Budget — Lisbon

Lisbon is Western Europe's most accessible capital after Porto. A baseline of €80 per person per day covers a comfortable stay: a double room in a well-located three-star hotel or guest house, lunch in a neighbourhood restaurant, dinner in a good restaurant and two or three museum entries.

Accommodation spans every level. A hostel dormitory bed in Alfama or the Chiado costs €18-30 a night. A decent double room in a guest house or B&B runs €60-100 depending on season and location. A four-star boutique hotel in the Chiado or Bairro Alto starts at €130-200 a night. Restored palacetes and design hotels (Bairro Alto Hotel, Verride Palácio Santa Catarina) go well beyond €300.

Food is one of Lisbon's strongest cards. A bica (espresso) or galão costs €0.80-1.20. A full lunch (prato do dia: main, soup, drink and dessert) at a neighbourhood restaurant runs €10-15 per person — genuinely one of Europe's best-value midday meals. A full meal in a good Chiado or Mouraria restaurant costs €25-40 per person. The Time Out Market allows you to compose an excellent dinner for €15-20 by picking across different stalls.

Entry costs are reasonable. Mosteiro dos Jerónimos: €10. Torre de Belém: €6. Combined Jerónimos + Torre ticket: €14. Castelo de São Jorge: €10. MAAT: €5. The Lisboa Card (24h €21 / 48h €35 / 72h €45) covers transport and dozens of museums — it pays for itself easily on any sightseeing-focused trip. Train to Sintra: €2.30 from Rossio. Pena Palace: €14.

Local transport is genuinely cheap: a metro trip costs €1.61 (Viva Viagem card required, €0.50 to buy). The Bica funicular is included on the Viva Viagem card. A taxi from the airport costs €15-20 in daytime.