Which place is cheaper, Palawan or Abu Dhabi?
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 Abu Dhabi or Palawan?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city is more affordable and which is best for your travel style? If you're trying to figure out where to go next, comparing the travel costs between Abu Dhabi and Palawan can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Abu Dhabi or Palawan?
Abu Dhabi
It doesn't get more "lifestyles of the rich and famous" than a vacation to Abu Dhabi. The federal capital and center of government for the United Arab Emirates is arguably the most modern city in the world.
Abu Dhabi has a population of 1.5 million and provides a home to several oil companies and embassies, but this place is definitely a playground for the world's fanciest tourists. This city has several large projects underway including Yas Island's Formula 1 track and Ferrari theme park.
Note: homosexuality is still outlawed in the UAE with harsh punishments including deportation, fines, jail time or even a death sentence.
Palawan
Palawan is an archipelagic province of the Philippines, named for its largest island which measures about 450 kilometers (or 280 miles) long. The island is known as an ecological frontier with plenty of beaches and resorts as well as opportunities to see a diverse array of wildlife and their habitats on land and sea.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Family-Friendly Tours to United Arab Emirates, The Best 3-Day Tours in United Arab Emirates, The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Philippines, and The Best 2-Week Tours in Philippines.
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Abu Dhabi Prices
UAE PricesPalawan Prices
Philippines Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayAbu Dhabi $197Palawan $40
The average daily cost (per person) in Abu Dhabi is $197, while the average daily cost in Palawan is $40. 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 Abu Dhabi and Palawan in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personAbu Dhabi $98Palawan $12
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomAbu Dhabi $196Palawan $24
Compare Hotels in Abu Dhabi and Palawan
Looking for a hotel in Abu Dhabi or Palawan? 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: Abu Dhabi Hotel Prices and Palawan Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Abu Dhabi $20Palawan $15
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Abu Dhabi
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Abu Dhabi are as follows:
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Car Rental$31
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Taxi to Airport$14
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Abu Dhabi
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Abu Dhabi:
- Yas Waterworld Abu Dhabi Tickets With Meal and Transfers: $105
- Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi Ticket with Hotel Transfers: $251
- Warner Bros World and Ferrari World Combo Ticket with transfer from Dubai: $204
- Warner Bros World Ticket's -Abu Dhabi Without Transfer: $220
- Warner Bro's with Private Transfers from Dubai: $279
- Ultimate Snow Park Abu Dhabi Package with transfer option: $71
- Transfer Abu Dhabi City Center to Abu Dhabi Airport (AUH): $31
- Teams Lab Phenomena Experience in Abu Dhabi with Transfers option: $56
- Snow Park Abudhabi Premium Tickets with Optional Transfers: $120
- Snow Abu Dhabi Tour with Optional Private Transfers: $110
- Ski Abu Dhabi with Optional Transfers: $100
- Qasr al Watan Tour with Optional Private Transfers: $50
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Palawan
Also for Palawan, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Coron Airport Shared Hotel Transfers: $10
- Shared Busuanga Airport to Coron Hotel Transfer: $10
- Puerto Princesa Palawan Private Transfers - Airport Transfers: $27
- Private Van Transfers: Busuanga Airport to Coron Hotel Vice Versa: $48
- El Nido Tour C with Lunch and Transfers: $49
- El Nido Tour with Lunch and Transfers: $49
- Coron Ultimate Tour: 7 Destinations with Lunch and Transfer: $50
- El Nido (Lio) Airport Transfers: $50
- Transfer from Puerto Princesa Airport PPS to Puerto Princesa Port: $59
- Private Van Transfer Coron Town to Airport: $70
- Busuanga Palawan Private Airport Transfer to Coron Town: $70
- El Nido Beginner Surf Lesson with Lunch and Round-Trip Transfers: $74
Is it cheaper to fly into Abu Dhabi or Palawan?
Prices for flights to both Palawan and Abu Dhabi 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 dayAbu Dhabi $78Palawan $18
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Abu Dhabi
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Abu Dhabi.
- Abu Dhabi Desert Safari with Red Dunes 4x4 Pick Drop Dinner Shows: $43
- Abu Dhabi Desert Safari With Live Shows & BBQ Buffet Dinner: $50
- Abu Dhabi Desert Safari BBQ Dinner Camel Ride and Live Shows: $56
- Desert Safari In Abu Dhabi With BBQ Dinner: $58
- Abu Dhabi Desert Safari With BBQ Dinner & Live Shows: $60
- Lunch Or Dinner at Emirates Palace - Ultimate Luxury Experience: $64
- Evening Desert Safari Abu Dhabi with Hot BBQ Dinner: $65
- Evening Desert Safari Camel Ride Dinner Live Shows in Abu Dhabi: $69
- Desert Safari, Camel Ride, Live Shows, and BBQ Dinner: $69
- Abu Dhabi Evening Desert Safari: BBQ Dinner, Camel Ride & Shows: $71
- Evening Desert Safari Abu Dhabi with BBQ Dinner: $71
- Abu Dhabi Evening Desert Safari with BBQ Dinner and Shows: $73
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Palawan
For Palawan, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- El Nido Fishing with Local Fisherman with Sunset Dinner: $136
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Abu Dhabi $39Palawan $4.88
Tours and Activities in Abu Dhabi
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Abu Dhabi are as follows:
- 1 Day 2 Yas Island Park Tickets Combo: $149
- 2 Days 2 Park- Ferrari World +Yas Waterworld Or Warner Bros World Combo Tickets: $155
- 4 Hour Cultural Tour of Abu Dhabi - Private Tour: $160
- 8 Hours Al Ain City Tour without lunch: $103
- 8 hours Private Tour: Ferrari World and Louvre Museum with Pickup: $270
- Abu Dhabi 'Hidden Gems' by City Break - walking tours made fun!: $34
- Abu Dhabi ,Private Layover Tour -6 hours: $299
- Abu Dhabi : Private Walking Tour with A guide (Private Tour): $47
- Abu Dhabi City Essentials Half day tour from Abu Dhabi: $44
- Abu Dhabi City Full Day Tour from Abu Dhabi: $157
- Abu Dhabi City Tour by Helicopter: $278
- Abu Dhabi City Tour from Abu Dhabi: $100
Tours and Activities in Palawan
For Palawan, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Half-day Puerto Princesa City Tour: $15
- Coron Town Tour with Maquinit Hot Spring: $19
- City tour of Puerto Princesa Palawan Philippines: $20
- Coron Island Hopping Tour Snorkel, Swim, and Relax: $23
- Coron Island Hopping Tour A with Kayangan Lake: $25
- Coron Island Hopping Tour B with Skeleton Wreck & Barracuda Lake: $32
- Puerto Princesa half day City tour a sightseeing excursion: $35
- Joiners Honda Bay Island Hopping Tour: $38
- Puerto Princesa: Honda Bay Tour with Lunch: $38
- Coron Parasailing Adventure: $43
- Coron Reefs and Wrecks Tour: $45
- Coron Island Tour B (Shared Tour): $45
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayAbu Dhabi $13Palawan $6.98
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Abu Dhabi and Palawan, we can see that Abu Dhabi is more expensive. And not only is Palawan much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Abu Dhabi is in Middle East and Palawan is in Asia, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Palawan would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Palawan 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 Abu Dhabi would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Abu Dhabi than you might in Palawan.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Abu Dhabi Expensive? and Is Palawan Expensive?.
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.