{"id":17672,"date":"2019-04-10T10:05:48","date_gmt":"2019-04-10T10:05:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/38.242.230.232\/~portoalities\/?p=17672"},"modified":"2024-01-10T12:09:32","modified_gmt":"2024-01-10T12:09:32","slug":"porto-or-lisbon-best-city-to-visit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/portoalities.com\/en\/porto-or-lisbon-best-city-to-visit\/","title":{"rendered":"Porto or Lisbon: what is the best city to visit?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Before my readers from Porto and the ones from Lisbon get mad at me, this article is <\/span>not<\/span><\/i> to decide if Porto is <\/span>better <\/span><\/i>than Lisbon or vice versa. Firstly, because that discussion is totally useless: each city has its own charms and drawbacks.<\/span>
And secondly, because my goal for this article is to help people decide which one is better to visit.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

So hold your horses and write only constructive things in the comment section, please \ud83d\ude42<\/span>
Now back to the topic. I was born and live in Porto, but for a period of time, I lived in Lisbon. <\/span>Even though I hated every minute of my job, I ended up<\/span> getting attached to <\/span>the capital. That’s why I wrote this article with an open heart so that anyone who is undecided between visiting Porto or Lisbon can have objective criteria to make a decision. So let’s do this!<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is the best city to visit? Porto or Lisbon?<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Safety<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"porto
Municipal cops in Porto \u00a9 Eduardo Aires<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This topic is daunting, but as the good engineer that I am, I went the extra mile and summarized some important numbers so you don\u2019t have to.<\/span>
Overall, crime is undoubtedly higher in Lisbon than in Porto. And there has been a much larger record of violence in the city of Lisbon, according to the latest Annual Report on Internal Security (2017).<\/span>
But since it isn’t fair to compare absolute numbers of two districts with different population sizes, the same report states that the crime rate per 1000 inhabitants is significantly higher in Lisbon than in Porto.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"porto
Police in Lisbon’s airport \u00a9 Expresso<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In both cities, there are, of course, crimes of opportunity and many drug traffickers offering their products in the middle of the street, which makes me extremely uncomfortable.<\/span>
However, in Lisbon, cases of violence committed by private security guards of famous dance clubs, fights and even fatal shootings occur occasionally. It gives me zero desire to be in the wrong place at the wrong time in the capital.<\/span>
Porto or Lisbon: objectively speaking but simplifying a bit, Lisbon is more dangerous than Porto.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prices<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"lisbon
A guest house in Lisbon where the short-term rentals are everywhere you look \u00a9 Expresso<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This is a reality that was painful for me when I moved to Lisbon: if it is true that wages are higher in the capital, the expenses are too. I mean really expensive!<\/span>
In Porto, you can find lunch menus for 5 \/ 6\u20ac with a soup, the dish of the day and a drink. In Lisbon, I was never been able to eat for less than 8 \/ 10\u20ac, which doesn\u2019t seem a lot but it actually represents an increase of 60% compared to Porto. The same was true for dinner as well as having a drink or<\/span> going out for coffee with friends<\/span><\/a>.<\/span>
Regarding house or even temporary accommodation<\/a>, the real estate market in Lisbon is <\/span>really<\/span><\/i> wild, due to the famous Golden Visa laws, the complete lack of regulation of the houses available on platforms such as Airbnb and real estate speculation.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"porto
Arial view of Porto’s historic center where touristic rentals are blooming  \u00a9 Expresso<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Unfortunately, with Porto having the highest tourist growth in the country, the rental costs are becoming as unbearable as in Lisbon.<\/span>
In relation to transportation, the two cities are very similar due to the recent introduction of a single monthly pass (which gives access to public transport). On the other hand, Porto is a city much more compact than Lisbon, therefore, you can go sightseeing on foot, which is ideal for those who spend two or three days here. <\/span>
There are Ubers and taxis in both cities at exactly the same circulation rates, but Lisbon is a bigger city with a lot more traffic. So you end up spending more money and losing more time on transportation if you’re in Lisbon.<\/span>
Porto or Lisbon: Although in recent years, prices have risen sharply in Porto and are increasingly getting closer to those in Lisbon, the fact is that visiting Porto is still cheaper than visiting the capital. You will spend less money on transportation as well as visiting historical monuments.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Touristic activities<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"porto
Tower of Bel\u00e9m in Lisbon \u00a9 Trover<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Both Porto and Lisbon are very diverse cities where you can find activities for all tastes and styles. Both cities have:<\/p>\n\n\n\n