The Core Difference
Portugal is the cheaper, smaller, quieter choice; Spain is bigger, louder and a little dearer, and it has more of everything. Both are excellent. The real question is what you want from seven days: a compact country with good food and some of Western Europe's better-value beds, or one so large and varied that a week only scratches it.
Cheap is a relative word here. Lisbon is no longer the bargain it was before 2019, and Barcelona has climbed faster still. Both remain well below Paris, London or Amsterdam for the same standard of room and dinner, which is a lower bar than it sounds. Treat every figure below as an estimate as of October 2026, and check current fares and entry prices on the official sites before you book.
Day-by-Day Budget Breakdown: 7 Days
Portugal (Lisbon and Porto) costs roughly $62–84 (€55–75; ≈ £50–65) a day on a budget and $110–170 (€100–150; ≈ £85–135) on a mid-range plan. The budget figure buys a hostel private room or simple guesthouse, lunch at a tasca (a small local restaurant) and city trams and metro. Order the prato do dia, the dish of the day, which often comes to about $11–13 (€10–12; ≈ £8.69–10) and sometimes includes a drink. Mid-range means a boutique guesthouse in Alfama or Bairro Alto, sit-down dinners, a train day trip to Sintra (about $6, €5; ≈ £4.74 return) and a wine tasting in the Douro Valley. Lisbon has risen sharply in price since 2019. It is still cheaper than most Western European capitals. It is not cheap.
Spain (Madrid and Barcelona) runs about $73–100 (€65–90; ≈ £60–80) a day on a budget and $135–200 (€120–180; ≈ £105–160) at mid-range. The saving grace is the menú del día: three courses, bread and wine, usually $11–17 (€10–15; ≈ £8.69–13) in Madrid and $13–20 (€12–18; ≈ £10–16) in Barcelona, served at lunch on weekdays. Rooms at the same standard cost a little more than in Lisbon. The gap opens in Barcelona, where a central mid-range hotel that might be $90 (€80; ≈ £70) a night in Madrid can run $135–180 (€120–160; ≈ £105–140). If your budget is tight, that city is where it breaks.
1-Week Portugal Itinerary (Lisbon + Porto)
- Days 1–3, Lisbon: walk Alfama early, before the tour groups. Eat at the Time Out Market food hall (about $6–17, €5–15; ≈ £4.74–13 a dish), ride tram 28 if the queue is short, and go to Belém for the tower and custard tarts at Pastéis de Belém (about $1.35, €1.20; ≈ £1.07 each). Visit LX Factory at the weekend for the market.
- Day 4, Sintra: palaces and gardens about 40 minutes by train from Rossio station, with a return fare of roughly $6 (€5; ≈ £4.74). Palace entry is about $11–17 (€10–15; ≈ £8.69–13) each, so pick two rather than trying for four.
- Days 5–7, Porto: see the Livraria Lello bookshop (book ahead, there is a ticket charge), cross the Dom Luís I bridge, and taste port in the Vila Nova de Gaia cellars (about $11–22, €10–20; ≈ £8.69–17 a tasting, usually two glasses). Eat a francesinha, a heavy sandwich under a pool of sauce, and watch the sunset from the Foz do Douro seafront.
- Transport: Lisbon to Porto by train takes about three hours, from roughly $17 (€15; ≈ £13) if you book ahead on CP (Comboios de Portugal).
1-Week Spain Itinerary (Madrid + Barcelona)
- Days 1–3, Madrid: the Prado (about $17, €15; ≈ £13, book ahead), the Retiro Park, lunch at the Mercado de San Miguel, and an evening tapas crawl in Malasaña. Take a day trip to Toledo by train, about 33 minutes and roughly $13 (€12; ≈ £10) return.
- Days 4–7, Barcelona: the Sagrada Família (about $29–43, €26–38; ≈ £25–35 depending on ticket type, and it sells out, so book online weeks or months ahead), Park Güell, the Gothic Quarter, La Boqueria market, Barceloneta beach and the streets of El Born.
- Transport: the Madrid to Barcelona AVE high-speed train takes about 2.5 hours, from roughly $28 (€25; ≈ £20) if you book early on Renfe. Once you add airport transfers and security queues, it often beats flying on both time and cost.
- Where to sleep in Barcelona: try El Poblenou or Gràcia rather than the Gothic Quarter. Rooms tend to be cheaper, the streets quieter, and the metro still gets you to the sights.
Safety Advisory
Both countries are safe for most visitors, and the UK FCDO advice for each points to petty theft as the main risk. Pickpocketing is the thing to plan for, not violence. Barcelona has a reputation for it, and Las Ramblas, the Gothic Quarter and the metro are the usual places. Lisbon's tram 28 route is the same story, because crowded and slow-moving is exactly what a thief wants.
Keep your phone and wallet in a front or zipped inner pocket, and carry only what you need for the day. Be wary of strangers who approach you unprompted with help or a distraction. Read the current FCDO page for each country before you travel, as advice changes.
The Verdict
- Choose Portugal if you want the most atmosphere for the least money, you care more about food and wine than museums, and you would rather feel like a guest than a tourist in a queue.
- Choose Spain if you want variety and scale, you want serious art (the Prado has no equal in Portugal), or you want near-certain sun and beach days in the south.
- Can't choose? Start in Madrid, take the AVE to Barcelona, then fly to Lisbon for the last few days. It is one of the better route combinations in Europe, though it will cost you a flight and a day of packing.