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.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Tours Under $1000 in Thailand, The Best Budget Tours to Thailand, The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Philippines, and The Best 2-Week Tours in Philippines.


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 $108, 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 $52
    Palawan $13
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Ao Nang $104
    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 $56
    Palawan $16

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Ao Nang

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

  • Private SUV-Transfer: One-way Krabi to Phuket: $108
  • Private SUV-Transfer: One-way Ao Nang - Downtown, Krabi: $22
  • Private SUV-Transfer: One-way Ao Nang - Bus Statation: $22
  • Private Eco-Transfer: One-way Ao Nang - Downtown, Krabi: $18
  • Private Eco-Transfer: One-way Ao Nang - Bus Station, Krabi: $18
  • Phuket: Speedboat Transfer to Ao Nang or Railay via Ko Yao: $41
  • Krabi:Speedboat Transfer to Phi Phi Islands: $41
  • Aonang : Ferry Transfer from Aonang to Phuket: $28
  • Aonang : Ferry Transfer from Aonang to Ko Lanta: $24
  • Krabi Airport Private One-Way SUV Transfer: $22

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Palawan

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

  • Shared Busuanga Airport to Coron Hotel Transfer: $10
  • Puerto Princesa - El Nido | Private Van Transfer: $149
  • Private Van Transfer : From El Nido to Puerto Princesa Palawan: $140
  • 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
  • Private Busuanga Airport to Coron Hotel Transfer: $79
  • El Nido (Lio) Airport Transfers: $50
  • Arrival airport transfer-Private airport to hotel in central area: $20
  • Arrival Airport transfers from Puerto Princesa Airport to Hotels: $7.50
  • Airport Transfers: $20

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: $40
  • Krabi : Authentic Thai Cooking Class with Market Tour: $41
  • Krabi: Morning/Afternoon Thai Cooking Class at Ya's Cookery: $47
  • Half Day Thai Cooking Class in Ao Nang, Krabi: $51
  • Krabi 7 Island Sunset by Luxury Vintage Boat With BBQ Dinner: $130

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 $5.26

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: $44
  • ATV adventure 30 mins drive: $27
  • ATV adventure and achery (1้hour ): $36
  • ATV adventure and shooting range: $58
  • Kayak Tour in Krabi Mangrove Forest with Lunch: $28
  • From Hong Islands Day Tour by Boat with Lunch: $33
  • From Phi Phi Islands Day Tour by Boat with Lunch: $47
  • From Private Gondola Cruise with Lunch and Picnic: $61
  • From Krabi: James Bond Island One-Day Tour by Speedboat: $126
  • James Bond Island: Sightseeing Tour by Longtail Boat & Kayak: $43
  • Kayaking klongroot and atv adventure: $33
  • Krabi 4 Island One Day Tour by Speed boat or Longtail boat: $25

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
  • 2in1 City tour and museum with pick up at hotel or cruise port: $15
  • 3 Days Coron Palawan Reefs & Wreck Multi Day Tours: $180
  • 3D2N El Nido Experience: $250
  • 3dayTour Underground river honda bay citytour w/ airport pick up: $125
  • 5D4N Puerto Princesa & El Nido Experience: $299
  • City Tour of Puerto Princesa: $35
  • City tour of Puerto Princesa Palawan Philippines : $19
  • Coron Busuanga Calauit Safari Tour With Black Island (Private): $225
  • Coron Busuanga Calauit Safari Tour With Black Island (Shared Tour): $93
  • Coron Calauit Safari Tour E: $89
  • Coron Culion Island Escapade Private Tour: $132

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Ao Nang $15
    Palawan $7.52


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.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Ao Nang Expensive? and Is Palawan Expensive?.