Shoutout to hostel kitchen access over eating out every meal

I spent two weeks in Portugal last summer and compared my costs between eating out for dinner versus cooking in hostel kitchens. Breakfast and lunch I kept cheap either way, but dinners added up fast. In Lisbon I paid around 12-15 euros per meal out, but in Porto I used the hostel kitchen and spent maybe 4 euros per meal on groceries. Over 7 nights that saved me roughly 75 euros total. Has anyone else noticed a big difference in their travel budget by picking hostels with solid kitchen setups?

3 comments

3 Comments

avery_jackson11d ago

Holy cow, four euros for a full dinner in Porto? That's insane.

rowan_thomas8411d ago

Oh wow, I didn't even think about that angle. But it kinda depends on how you define "dinner" too, right? Like, if you're going to a tasca that does a prato do dia with soup, bread, main, and a drink for 4 euros, that's a legit meal. But grocery-wise, yeah, 4 euros is tight unless you're really stretching rice and beans. Maybe they found one of those old school lunch spots that still does the worker's menu price. Or they're just really good at making a little bit of meat go a long way with potatoes and onions.

marywilson11d ago

Wait, did you really spend 4 euros per meal on groceries in Porto? I was there last spring and even stuff at the grocery stores felt pricier than that, especially if you're making anything with meat or fresh veggies. My hostel kitchen dinners in Lisbon cost me more like 6 to 7 euros a night, and that was just pasta with canned sauce and some bread. Maybe I picked the wrong supermarkets or you found a hidden discount spot, but 4 euros seems pretty low for a full dinner unless you're just eating crackers and cheese. Still, you're totally right that cooking saves a ton compared to restaurants - I ended up spending about 60 euros less over a week in Madrid by doing the same thing.