Which place is cheaper, Lucca or Funchal?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
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Should you visit Funchal or Lucca?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Funchal or Lucca? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.
Where Should I go: Funchal or Lucca?
Funchal
Funchal is the capital city of the autonomous region of Madeira on the island of Madeira. The city is located to the south between the cities of Santa Cruz and Camara de Lobos. It is actually named for the fennel plant which grows liberally on the island. The city was most significant as a shipping center between the 15th and 17th centuries. Today it has a population of over 100,000 people and is, arguably, one of the most picturesque cities in Portugal. It's appeal as a tourist destination has made it the leading Portuguese port for cruise line dockings.
Lucca
Lucca is of interest to travelers for its impressive architecture, interesting history and unique defensive walls that were designed by Leonardo Da Vinci. Impressively, these walls were never breached. Today there is a ring park on top of the walls that is an enjoyable place to walk. The city dates back to the Etruscan and Ancient Roman times and much of the architecture remains today. The city was an independent city state until the 18th century and was the birth place of Giacomo Puccini, a world famous Italian opera composer.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Tours for Seniors to Portugal, The Best G Adventures Tours to Portugal, The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Italy, and The Best Historical Tours in Italy.
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Funchal Prices
Portugal PricesLucca Prices
Italy Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayFunchal €116Lucca €136
The average daily cost (per person) in Funchal is €116, while the average daily cost in Lucca is €136. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Funchal and Lucca in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personFunchal €52Lucca €61
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomFunchal €104Lucca €122
Compare Hotels in Funchal and Lucca
Looking for a hotel in Funchal or Lucca? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.
Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.
Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Funchal Hotel Prices and Lucca Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Funchal €9.94Lucca €4.29
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Funchal
Also for Funchal, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Funchal, Madeira Cruise Port to Madeira Hotels - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $188
- Madeira Airport (FNC) to Funchal Cruise Port - Round Trip Private Transfer: $79
- Airport Transfers Funchal Airport: $35
- Arrival and departure transfers to Funchal and Airport: $18
- Funchal Airport (FNC) to Funchal - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $64
- Funchal Airport Transfers: Experience Hassle-Free Travel: $45
- Funchal Airport(FNC) to Funchal hotels - Arrival Private Transfer: $32
- Funchal Airport(FNC) to Madeira Island - Arrival Private Transfer: $94
- Caniçal Transfer for PR8 Hike São Lourenco: $33
- Pico do Arieiro Sunrise Hiking Transfer: $39
- Transfer to PR1 Pico do Arieiro & Pico Ruivo Trail: $38
- Madeira Airport (FNC) to Funchal, Madeira Cruise Port - Arrival Private Transfer: $39
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Lucca
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Lucca:
- Private Transfer from Lucca to Pisa (PSA) Airport: $263
- Private Transfer from Lido di Camaiore to Pisa (PSA) Airport: $257
- Tasting in a Tuscan Vineyard with transfer from Lucca: $106
Is it cheaper to fly into Funchal or Lucca?
Prices for flights to both Lucca and Funchal change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.
Food
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Food Meals for one dayFunchal €54Lucca €72
Typical Food Prices in Funchal
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Funchal:
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Coffee€1.40
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Funchal
For Funchal, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Private Walking Food Tour Around Funchal: $33
- Madeiran Traditional Dinner: $95
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Lucca
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Lucca.
- Morning Food Tour with Snacks and Coffee: $82
- Dining Experience at a local's Home in San Miniato with Show Cooking: $101
- Dining Experience at a local's Home in Capannori with Show Cooking: $102
- Dining Experience at a local's Home in Pistoia with Show Cooking: $102
- Lucca’s Ultimate Food Tour: Full Tuscan Meal by Do Eat Better: $109
- 2Italia Lucca Food Tour: $114
- Lucca Walking Tour & Traditional Cooking Class with Wine: $115
- Lucca Walking Tour & Traditional Cooking Class with Wine: $118
- Typical Dining & Cooking Demo at Local's Home in Lucca: $131
- Cooking Class Lucca: $152
- Private Home-made Pasta Cooking Class: $152
- Traditional-Traditional Cooking Class cuisine course: $152
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Funchal €15Lucca €5.68
Tours and Activities in Funchal
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Funchal.
