Portugal · Europe
Lisbon, Portugal: cost, safety and best time to visit (2026)
Population: 518KCurrency: EURTime zone: Europe/Lisbon
US travel advisory
Level 1
Exercise Normal Precautions
Best months to visit
May, Jun, Jul and Aug
highest visit score, Open-Meteo climate record
About Lisbon
Lisbon, Portugal's capital, has a population of about 518,000 people. Visitors can plan a one-person daily budget of $55 for budget travel, $135 for mid-range travel, or $285 for luxury travel; those figures scale to $385, $945, and $1,995 across a full week. The city's warmest, driest, and sunniest stretch runs from May through August, which is also when travel numbers rise the most. January, February, and December are the quietest and least expensive months to visit, with cooler temperatures and more rain. Lisbon sits on the Atlantic coast and functions as the country's main gateway for international travelers, with public transport, cafés, and museums priced within reach of most trip budgets. Street crime such as pickpocketing occurs, particularly on crowded trams and buses, so basic precautions apply. Overall, Lisbon offers straightforward planning: choose a season based on weather and cost, set a daily budget from the ranges above, and adjust for shoulder or off season savings depending on travel dates and personal risk tolerance.
Weather through the year
Average high in °C and monthly rainfall in mm, from the Open-Meteo archive.
Jan
16°
113mm
Feb
17°
68mm
Mar
18°
98mm
Apr
22°
52mm
May
23°
20mm
Jun
27°
25mm
Jul
29°
6mm
Aug
30°
0mm
Sep
26°
29mm
Oct
24°
96mm
Nov
19°
110mm
Dec
15°
61mm
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a week in Lisbon cost?
A one-person week runs $385 on a budget itinerary, $945 for a mid-range trip, and $1,995 for a luxury trip. These totals cover lodging, food, local transport, and paid attractions at each tier.
When is the best time to visit Lisbon?
May, June, July, and August have the highest visit scores, with sunshine reaching about 12.5 to 13.3 hours a day and rain dropping to as little as 0mm in August. These months are also Lisbon's peak season, so expect higher demand for lodging.
Is Lisbon safe for travelers?
The US State Department rates Portugal at Level 1, Exercise Normal Precautions, a country-level rating dated March 3, 2025. UK guidance notes that street crime, drink spiking, and rare attacks including sexual assault occur mostly late at night near nightlife areas, so standard urban precautions apply.
Is a budget trip to Lisbon realistic?
Yes, the budget estimate is $55 a day, or $385 over a week, covering basic lodging, low-cost meals, and public transport. Traveling in the off season months of January, February, or December can help keep costs closer to that lower figure.
When is the cheapest time to visit Lisbon?
January, February, and December are listed as the off season, meaning lower prices and quieter conditions. Rain is heavier in these months, reaching 113mm in January, and sunshine drops to around 7 to 8 hours a day.
What about food and getting around in Lisbon?
Local transport and simple meals fit easily within the $55 daily budget tier when paired with basic lodging. Trams and buses are common ways to get around, though UK travel guidance notes crowded stops are a spot where pickpocketing risk is highest, so keep valuables secure.
Keep reading
More on Lisbon
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Where it ranks
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Sources
- GeoNames city database — CC BY 4.0, fetched September 14, 2026
- Open-Meteo climate archive — CC BY 4.0, fetched September 21, 2026
- World Bank price level and exchange rate — CC BY 4.0, data year 2025
- US State Department travel advisories — public domain, fetched September 21, 2026
- UK FCDO foreign travel advice — Open Government Licence v3, fetched September 21, 2026
AI-written interpretation reviewed against the data above — claude-sonnet-5, generated September 21, 2026. Every number on this page comes from a dataset named here; the formulas are public.