The cost of walking the Camino Portuguese is dependent on many factors that we will discuss here. Costs add up while walking the Camino de Santiago because it is a long venture. Accommodation, food, drinks and things like luggage delivery and laundry gets costly over a couple of weeks. You also have to consider the expense of getting to your starting point and buying equipment.

The Portuguese Way is the second most popular route of the Camino de Santiago, walked by more than 34% (120 000 people) of all pilgrims who arrived in Santiago de Compostela in 2024. We live in Portugal and have walked the Camino from Lisbon as well as the 3 different Portuguese Camino de Santiago routes from Porto while staying in everything from public albergues to luxury hotels. In this post I will give you a detailed breakdown of my Camino Portuguese budget and discuss what you can expect walking the Portuguese Way with your specific budget.

Calculate the cost of your Camino Portuguese walk by choosing the expenses you will have in each blog and adding them, multiply by the number of days in your planned itinerary.

Determine Your Camino Portuguese Budget

Walking the Camino Portuguese, spending €40 to €60 per day is a comfortable budget. Most pilgrims spend between €35 and €75 per day. The biggest influence on your Camino budget will be the accommodation followed by food and drinks. Other regular expenses that many pilgrims have are luggage delivery and laundry. On a tight budget you will have to stay in public albergues, shop in the supermarket and cook at the albergues, depending on your budget even think carefully about every coffee you buy on the way.

• On a Budget – € 25 -40 possible, but you will have to spend very carefully
• Comfortable – € 40 – 60
• Very Comfortable € 70+

Nice place for a break on the Camino Portuguese Litoral way.

Daily Expense Budget Break-ups

If your budget is 25 to 30 Euros per person per day

• Accommodation – public albergues, 10 Euros
• Food – grocery shopping – 10-12 Euros
• Extras – 3-4 Euros
• This is still possible, but without any luxuries, you will have to budget very careful.

If your budget is 35+ Euros per person per day

• Accommodation – private albergues, 15-20 Euros
• Food – 15-20 Euros depending on if you cook or eat out. Breakfast – 4-5 Euros, a set lunch (Menu del Dia) – 10-12 Euros. Dinners are usually more expensive from 20 Euros per person. It’s a lot cheaper to do grocery shopping and make food. Most albergues and hostels have a shared kitchen where you can cook.
• Extras – 3-4 Euros

If you spend 50+ Euros per person per day

• Accommodation – a private room in a hotel, from 20-25 Euros per person (if you’re two people sharing a double room for EUR 50), from 40 Euros for a single room. The availability of these prices are highly dependent on season and location.
• Food – 15-30 Euros depending if you eat out or make food. If you eat breakfast, lunch and dinner expect to spend from 35 Euros per person per day.
• Extras – 3-4 Euros.

Money Saving Tips for the Camino Portuguese

Over the years we have walked the Camino on many different budgets. Here are a couple of tips you can use to save money, from very obvious to some things you might not know. Buen Camino!

• Walk out of holiday season – hotels are more expensive in summer when there are many local holiday makers, especially on the coast.
• Stay in Albergues – using budget accommodation for pilgrims is the easiest way to walk a cheap Camino.
• Carry your backpack – not using luggage transfer service is a significant way to reduce cost.
• Supermarkets – buy food in the supermarket and cook in the albergue kitchens.
• Handwash clothes – wash your clothes by hand and hang to dry.
• Share Laundry -the washers and dryers in albergues are big, share with fellow pilgrims.
• Tap Water – tap water in Portugal and Spain is drinkable, drink tap water, save money and limit plastic polution.
  • If you do not feel comfortable drinking tap water use a filter like the Lifestraw Filter Bottle and limit plastic waste.
• Use a local Sim – save on international phone costs and data charges by buying a local sim or e-sim. This way you can be online to use online navigation applications.
• Use Wi-Fi – wifi is widely available if you do not need a permanent phone or internet connection.

Signs to a guesthouse for €45 on the Portuguese Camino.

The Portuguese Camino de Santiago

The most popular starting points for the Camino Portuguese are Lisbon 25-30 days (613 km/381 mi), Porto 12-15 days (274 km/170 mi) and Tui 5-7 days (117 km/72,7 mi). From Se Cathedral in Porto there are three different routes of the Camino Portuguese to walk to Santiago de Compostela in Spain; the Central, the Coastal Route, and the Litoral Way. You can combine all 4 Portuguese Camino routes in one walk to give you the best combination.

Cost of Different Portuguese Camino Routes

The coastal and litoral routes tend to be more expensive than the central route, especially if you stay in private accommodation. On the coast these routes go through touristy areas with popular beaches and the prices of everything are, in consequence, higher. Many Spanish and Portuguese holidaymakers come to the coastal towns resulting in more expensive accommodation and restaurants. Prices here are much higher in season.

The cost of accommodation on the Camino de Santiago

Accommodation is the main expenses for most pilgrims on the Camino and the best place to save money on your pilgrimage.

