,100–1,200 after social security and tax. |
| Minimum wage | ≈ €870/month ($950) | Paid across 14 months, which is how Portuguese salaries are usually quoted. |
| Typical hospitality wage | €900–1,300 ($980–1,420) | Most restaurant and hotel staff you meet. |
Food & drink
| Item | Local price | ≈ USD |
|---|---|---|
| Pastel de nata | €1.30–2.00 | $1.40–2.20 |
| Lunch 'prato do dia' | €10–15 | $11–16 |
| Casual dinner, per person | €18–30 | $20–33 |
| Mid-range dinner, per person | €35–55 | $38–60 |
| Coffee (bica) at the counter | €0.80–1.20 | $0.90–1.30 |
| Beer (imperial) | €2.00–4.00 | $2.20–4.40 |
| Glass of house wine | €2.50–5.00 | $2.70–5.50 |
Transport
| Item | Local price | ≈ USD |
|---|---|---|
| Metro/bus single (Navegante card) | €1.72–1.90 | $1.90–2.10 |
| 24-hour transit pass | €7.25 | $7.90 |
| Tram 28 single | €3.20 | $3.50 |
| Airport → centre by metro | €1.90 | $2.10 |
| Airport → centre by taxi | €15–20 | $16–22 |
| Train to Sintra | €2.40 | $2.60 |
Sights
| Item | Local price | ≈ USD |
|---|---|---|
| Jerónimos Monastery | €12–18 | $13–20 |
| Belém Tower | €8–12 | $8.70–13 |
| São Jorge Castle | €15 | $16 |
| Miradouros (viewpoints) | Free | Free |
Where to sleep & what it costs
| Tier | Per night | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Hostel dorm | €20–35 ($22–38) | Lisbon's hostels are genuinely excellent — several are perennial award winners. |
| Budget hotel | €55–85 ($60–93) | Guesthouses in Graça, Anjos or across the river. |
| Mid-range hotel | €80–150 ($87–164) | Baixa, Chiado or Príncipe Real. Book early for spring and autumn. |
| Luxury | €250–600+ ($270–650+) | Avenida da Liberdade and the design hotels in Chiado. |
Trip cost calculator
$215 per person per day · 4 nights of lodging (Mid-range hotel)
A rough estimate from this page’s daily budget and hotel prices — not a quote. Lodging assumes one room for the group.
Getting around
- From the airport
- The red metro line runs from the terminal to the centre in about 20 minutes for €1.90 — one of the cheapest airport transfers in Europe. Taxis and Bolt/Uber cost €15–20. The airport is unusually close to the city.
- Public transit
- Buy a rechargeable Navegante card (€0.50) at any metro machine and load 'zapping' credit — it works on metro, buses, trams and the funiculars, and is cheaper per trip than paper tickets. The metro is clean and simple; buses fill the gaps the four lines don't reach.
- Trams
- Tram 28 through Alfama is the famous one and is packed by 9am — ride it early or take the 12 instead. Note it is a working service, not a tourist attraction, and pickpockets work it hard.
- Funiculars & lifts
- The Glória and Bica funiculars and the Santa Justa lift climb the steepest hills. All are covered by a transit pass, which saves the separate €4 fare.
- On foot
- The centre is walkable but genuinely steep, and the calçada cobbles are slippery when wet. Plan uphill routes onto the funiculars and metro and walk down rather than up.
Neighborhoods to stay in
- Baixa & Chiado
- Flat, central, walkable to almost everything and on the metro. The obvious first-timer base, and priced for it.
- Alfama
- The oldest quarter — a maze of lanes, fado houses and viewpoints. Atmospheric and steep; luggage and cobbles are a bad combination.
- Príncipe Real & Bairro Alto
- Bairro Alto is the nightlife hill and loud until 3am; Príncipe Real above it is leafy, calmer and full of good restaurants.
- Graça & Anjos
- Slightly out, noticeably cheaper, and where the city still feels residential. Good tram and metro links.
Things to do
Landmarks
Neighbourhoods & views
Restaurants & food
Nightlife & music
Tipping & etiquette
- Coffee has rules. A 'café' or 'bica' is an espresso, drunk standing at the counter for under a euro. Ordering a milky coffee after lunch is a visible tourist tell, though nobody minds.
- Lunch runs 12:30–3pm and dinner rarely starts before 8pm. Turning up at 6:30 means eating alone in an empty room.
- Greetings are two kisses, right cheek first, between women or a man and a woman. Men shake hands.
- Don't confuse Portugal with Spain in conversation — the languages, history and food are distinct and the comparison lands badly.
- Fado houses expect quiet during the singing. Talking through a set is genuinely rude.
- Tram 28 and the 15 to Belém are the city's pickpocket hotspots. Bags in front, phones away.
Safety & common scams
Portugal ranks among the safest countries in the world and Lisbon feels it — violent crime is rare and walking home late is normal in most of the centre. The real and very common risk is pickpocketing, which is organised and skilled on the trams, the metro and in crowds around the main viewpoints. The other genuine hazard is the pavement: polished limestone cobbles are lethally slippery in rain, and a surprising number of visitors go home with a sprained ankle.
Scams to know
- Tram 28 pickpockets — the single most reliable place in Portugal to lose a phone. Crowded boarding is when it happens.
- The couvert — not really a scam, but bread and olives you didn't order are charged for. Send them back if you don't want them.
- Drug offers in Baixa — men offering hashish on Rua Augusta are almost always selling something inert. Ignore and keep walking.
- Euronet ATMs — the blue non-bank machines charge poor rates and a surcharge. Use a Multibanco bank ATM instead.
Emergency numbers: 112 for police, ambulance and fire. There is a dedicated tourist police post at Palácio Foz on Restauradores.
Phone & internet
Coverage is excellent across the city and on the metro. EU and UK visitors can usually roam at no extra cost. Otherwise MEO, NOS and Vodafone sell prepaid tourist SIMs from around €10–15 for 10–15GB, available at the airport and in any shopping centre, and all three support eSIM. Free Wi-Fi is standard in cafés and hotels.
First-timer FAQs
Do I need a visa?
Portugal is in the Schengen Area. US, UK, Canadian, Australian and most other Western passport holders can stay 90 days in any 180 without a visa. The EU's ETIAS pre-authorisation has been repeatedly delayed — check whether it applies before you book. Passport must be valid three months beyond your departure.
How many days do I need?
Three full days covers the centre, Belém and a proper evening in Alfama. Four lets you add Sintra without rushing it, which is the trip most people should take.
Is Lisbon cheap?
Cheaper than any other Western European capital, but not cheap in absolute terms any more. Food and transport are genuinely inexpensive — a good lunch is €12, a metro ride €1.90. Accommodation is where the money goes, and it has risen sharply. Budget for the room and the rest is easy.
Is Sintra worth a day?
Yes, and it's a 40-minute, €2.40 train ride from Rossio station. Go early, book palace tickets online in advance, and be aware that the town gets genuinely overwhelmed by mid-morning in summer.
Do I need to worry about the hills?
More than you'd expect. Lisbon is built on seven of them and the gradients are steep. Wear shoes with grip, use the funiculars and metro to gain height, and plan to walk downhill rather than up.
When should I avoid going?
August, if you can — it's hot, packed, and many family-run restaurants close for the month. June is lovely but hosts the Santo António festivals, which are wonderful and make the city very busy. March–May and September–October are the sweet spots.
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