Lisbon vs Sintra
The short answer
Sintra is the cheaper trip, by roughly 15% a day — $65–130 against $80–150 mid-range per person. Both are at their best in Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct, so one trip can take in both.
Side by side
Mid-range, per person, in US dollars. Both guides were costed the same way — see how we work these out.
| 🇵🇹 Lisbon | 🇵🇹 Sintra | |
|---|---|---|
| Daily budgetmid-range, per person | $80–150 | $65–130cheaper |
| Cheap meallocal staple | $11–16 | $9–14cheaper |
| Mid-range hotelper night | $85–160 | $75–150cheaper |
| Transit ridesingle trip | $1.90–2.10cheaper | $2.40 |
| Avg. monthly salarylocal, for context | ≈ $1,750 | ≈ $1,700 |
When to go
Filled months are the ones each guide recommends; hollow ones it warns off.
What you'd actually do
A few of each guide's picks, one per category before seconds — the full lists are on the guides themselves.
🇵🇹 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.
- Jerónimos Monastery$$Landmarks
- Alfama$Neighbourhoods & views
- Pastéis de Belém$Restaurants & food
- Fado in Alfama$$Nightlife & music
- Belém Tower$$Landmarks
🇵🇹 Sintra
A misty green hill outside Lisbon that Portuguese royalty and rich romantics covered in palaces. Extraordinary, tiny, and overwhelmed by lunchtime — the whole trick is going early.
- Pena Palace$$$Palaces & castles
- Monserrate Palace & park$$Gardens & coast
- Piriquita$Food
- Moorish Castle$$Palaces & castles
- Cabo da Roca$Gardens & coast
Practicalities
| Lisbon | Sintra | |
|---|---|---|
| Language | Portuguese. English is widely spoken in the centre and by anyone under about 40 | Portuguese; English is universal in the tourist centre |
| Time zone | WET (UTC+0), WEST (UTC+1) in summer — an hour behind most of Western Europe | WET (UTC+0), WEST (UTC+1) in summer |
| Power | 230V, Type F — the standard two-pin European plug | 230V, Type F — standard European two-pin |
| Tap water | Safe and perfectly drinkable everywhere | Safe to drink |
The same in both:
- Currency
- Euro (€)
- Emergency
- 112 for everything