Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
Sintra is easier to travel (2.0 vs 2.8). Biggest gap: safety โ Palermo 3 vs Sintra 1. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
| Item | Palermo | Sintra | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โฌ 14$16.3 | โฌ 14$16.3 | similar |
| Street food1 item | โฌ 3$3.49 | โฌ 4.5$5.23 | Palermo โ33% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | โฌ 30$34.9 | โฌ 25$29.1 | Sintra โ17% |
| Coffeeone cup | โฌ 1.6$1.86 | โฌ 2$2.33 | Palermo โ20% |
| Beerone bottle | โฌ 4$4.65 | โฌ 3$3.49 | Sintra โ25% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | โฌ 8$9.3 | โฌ 5$5.81 | Sintra โ38% |
| Bottled water | โฌ 0.5$0.58 | โฌ 0.8$0.93 | Palermo โ38% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | โฌ 1.2$1.4 | โฌ 1.7$1.98 | Palermo โ29% |
| Taxi5 km in town | โฌ 11$12.8 | โฌ 9$10.5 | Sintra โ18% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โฌ 8$9.3 | โฌ 15$17.4 | Palermo โ47% |
| Transitone ride | โฌ 1.4$1.63 | โฌ 4.55$5.29 | Palermo โ69% |
| Scooter rentalper day | โฌ 35$40.7 | โฌ 35$40.7 | similar |
| Hotel night3-star | โฌ 85$98.8 | โฌ 110$128 | Palermo โ23% |
| Studio rent (month) | โฌ 550$640 | โฌ 740$860 | Palermo โ26% |
| Laundry | โฌ 7$8.14 | โฌ 9$10.5 | Palermo โ22% |
| SIM card1 week data | โฌ 15$17.4 | โฌ 15$17.4 | similar |
| Haircutcut | โฌ 12$14 | โฌ 10$11.6 | Sintra โ17% |
| Massage1 hour | โฌ 45$52.3 | โฌ 50$58.1 | Palermo โ10% |
| Half-day tourper person | โฌ 50$58.1 | โฌ 55$64 | Palermo โ9% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | โฌ 12$14 | โฌ 20$23.3 | Palermo โ40% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
Palermo is 9% cheaper than Sintra. Daily budget $224 vs $241; a month $3,566 vs $4,041.
Sintra is easier: Sintra 2.0/5 vs Palermo 2.8/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
With a short-term studio and living costs, Palermo is about $3,566 and Sintra about $4,041 per month.
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.