🇵🇹
Porto
Portugal
Riverside charm, port wine and welcoming locals.
🇨🇿
Prague
Czech Republic
Fairytale architecture and a legendary beer culture.
Estimated monthly student budget
🇵🇹 Porto
€850–1,100 / month
Estimated monthly student budget
🇨🇿 Prague
€900–1,150 / month
Best for
🇵🇹 Porto
- Students looking for a mid-sized city
- Those who prefer a more authentic, less touristy experience
- People interested in Portuguese culture
Best for
🇨🇿 Prague
- Students who want to travel constantly around Europe
- Those looking for a very active social life
- People interested in an intense international experience
Category profile
How each city tends to feel across the things students care about — different, not better or worse.
Moderate
Cost of Living
Affordable
High
Nightlife
Very High
Good
Weather
Fair
High
Travel Opportunities
Excellent
Active
Student Life
Iconic
Manageable
Housing
Comfortable
Strong
University Reputation
Strong
Student insights
🇵🇹 Porto
- City with great personality and authenticity
- Good university reputation
- More moderate cost of living than many European capitals
Student insights
🇨🇿 Prague
- Exceptional location for travelling
- One of the best nightlife scenes in Europe
- Large Erasmus community
Student voice — 🇵🇹 Porto
“Porto was the best choice ever.”
Student voice — 🇨🇿 Prague
“I cannot recommend Prague enough.”
🇵🇹 Porto
Pros
- City with great personality and authenticity
- Good university reputation
- More moderate cost of living than many European capitals
- Good balance between leisure and calm
- Good international connections
Cons
- Rainier climate than other southern European destinations
- Increasingly expensive rental market
- Smaller Erasmus community than Lisbon or Seville
- Less cultural and leisure offer than major capitals
- Fewer international and professional opportunities
🇨🇿 Prague
Pros
- Exceptional location for travelling
- One of the best nightlife scenes in Europe
- Large Erasmus community
- Reasonable cost of living for a European capital
- Historic and culturally fascinating city
Cons
- Cold, dark winters
- Mass tourism in some areas
- Rising rental prices
- Bigger language barrier than in Spain or Portugal
- Fewer hours of sun for much of the year
Have you studied in one of these cities?
Share your experience and help future students make better Erasmus decisions.