- Sacred Art Museum of Funchal Entry Ticket: $18
- Old Funchal Walking Tour: $20
- Quick & Fun 30-Minute Tuk Tuk Tour with Local Guide: $23
- KAYAK Rental or Guided tour with snorkeling: $29
- Funchal Walking Tour: Tradition, History and Flavor: $29
- City Sightseeing Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour: $29
- Nun's Valley Tour: $32
- SUP Rental or Guided tour with snorkeling: $34
- Nun's Valley & Pico dos Barcelos Madeira Island Tour: $35
- Tour to Nun's Valley, Pico dos Barcelos and Eira do Serrado: $36
- Santana / Typical Houses Tour: $36
- Amazing East Tour : $36
Tours and Activities in Lucca
Here are a few actual costs in Lucca for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Wine and olive oil tasting & farm tour: $43
- 2 Hour Walking Tour at Lucca : $155
- 2-Hours Relax Walking Tour Through Lucca: $209
- Amazing walking tour of Pistoia: $197
- Bike Self-Tour in the Lucca Countryside and Green Landscapes: $41
- Canyoning Experience for Small Groups in Tuscany: $95
- Carrara Marble Tour by van from Lucca or Pisa : $178
- Carriage tour in the historic center of Lucca: $108
- Cellar tour, Tasting of 6 wines, dish combined typical products : $60
- Cesarine: Market Tour & Typical Dining at a Local's Home in Lucca: $226
- Chianti Lovers Tour- 2 Wineries and SuperTuscan Small Group from Lucca: $177
- Chianti Wine and Vinci half day Small Group Tour from Lucca: $130
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayFunchal €16Lucca €13
Sample the Local Flavors in Funchal
Also in Funchal, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Portuguese Wine Tasting with Sommelier: $40
- Half day jeep Wine tour and tasting, & sea cliff adventure: $62
- Bestselling Wine Tour, Tasting Experience & Skywalk 4x4 Adventure: $63
- Half-Day Wine Tour- Shared: $89
- Shore Excursion: Private Madeira Tour & Wine Tasting: $93
- Guided Toboggan Ride and Madeira Wine Tasting Tour: $107
- Tuk Tuk Wine Tour - Madeira Island: $112
- Weekends Madeira Wine Tasting São Vicente: $119
- Visiting local Vineyard With Wine Tasting & Lunch included: $208
Sample the Local Flavors in Lucca
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Lucca:
- Wine Tasting Experience - Tenuta Adamo Winery: $24
- Guided Winery Tour with Wine Tasting: $29
- Wine tasting in Lucca: $48
- Honest Wines- Wine tasting at Cantina Biagiotti: $60
- Added Organic Wine Tasting in San Miniato: $78
- Tuscany Wine Tours in a family winery Podere Pellicciano: $84
- Wine tasting in Versilia with sommelier - 5 wines and local products: $90
- Chianti Half-Day Wine Tour in the Tuscan Hills Small Group from Lucca: $94
- RomanticOpera concert in the artist's house on the hills and wine tasting: $104
- Guided E-Bike and Wine Tour: $127
- Guided E-Bike Tour with Wine Tasting from Lucca: $130
- Bike Ride & WIne Tasting: $144
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Funchal and Lucca, we can see that Lucca is more expensive. And not only is Funchal much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Funchal would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Funchal and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Lucca would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Lucca than you might in Funchal.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Funchal Expensive? and Is Lucca Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Funchal or Lucca?
Funchal has a larger population, and is about 23% larger than the population of Lucca. When comparing the sizes of Funchal and Lucca, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.