Let me give a complete picture of what 30 days in Portugal looks like on a budget in 2025, with real numbers.

I spent March 2025 in Portugal: 10 days Lisbon, 12 days Porto, 3 days Sintra/Cascais (day trips from Lisbon), 5 days Alentejo region.

Accommodation: Lisbon hostel dorm $16/night, Porto found a weekly private room rental at a guesthouse for $22/night, Alentejo small guesthouse $28/night (rural area, includes breakfast). Average: $20/night.

Food: Lisbon and Porto have excellent and cheap food if you use the local markets and tascas (simple traditional restaurants). A prato do dia (plate of the day, usually meat or fish with two sides and bread) costs €8-10 at lunch in a tasca. Coffee is €0.80 at a standing counter. I budgeted €20/day for food and hit it roughly.

Transport: CP train Lisbon-Sintra €4.30 return (incredible value for one of the most beautiful day trips in Europe). Lisbon metro €1.50/trip. Porto metro similar. Comboio Alfa Pendular Lisbon-Porto fast train €25 (2h45m, excellent). Budget €5/day transport in cities, €30 for the Lisbon-Porto intercity.

Activities: Sintra palaces €14 each (worth one, skip others), LX Factory market (free), Douro Valley wine region day trip by train €15, Porto's Soares dos Reis museum free Sunday mornings.

Total for 30 days including flights from London: €1,350. Daily average €31 not including flights, €45 including pro-rated flights.