A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Aswan vs. Puerto Princesa for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Aswan or Puerto Princesa?

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

Should I visit Aswan or Puerto Princesa? 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: Aswan or Puerto Princesa?

Aswan

Lounging along the Nile like Egyptian royalty is a fantasy for most world travelers. If you want to do it without the hustle and bustle of Cairo, there's always Aswan. This city in the south of Egypt is the smallest of the three major cities on the Nile. Located just below the Aswan Dam and Lake Nasser, Aswan's 275,00 people include a large portion of Nubians – mostly resettled from their flooded homeland.

Puerto Princesa

The island of Palawan is known the Philippines' last frontier and its capital, Puerto Princesa, is considered the greenest city in the Philippines. With plenty of land that has yet to be explored and inundated with tourists, Puerto Princesa, also known as "The City of the Living God," is a nature buff's dream. Whether you want to swim with starfish, walk among the mangrove treetops, or visit the world's largest saltwater crocodile at the Palawan Nature Conservation Center, Puerto Princesa and its surrounding area offers plenty of opportunities to get into the great wide open.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 10-Day Tours in Egypt, The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Egypt, The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Philippines, and The Best 2-Week Tours in Philippines.


Which place is cheaper, Puerto Princesa or Aswan?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.

The average daily cost (per person) in Aswan is $31, while the average daily cost in Puerto Princesa is $86. 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 Aswan and Puerto Princesa in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Aswan $10
    Puerto Princesa $24
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Aswan $20
    Puerto Princesa $48
Compare Hotels in Aswan and Puerto Princesa

Looking for a hotel in Aswan or Puerto Princesa? 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 Aswan


Hotels in Puerto Princesa


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: Aswan Hotel Prices and Puerto Princesa Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Aswan $5.70
    Puerto Princesa $51

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Aswan

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Aswan:

  • VIP Express Exclusive Aswan Airport Transfer: $50
  • Transfer to Luxor from Aswan with 2stops in Komombo& EdfuTemples : $52
  • Transfer from Aswan to Luxor: $69
  • Transfer from Aswan to Hurghada : $95
  • Transfer from Aswan to Abu Simbel: $107
  • Sunset Departure Evening Aswan Airport Transfer: $32
  • Private transfer from your Hotel or Cruise to Aswan Airport: $25
  • Private transfer from aswan to luxor with visits: $93
  • Private transfer from Aswan to Luxor: $35
  • Private transfer from Aswan to Aswan Airport: $8.00
  • Private transfer from Aswan Airport to Aswan Hotels: $78
  • Private Transfers from Aswan Airport to your Hotel or Cruise: $25

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Puerto Princesa

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

  • Shared Airport Transfers to/from hotel: $7.29
  • Transfers to/from Port Barton: $14
  • Puerto Princesa:El Nido – Shared Van Transfer: $15
  • One-Way Transfer To/From El Nido: $16
  • Shared Transfer Puerto Princesa/Port Barton: $17
  • Transfer to/from Puerto Princesa and El Nido: $17
  • Transfer between Puerto Princesa and El Nido: $18
  • Airport Transfers airport to city center hotel and cruise port: $20
  • Private Airport Transfers to/from hotel: $22
  • Relaxing Massage with optional transfers: $24
  • Puerto Princesa City Van Transfers: $24
  • Honda Bay Island: Island Tour with Lunch & Transfer: $53

Is it cheaper to fly into Aswan or Puerto Princesa?

Prices for flights to both Puerto Princesa and Aswan 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
    Aswan $16
    Puerto Princesa $34

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Aswan

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Aswan.

  • Savor Nubian Cuisine: Lunch or Dinner in a Local Village: $50
  • Nubian Dinner at Nubian Village: $51
  • Nubian Dinner at Nubian Village: $60
  • Private 3-Hour Nubian Party with Dinner and Pickup in Aswan: $77
  • Aswan Sunset Dinner Cruise: $80
  • Your Grandmothers Cooking Class In Aswan : $90
  • Experience the Magic of Aswan in One Day Food Tour with Guide: $177

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Puerto Princesa

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

  • Firefly Watching Paddle Boat Tour & Dinner: $27
  • Jungle Firefly Watching Boat Tour & Dinner: $33
  • Firefly Watching Bay Cruise with Dinner: $35
  • Firefly Watching with Dinner: $40
  • Firefly Watching Tour with Dinner: $55
  • Seafood Lunch or Dinner with transfers: $60
  • Underground River with Dinner at Kalui: $82
  • Underground River and Firefly Watching with Dinner: $89
  • Balayong People's Park with Dinner and Show: $119

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Aswan $9.77
    Puerto Princesa $6.77
Typical Entertainment Prices in Aswan

Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Aswan are as follows:


  • Temple Kom Ombo for Two
    $1.26

Tours and Activities in Aswan

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Aswan are as follows:

  • Abu Simbel Temple from Aswan private full day tour: $80
  • Abu Simbel Temples Full Day Tour From Aswan With Entry Tickets : $99
  • Aswan Luxury Car Tour: $75
  • Aswan OR Luxor : Full Day Private Guided Tour to Kom Ombo and Edfu temples: $99
  • High Dam, Unfinished Obelisk, & Philae Private Tour: $20
  • Kalabsha Temple and Nubian Museum Tour: $89
  • Kayak Tour around the Temple of Philae & Heissa Island : $30
  • Nubian Village Day Tour In Aswan: $25
  • Nubian Village and Philae Temple Private Guided Tour From Aswan: $29
  • Philae Temple and Aswan High Dam Tour: $95
  • Private Abu Simbel Temple tour : $123
  • Private Day Tour to Abu Simble Temple from Aswan: $29

Tours and Activities in Puerto Princesa

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

  • PPS CITY TOUR: $14
  • Puerto Princesa; Half day City tour: $14
  • Cathedral and Baker's Hill Tour: $14
  • Puerto Princesa City Tour with Snacks: $14
  • Half Day City Tour with Butterfly Garden: $15
  • Half-Day City Tour with Optional Massage: $15
  • Half-day Puerto Princesa City Tour: $15
  • City tour of Puerto Princesa Palawan Philippines : $20
  • 2in1 City tour and museum with pick up at hotel or cruise port: $25
  • Half-Day City Tour from Puerto Princesa: $27
  • Puerto Princesa Half Day City Tour (shared tour): $27
  • Shared Half City Tour with SPA: $31

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Aswan $1.12
    Puerto Princesa $14


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Aswan and Puerto Princesa, we can see that Puerto Princesa is more expensive. And not only is Aswan much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Aswan is in Africa and Puerto Princesa 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 Aswan would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Aswan 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 Puerto Princesa would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Puerto Princesa than you might in Aswan.

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


Which is Bigger, Aswan or Puerto Princesa?

Aswan has a larger population, and is about 54% larger than the population of Puerto Princesa. When comparing the sizes of Aswan and Puerto Princesa, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.