There are a large variety of accommodation options on the Portuguese Camino routes including albergues, hostels and hotels/guesthouses. Albergues are special hostel accommodation for pilgrims on the Camino all along the way. You pay for a bed in a dormitory, not for a room. There are two types of albergues, municipal and private albergues.

Public (municipal) albergues

Municipal albergues is the cheapest accommodation available on the Camino. Many pilgrims see staying in the municipal hostels as the authentic way to walk the Camino. There is off-course no best way and sharing a room with many tired pilgrims, that snore all night, and get up at 5 am is definitely not for everyone. Usually there are only shared accommodation available in public albergues, no private rooms.

There can be anything from 5 to a 100 bunkbeds in the sleeping quarters. Facilities (showers, toilets, and kitchen) are shared. These hostels are exclusively for pilgrims walking or cycling the Camino and are run by the local municipality. You need a Credential (a pilgrim’s passport) with stamps to prove that you are walking the Camino to stay at public albergues. The average price is 10 Euros per person per bed.

Bunkbeds in a small dormitory room in a public albergue on the Camino de Santiago. These beds can not be reserved and usually cost around €10 per night.

Sometimes you can find albergues for donation. This is not free accommodation. We usually leave as much as we would pay for a public albergue or more if we like the place.

Some important considerations regarding Public Albergues

• First come, first served basis, accommodation can not be reserved.
• Only for pilgrims, a credential is required for check-in.
• Pilgrims can not stay more than one night.
• Luggage delivery is not allowed.
• Mostly cash only.

Private albergues

The second cheapest accommodation option on the Camino are private albergues that belong to a private person or company. These hostels also have shared accommodation, but you can book your bed on a site like booking dot com. Although most of the guests are pilgrims anybody can stay here. Private albergues will accept luggage delivery and you can usually pay by card.

They cost 15-20 Euros per bed.

Private albergues usually are more luxurious than public albergues. Facilities vary between establishments. Some luxuries you might find are; lockers, bedding provided, bed lamps, electric sockets at each bed, curtains at beds for privacy, smaller rooms with fewer beds, separate male and female rooms, basic breakfast/coffee provided. Some private albergues have private rooms as well.

There are many private albergues on the Camino de Santiago, you’ll usually be able to find one at the end of every day.

Bunkbeds in a private albergue. These beds can be reserved and usually cost between €15 -20.

Hotels/guesthouses/pensions

Staying in private rooms is the most expensive and comfortable way to walk the Camino. Prices for a private room start at around 40 Euros for a single room and 50 Euros for a double room. We usually stay in hotels at least once a week or even more often if we can find a well-priced private room. Getting some privacy every now and then is fantastic. Luggage delivery is arranged with hotels.

List of Accommodation on the Portuguese Camino Routes

The cost of food on the Camino de Santiago

The fantastic food in Portugal and Spain is one of the many fantastic aspects to enjoy while walking the Camino. See our guide to Food on the Camino for some culinary highlights not too miss!

Grocery shopping and cooking

Buying food at the supermarket and cooking is the cheapest way to eat on the Camino. Most albergues have a kitchen. Some kitchens are well-equipped, but In the public albergues there are usually very limited utensils (pots, pans, cutlery etc.). We usually check out the kitchen before we go shopping.

Most towns on the Camino in Portugal and Spain have at least a small grocery store where you can get bread, pasta, cheese, yogurt, fruit, vegetables, beer and wine. Bigger towns and cities have fantastic supermarkets often selling take-away food. We usually spend between 15 and 20 Euros per day on grocery shopping for two people. Depending on what you buy and for how many meals I’d recommend budgeting 10 Euros per person per day to buy enough food for 2 meals.

Typical shopping lunch and dinner for 2 people at Aldi Supermarket in Portugal in 2025 – spaghetti €1, cherry tomatoes €2.50, Beef Mince €4.50, Large Beer €1.50, 2 croissants €1.50. TOTAL €11

Breakfast

A typical breakfast in a Portuguese or Spanish cafe costs around 4-5 Euros.

In Portugal the simplest and cheapest breakfast is just a plain croissant (croissant simples) and coffee. The Portuguese usually eat some kind of bread with butter, ham or cheese for breakfast. My favorite is a tosta mista (mixed sandwich, basically a super ham and cheese toastie). Croissant Brioche mista is also popular (a more dense, thicker dough than a traditional croissant) with ham and cheese. This is also a good option for light lunch.

In Portugal a Tosta Mista (ham and cheese) with a coffee is usually a relatively big meal for breakfast or lunch.

The Spanish are not very big on breakfast, most of them just drink a cup of coffee with a small pastry. Something small to eat typically is toast with tomato and olive oil or butter and jam. Many cafes on the Camino offer breakfast that usually includes a cup of coffee, a glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice, and a sandwich or a pastry. 

In very busy and touristy parts of some Camino routes, you can find an English (eggs & bacon) or an American (sausages, eggs, cereal, etc.) breakfast as well. It costs between 8 and 10 Euros.

Spanish Tortilla (egg and potato omelet) is a good option for breakfast in Spain, it is also good for a light lunch.

