{"id":3433,"date":"2026-09-28T15:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-09-28T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/?p=3433"},"modified":"2026-09-23T08:48:43","modified_gmt":"2026-09-23T07:48:43","slug":"a-thomastown-couple-spent-one-october-week-in-kerry-and-one-on-the-algarve-and-kept-every-receipt-the-gap-surprised-even-them","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/a-thomastown-couple-spent-one-october-week-in-kerry-and-one-on-the-algarve-and-kept-every-receipt-the-gap-surprised-even-them\/","title":{"rendered":"A Thomastown couple spent one October week in Kerry and one on the Algarve and kept every receipt \u2014 the gap surprised even them"},"content":{"rendered":"

They didn\u2019t set out to prove a point. They just wanted one quiet<\/strong> Irish week and one sunny<\/strong> Portuguese week before winter. So Maeve and Cian, both from Thomastown<\/strong>, packed light, carried a zip-lock<\/strong> folder, and vowed to keep every receipt<\/strong>. By the time they got home, the numbers told a stubborn<\/strong> story.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u201cWe thought it\u2019d be close<\/strong>,\u201d Maeve said. \u201cTwo off\u2011season weeks, one at home<\/strong>, one abroad. It wasn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The ground rules<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

They agreed on a few simple<\/strong> constraints. Mid-October, seven nights<\/strong> each. No luxury splurges<\/strong>, no extreme scrimping<\/strong>. Comparable meals<\/strong>, a couple of drinks<\/strong> most nights, some low-key day trips<\/strong>, and whatever transport made the most sense<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u201cWe paid full<\/strong> price on everything,\u201d Cian said. \u201cIf we got a deal<\/strong>, it went in the pile. If we got rinsed<\/strong>, that went in too.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Beds, flights, and the first shock<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

Kerry came first. They booked a B&B<\/strong> in Dingle at \u20ac148 per night<\/strong>, breakfast included. Total: \u20ac1,036<\/strong>. Add two return trains<\/strong> from Kilkenny to Killarney, a short bus<\/strong> on, and a weekend car<\/strong> hire for two days to hit the coast: \u20ac214<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The Algarve meant a budget apartment<\/strong> in Lagos. Off-season, bright, and five minutes from the marina<\/strong>: \u20ac76 per night. Total: \u20ac532<\/strong>. Flights from Dublin<\/strong> to Faro? Booked six weeks out: \u20ac292<\/strong> for two, return, with one shared cabin<\/strong> bag and one checked<\/strong> bag.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Maeve tallied the headings later. \u201cWe knew accommodation<\/strong> might bite in Kerry,\u201d she said. \u201cWe didn\u2019t expect it to bite that hard<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Eating, sipping, and small rituals<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

Food, it turned out, wrote half the story<\/strong>. In Kerry, dinners for two landed mostly in the \u20ac48\u2013\u20ac72<\/strong> zone, leaning toward seafood<\/strong> and cozy pubs. A pint<\/strong> averaged \u20ac6.40; a glass of house<\/strong> wine, \u20ac8. Coffee for two, usually \u20ac7.60 for flat<\/strong> whites.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

In the Algarve, two-course dinners with wine<\/strong> floated in the \u20ac34\u2013\u20ac52 bracket, and a round of drinks<\/strong> rarely cleared \u20ac7.60. Supermarket fruit cost less<\/strong> than half the Kerry price per kilo; a decent local vinho<\/strong> ran \u20ac4\u2013\u20ac6 a bottle. Cappuccinos were \u20ac1.50<\/strong>. \u201cI felt like I\u2019d time-traveled to 2012<\/strong>,\u201d Cian said. \u201cEven the pastries<\/strong> were cheeky money.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

They didn\u2019t starve in Kerry. They just blinked<\/strong> more often when the bill landed<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Getting around and doing things<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

Kerry\u2019s distances demanded some planning<\/strong>. Buses were patchy<\/strong>; the car helped reach Slea<\/strong> Head, where the only real bargain was the wind<\/strong>. Parking, \u20ac2\u2013\u20ac5 a pop. A boat trip they eyed at \u20ac35 each got scrubbed<\/strong> by weather. Entry to a small heritage<\/strong> site, \u20ac10 per person.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

In Lagos, they walked. When they didn\u2019t, Ubers<\/strong> were \u20ac3\u2013\u20ac7 for short hops, and a regional<\/strong> train to Portim\u00e3o cost \u20ac3.20<\/strong> each. The water stayed warm enough for a kayak<\/strong> tour, \u20ac25 per person, equipment included. \u201cTransport felt optional<\/strong> there,\u201d Maeve said. \u201cIn Kerry, it felt like homework<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The receipt stack, distilled<\/h2>\n

