A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Ao Nang vs. Palawan for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Ao Nang or Palawan?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Should I visit Ao Nang or Palawan? 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: Ao Nang or Palawan?

Ao Nang

If you're looking for a relaxing beach on the coast of Thailand, it might be time to make a trip to Ao Nang. This developed and "westernized" beach was once the place to be for backpackers, but is now quite popular with package tourist crowds, too, as prices have risen in recent decades. Here you'll find nice hotels, restaurants, and plenty of fun activities at the beach and nearby, too.

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.

Which place is cheaper, Palawan or Ao Nang?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.

The average daily cost (per person) in Ao Nang is $110, while the average daily cost in Palawan is $36. 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 Ao Nang and Palawan in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Ao Nang $53
    Palawan $13
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Ao Nang $106
    Palawan $26
Compare Hotels in Ao Nang and Palawan

Looking for a hotel in Ao Nang 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.

Hotels in Ao Nang


Hotels in Palawan


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: Palawan Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Ao Nang $58
    Palawan $16

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Ao Nang

Also for Ao Nang, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Phuket: Speedboat Transfer to Ao Nang or Railay via Ko Yao: $43
  • Aonang : Ferry Transfer from Aonang to Ko Lanta: $25

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Palawan

Also for Palawan, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Van Transfers From Airport or Hotel to Elnido or vice versa: $260
  • Transfers puerto princesa airport to port barton & san vicente hotels: $267
  • Transfer from Puerto Princesa Airport(PPS) to PuertoPrincesa Port: $27
  • Puerto Princesa - El Nido | Private Van Transfer: $149
  • Private for your group - transfers Puerto princesa to elnido : $100
  • Private Transfers Puerto Princesa To Elnido: $260
  • Private Transfer From El Nido Lio Airport To El Nido Hotels: $20
  • Private Puerto Princesa Airport Transfers: $29
  • El Nido (Lio) Airport Transfers: $50
  • Departure transfer from puerto princesa hotel to PPS airport: $25
  • Arrival airport transfer-Private airport to hotel in central area: $20
  • Arrival Airport transfers from Puerto Princesa Airport to Hotels: $7.50

Is it cheaper to fly into Ao Nang or Palawan?

Prices for flights to both Palawan and Ao Nang 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
  • Food Meals for one day
    Ao Nang $25
    Palawan $12

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Ao Nang

For Ao Nang, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • Krabi: Ya's Cookery Late Afternoon Thai Cooking Class: $41
  • Krabi: Morning/Afternoon Thai Cooking Class at Ya's Cookery: $49
  • Half Day Thai Cooking Class in Ao Nang, Krabi: $53
  • Krabi 7 Island Sunset by buxury Vintage Boat With BBQ Dinner: $135

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Palawan

For Palawan, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • Puerto Princesa Fireflies Watching with Dinner: $30

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Ao Nang $11
    Palawan $5.35

Tours and Activities in Ao Nang

For Ao Nang, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • ATV adventure 1hour drive: $40
  • ATV adventure 30min drive: $23
  • Kayak Tour in Krabi Mangrove Forest with Lunch: $29
  • From Hong Islands Day Tour by Boat with Lunch: $34
  • From Phi Phi Islands Day Tour by Boat with Lunch: $49
  • Kayaking klongroot and atv adventure: $34
  • Krabi-Tourguide > für private Führung w/31 deutsch/thai: $82
  • Krabi: Bioluminescent Plankton, Snorkeling & Sunset Tour: $29
  • Krabi: Cycling Tour To Krabi: $85
  • Krabi: Elephant Bathing & ATV Adventure Combo: $96
  • Krabi: Highlights Tour with Krabi Elephant Shelter: $57
  • Krabi: Klongtom Hot Spring, Emerald Pool and Tiger Cave Tour: $114

Tours and Activities in Palawan

For Palawan, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • El Nido Full Day Tour C with Buffet Lunch : $43
  • 3 Days Coron Palawan Reefs & Wreck Multi Day Tours: $181
  • 3D2N El Nido Experience: $220
  • 3d2n ELNIDO Package tour: $280
  • 3dayTour Underground river honda bay citytour w/ airport pick up: $125
  • 4-Day Small-Group Tour in Puerto Princesa: $499
  • 4d3n Puerto Princesa Tour Package with room : $195
  • 5D4N Puerto Princesa & El Nido Experience: $299
  • Balabac 3 Days/ 2 Nights Private Tour: $1,092
  • Best of Puerto Princesa Palawan Philippines 4d3n Tour package : $235
  • City Tour of Puerto Princesa: $25
  • City tour of Puerto Princesa Palawan Philippines : $20

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Ao Nang $15
    Palawan $7.65


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Ao Nang and Palawan, we can see that Ao Nang is more expensive. And not only is Palawan much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. 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 Ao Nang would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Ao Nang than you might in Palawan.

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.
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Ao Nang vs. Palawan Travel Comparison

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