How Much Does The Portuguese Camino de Santiago Cost?

For anyone considering walking the Camino de Santiago, one of the first things they want to know is: How much does it cost to walk the Camino de Santiago?

Fortunately, hiking the Camino de Santiago is a great option for a budget-friendly adventure. You can fulfill your dream of completing this storied pilgrimage without breaking the bank.

In this post, I’m detailing how much it costs to walk the Portuguese Way.

Throughout the post, I have converted prices from Euros to USD in accordance with the current exchange rate (€1=$1.10 USD).

If you’re wanting to walk the Camino on a tight budget, the Portuguese Way is an even better route than the more popular French Way. But, if you have your heart set on the latter, be sure to check out my post breaking down how much it costs to walk the French Way of the Camino de Santiago.

• The Cost of Walking the Camino de Santiago French Way

My Camino Experience on the Portuguese Way

In October 2019, I walked the Portuguese Way of the Camino de Santiago. Beginning in Porto, Portugal, and ending in Santiago de Compostela, Spain, I did the Portuguese Camino Coastal Route which is a 174-mile (280-km) journey that took 12 days.

Not only was my second Camino lightyears better than my first, but walking the Portuguese Way was one of the best experiences of my entire life. Really, I can’t recommend it enough.

As a budget-conscious traveler myself, I understand how important knowing costs is to the planning process. That’s why I’m sharing my expenses for the Portuguese Way along with my recommendations for doing the Camino de Santiago cheap.

A small budget doesn’t mean you can’t have big adventures.

Looking to learn more about the Camino de Santiago? Check out these posts!

• Portuguese Camino Coastal Route Stages {2020 13-Day Guide}
• Everything You MUST Know About the Camino de Santiago
• How to Prepare for the Camino de Santiago Like a Pro
• What to Know Before Walking the Camino [25 Practical Tips}

Cost of Gear for the Camino de Santiago

I won’t spend too much time talking about the cost of gear for the Camino de Santiago since it varies greatly from pilgrim to pilgrim.

The costliest items you’ll need to purchase for the Camino will most likely be your shoes and your backpack.

For my recommendations, check out this detailed packing list I put together after walking the Portuguese Way.

• The Ultimate Camino Packing List {Free Printable Checklist}

Transportation Camino de Santiago Costs

If you’re coming from outside of Europe, your most significant cost will likely be your plane ticket.

The Portuguese Way starts in Porto, but you’re likely to find the best deals flying into either Lisbon or Madrid. From either of those cities, you can hop on a budget airline like Ryanair or Tap Air Portugal.

Personally, I prefer traveling by bus. It’s better for the environment and your budget!

Prior to starting the Portuguese Way, I spent a week in Madrid. From there, I took an overnight bus to Porto. The ticket cost $27 USD, and the journey took 7 hours. The carrier was FlixBus.

The bus dropped me off in the city center, and I was able to start my Camino the very same day. This is a fantastic option for people wanting to do the Camino de Santiago cheap.

Other transportation Camino de Santiago costs I had were the ferry from Caminha to A Guarda ($1.70 USD), my bus ticket from Muxia to Santiago ($9 USD) and my train ticket from Santiago to Madrid ($40 USD).

Camino de Santiago Accommodation Costs

Options for accommodation vary greatly on the Camino. It probably won’t surprise you to hear the more comfortable a place is the more it costs.

Because I was doing my Camino on a budget, I spent the majority of nights in municipal albergues. Run by the local government, these dormitory-style accommodations are the cheapest option on the Camino.

In Portugal, I paid $5.50 USD per night. When I crossed into Spain, the price increased to $8.80 per night.

If you plan on staying in municipal albergues to cut costs, here’s some advice:

• Plan your miles/itinerary around which towns have municipal albergues. Since the Portuguese Way is a less popular route (for now), they can be quite far apart.
• Arrive early! I walked during the shoulder season and even 80-bed albergues were full by 4 p.m. Before walking the Camino, you should know this accommodation is first come, first serve.

I also stayed in several private albergues, and let me tell you, a few extra euros goes a long way! If you can swing it, I recommend staying in some private albergues or budget hotels while you’re on the Camino.

While staying in municipal albergues is definitely the cheapest option and part of the pilgrim experience, you’ll be glad you spent an extra
€5 to have your own bathroom.

This should give you an idea of what private albergues cost along the Camino as well as what you’re able to get for your money:

• Casa Do Adro
  • Nice guesthouse with a garden, ACTUAL SHEETS and a washing machine
  • $16.50 per person (shared a room with a bunk bed); $33 USD to get a room to yourself
• El Retiro
  • Basic budget hotel with a private bathroom
  • $33 USD per night (split the cost with my walking buddy, so $16.50 each)
• Private albergue associated with Caldas de Reis municipal albergue
  
  • When the municipal albergue was full, the guy at the front desk took us next door to a private albergue. Two other pilgrims and I got a triple room with a shared bathroom and kitchen.
  • $13 USD per person

Cost of Food on the Coastal Portuguese Camino de Santiago

If you’re trying to walk the Camino on a tight budget, food is one area where you can really save money.