Lunch

Budget Lunch – In Spain the traditional Spanish bocadillo for about 4 Euros is probably the best value for money. The bocadillo is usually a 6- to 8-inch long portion of baguette, sliced in half and filled with Spanish chorizo sausage, or tuna. Sandwich jamón y queso (ham and cheese) is a very popular meal and sort of my Camino staple food. In Portugal the tosta mista is usually a big portion and for around 3 Euros a great budget option.

Tortilla (Spanish omelet) is more like a quiche with potato. It is available in most bars from early morning and is a great option for breakfast or lunch. For €3 or 4 you can get a nice slice of tortilla.

Menu del Día (Menu do Dia)

The pilgrims meal, called Menu del Día in Spain and Menu do Dia is a set meal that includes a starter, a main, a drink (wine, beer, water, soda), bread, and dessert or coffee. This is a popular lunch option in Portugal and Spain, not only on the Camino de Santiago. A typical menu costs between 10 and 15 Euros.

The quality of the menu varies. We have had some amazing menus, but also some really poor ones. I usually do not take wine with the menu I rather go for cooldrink or a beer. I have drunk some of the worst, cheap wine possible with well priced menu del dias.

If you follow a special diet e.g. vegetarian or vegan you may find it difficult in small towns to find a suitable menu. The best option for you is to cook for yourself.

Dinner

Dinner in a restaurant with a glass of wine will cost you from 20 Euros per person depending on the restaurant. Some Albergues prepare communal meals for dinner, this is always fantastic and a great social event, a good place to meet other pilgrims.

Enjoying communal dinner prepared in an albergue is always a fun evening!

For a beer or a glass of wine at the bar, you’ll pay an average of 2-3 Euros. In Spain this sometimes include a simple tapa, e.g. a small portion of tortilla, peanuts, a small cheese or ham sandwich, etc.

Make sure to try typical Galician dishes Pulpo a la Feira (cooked octopus) and Pimientos de Padrón (fried green peppers) are great with beer. In Santiago de Compostela there are a couple of amazing tapas bars on Rúa do Franco and Rúa da Raiña streets.

If you’re planning to go out for a drink and a tapa regularly add 40-50 Euro (depending on how long you’re going to walk) to your total Camino budget.

Trying local food on the Camino de Santiago is a part of the experience. Some dishes are not to be missed e.g. Tarta de Santiago, tapas and pintxos, Pimientos de Padron, and Pulpo a la Feira are some of them.

These prepacked pasta salads are available in most larger supermarkets in Portugal and Spain. It is an awesome meal for €3.50. If we are really hungry after a long day of walking we often buy some more things like vegetables, cheese or meat and add it to the salads. These are great to buy on your way to an albergue if you are not sure about the cooking utensils that they have available. This is one of our staples on all the Camino routes.

Coffee on the Camino Portuguese

Drinking a café con leche while walking the Camino is one of the best memories many pilgrims treasure. If you like a cappuccino or late you will love a cafe con leche in Spain for about €1.70 or a galão in Portugal. For espresso drinkers your caffeine fix is very affordable at 60c for an espresso. Read all about drinking coffee in Portugal.

A galão (similar to latte) and a pastel de nata, Portugal is world famous for these little custard tarts with a flaky crust.

Other expenses on the Camino Portuguese

Luggage delivery service on the Camino

Having your luggage collected at your accommodation everyday and delivered at your endpoint is a fantastic service. Many pilgrims prefer to only walk with a small daypack and having their main luggage transfered in this way.

The service is available on the Camino Portuguese costing around 7 Euro per day.

You can decide whether you need it or not on the way. Try to walk with your backpack and if it’s too heavy or too difficult you can always start using the luggage delivery service. It’s important to remember that many public albergues don’t allow luggage delivery which means you’ll have to stay in private albergues or hotels.

Luggage delivery on the Camino Portuguese is a very popular service. You can see here many people have their suitcases transported and walk carrying a small daypack.

Laundry

Many albergues (both public and private) have self-service washing machines and dryers that work with coins. The machines are large; you can share one load between 3 or 4 people. It’s 4 Euros per load for washing and 5 Euros for drying. Hand washing is possible and most albergues have washing basins and drying lines.

The cost of travel Insurance for the Camino

Walking the Camino is not a high-risk venture but medical expenses gear loss, or trip cancellation can be costly. Note, if you have a European Health Insurance card you don’t need any extra medical insurance for Spain or Portugal. See some Travel Insurance Costs for the Camino Portuguese.

The cost of essential gear

You can see our complete Camino Portuguese packing list. Here is a list of the cost of the most essential items to pack when walking the Camino.

BUEN CAMINO!

The pretty half of Stingy Nomads, responsible for all our land adventures (hiking, climbing, walking the Camino) and following them write-ups. Alya loves walking since she was a child, she prefers to walk 1000 km with a backpack rather than to do a 10 000 km road trip (actually any road trip). Alya is a big fan of Latin America, the Spanish language, and dancing. Every time we go away she desperately misses our dog Chile.

Източник за тази статия

Наши спонсори са:

Български трактори на добри цени при изключително качество