Lisbon and Porto almost always land on the same “where in Portugal” shortlist — and almost always get compared head to head. On the index the gap is notable: Porto’s median is 77, Lisbon’s is 68, even though Lisbon has more choice (92 hotels in our base versus 54 in Porto). 🚋
We’re careful with cause-and-effect claims on aggregated medians — too many variables. But the pattern echoes Tbilisi: a compact scene with a larger share of small guest stays in Porto tends to produce more confirmable signals than the denser market of large chain hotels in central Lisbon.
Prices in both cities swing heavily with season and exact dates — quoting one honest median here would just go stale within a month. For an up-to-date spread, it’s more honest to check live results for your own dates directly.
Practical takeaway: both cities are honest destinations by our index — even Lisbon’s 68 is far from the worst score among cities in our base. When picking a specific hotel, look at that hotel’s own index, not just the city median — the spread within a city is usually bigger than the gap between cities.