The best way to save money on the Camino is cooking meals in the albergues.

Each night, when I’d stop at the grocery store for dinner ingredients, I’d also pick up something for breakfast like yogurt and snacks to eat while I was walking such as granola bars, nuts and apples.

The only meal I really ate out on the Camino was lunch. I took advantage of menu del dia (menu of the day) specials or ordered a la carte. I think I ate soup almost every single day.

Here’s what a day of eating on the Camino generally looked like/cost:

Breakfast

One of the first days on the Camino, I bought a small bag of ground coffee. Each morning, I’d prepare a cup at the albergue. For breakfast, I generally ate a piece of fruit and either nuts or a granola bar.

$3 USD

Mid-morning snack

Around 10 a.m., I stopped for a mid-morning snack at a cafe along the Camino. I’d order a café americano and something to eat. In Portugal, that was often a pastel de nata. In Spain, I’d order pan con tomate or tortilla de patata.

$3.50 USD

Lunch

The first few days on the Camino, I took advantage of pilgrim’s menu specials. For a set price, you get bread, beer/wine, two courses and dessert. It’s a great deal!

$8 USD

But, if you have a lot of miles you still need to cover after lunch, I suggest going with lighter fare. My go-to lunch on the Camino was soup.

$2 USD

Dinner

The majority of nights on the Portuguese Camino. My walking buddy, Vanessa, and I would prepare dinner at the albergue. After showering, we’d hit up the nearest grocery store for ingredients.

Our favorite meal was rice with beans and veggies. To start, sauté zucchini, mushrooms, bell peppers and onions. Add kidney or garbanzo beans. Smother everything in tomato sauce. Throw it all on top of rice.

After a long day of walking, it tasted like a gourmet meal! Of course, with any gourmet meal, you need wine. Save money on the Camino by drinking at the albergue. Buy your alcohol at the grocery store and bring it back.

$7 USD

Note: Overall, food (both in restaurants and at the supermarket) cost less in Portugal than in Spain.

Miscellaneous Camino de Santiago Pilgrimage Expenses

It’s always a good idea to leave some room in your travel budget for miscellaneous expenses. As with any trip, extra costs have a way of popping up on the Camino.

Here are some of the random expenses I had to foot on the Camino:

• Rain poncho ($5.50 USD)
• Ibuprofen and pain gel ($8 USD)

Now, that’s pretty tame, but I’ve heard of other pilgrims whose miscellaneous expenses end up costing them a lot. To make sure your unexpected costs don’t bankrupt you, I recommend investing in travel insurance.

I bought my travel insurance for the Camino through World Nomads. It cost $120 USD for one month (I got it for the entirety of my Euro trip). I slept a whole lot better knowing I was covered. Oh, walking 16 miles per day probably helped too. 

Tips for Doing the Camino de Santiago Cheap

It’s possible to do the Camino de Santiago cheap! Here are my tips for saving money on the Camino de Santiago.

• Choose a less popular route
  • The Portuguese Camino (especially the portion in Portugal) cost less than the French Way.
• Take a chance on a new albergue
  • Often, new albergues will be cheaper as they try to build up reviews. You may be able to get a good deal on a nice place! Just make sure to ask to see the room before you pay.
• Cook dinner with other pilgrims
  • It’s difficult to cook for just one person. If you’re walking the Camino solo, ask other pilgrims if they’re interested in preparing dinner together. You’ll save money and make friends!
• Buy alcohol at the supermarket to drink at the albergue
  • Along the same lines as cooking with other pilgrims, ask around to see if anyone wants to split a bottle of wine.
• Bring a collapsible tupperware container
  • Leftovers are always a good idea!
• Drink tap water
  • The water in both Portugal and Spain is safe to drink. In my opinion, it tastes just fine. At restaurants, make sure to specifically ask for tap water or they’ll automatically bring you bottled water.
• Get a Charles Schwab debit card
  • ATM fees might not seem like a big deal at first, but they can really eat into your Camino budget. If you’re American, open a Charles Schwab checking account. Charles Schwab reimburses you for all ATM fees. It’s FREE to open and doesn’t require a minimum balance.

How Much Should I Budget for the Camino de Santiago trail?

Considering everything I’ve mentioned in this post, I recommend no less than $30 USD as your daily budget for the Camino de Santiago.

That figure does not include the following Camino de Santiago costs: gear, transportation or miscellaneous expenses such as travel insurance.

With that daily budget, you’ll be staying in mostly municipal albergues, preparing dinner in the albergue and adhering to my tips for doing the Camino de Santiago cheap.

Total Cost of Walking the Portuguese Way

In all, it took me 12 days to walk the Portuguese Way. That included one day of rest.

On the days I was walking, I averaged just under 16 miles per day.

If you plan on walking the Portuguese Way in the same amount of time, I recommend budgeting approximately $600 USD for the Portuguese Camino. That figure includes domestic transportation, accommodation, food and miscellaneous expenses.

Hands down, walking the Camino de Santiago is one of the biggest adventures you can have on a small budget.

Got questions about the Camino? Leave them in the comments!   

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