<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s how one meticulous week stacked up for two people.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n
  • \n

    Kerry (7 nights): Accommodation \u20ac1,036; transport \u20ac214; food and drink \u20ac612; activities and fees \u20ac86; misc. \u20ac58. Total: \u20ac2,006.<\/p>\n

    \n<\/li>\n

    <\/p>\n

  • \n

    Algarve (7 nights): Accommodation \u20ac532; flights \u20ac292; local transport \u20ac64; food and drink \u20ac448; activities and fees \u20ac72; misc. \u20ac41. Total: \u20ac1,449.<\/p>\n

    \n<\/li>\n

    \n<\/ul>\n

    <\/p>\n

    \u201cThat\u2019s a \u20ac557<\/strong> gap,\u201d Maeve said. \u201cSame month<\/strong>, similar weather<\/strong>, wildly different damage<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    Why the gap widened<\/h2>\n

    <\/p>\n

    A few forces did the lifting<\/strong>. Off-season in Portugal is still busy<\/strong>, but supply is deep<\/strong>: more apartments, more restaurants, more competition<\/strong>. Ireland\u2019s west has finite beds<\/strong>, rising energy<\/strong> costs, and shoulder-season wage<\/strong> realities. VAT and excise bend the curve<\/strong> too. And while flights add to Portugal<\/strong>, they\u2019re amortised over cheaper days<\/strong> on the ground.<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    Exchange rates nudged things in their favour<\/strong>: euros in, euros out. No currency sting<\/strong>, just price levels<\/strong>. \u201cWe weren\u2019t ticking Michelin<\/strong> boxes,\u201d Cian said. \u201cWe were buying coffee<\/strong>, bread, the usual bits<\/strong>. That\u2019s where you really feel it.\u201d<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    Value beyond arithmetic<\/h2>\n

    <\/p>\n

    Some costs are invisible<\/strong> until you miss them. In Kerry, the chats at breakfast were priceless<\/strong>. A barman drew them a map<\/strong> on a napkin and saved them an hour of wrong<\/strong> turns. The Atlantic did its theatre<\/strong> thing, all pewter sky and thundering edges<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    In the Algarve, the afternoons stretched silky<\/strong> and unhurried. Laundry dried on the balcony<\/strong> in an hour. The sea offered a daily swim<\/strong>, the light stayed gold<\/strong> well past tea.<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    \u201cIt isn\u2019t just money<\/strong>,\u201d Maeve said. \u201cBut money talked<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    What they\u2019d change next time<\/h2>\n

    <\/p>\n

    They agreed on tweaks<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

      <\/p>\n
    • \n

      Book Irish accommodation earlier, and look beyond the most photographed<\/strong> towns.<\/p>\n

      \n<\/li>\n

      <\/p>\n

    • \n

      Self-cater more in Kerry to dodge the dinner<\/strong> premium.<\/p>\n

      \n<\/li>\n

      <\/p>\n

    • \n

      Use public transport<\/strong> creatively; pair buses with a one-day car<\/strong> rental.<\/p>\n

      \n<\/li>\n

      <\/p>\n

    • \n

      In Portugal, try inland villages<\/strong> for even lower rates<\/strong> and quieter nights.<\/p>\n

      \n<\/li>\n

      \n<\/ul>\n

      <\/p>\n

      Cian laughed. \u201cAnd I\u2019ll never again buy a bottle<\/strong> of water in a Kerry garage<\/strong> without bracing.\u201d<\/p>\n

      <\/p>\n

      The last receipt<\/h2>\n

      <\/p>\n

      On the final morning<\/strong> in Lagos, they spent \u20ac4.80 on two past\u00e9is and two coffees<\/strong>. In Dingle, their first morning<\/strong> had been \u20ac14.80 for a similar treat<\/strong>. Neither ruined them. Both felt fine<\/strong> in the moment.<\/p>\n

      <\/p>\n

      But lined up on the kitchen<\/strong> table, every slip of paper told the same tale<\/strong>: for one ordinary couple, two gentle weeks<\/strong> in October traveled the same distance<\/strong>\u2014and landed in two very different places<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3449,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3433","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-50"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3433","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3433"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3433\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3446,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3433\/revisions\/3446"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3449"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3433"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3433"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.farmersforum.ie\/trends\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3433"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}