Which place is cheaper, Palawan or Bali?
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 Bali 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 Bali and Palawan can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Bali or Palawan?
Bali
Known as the "Island of the Gods," it's not difficult to see why the Gods would want to set up shop in Bali. With a beautifully diverse landscape of hills, mountains, coastlines, beaches, vibrant rice fields and volcanic hillsides, you'll easily go into sensory overload.
Bali is home to 4 million people who all hold true to a deeply spiritual and unique culture. With champion surfing, world class resorts and challenging hiking trails, this Indonesian island accommodates travelers from every walk of life. It's often called, "paradise on earth, " and no one disagrees.
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 for Seniors to Indonesia, The Best G Adventures Tours to Indonesia, The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Philippines, and The Best 2-Week Tours in Philippines.
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Bali Prices
Indonesia PricesPalawan Prices
Philippines Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayBali $79Palawan $40
The average daily cost (per person) in Bali is $79, 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 Bali and Palawan in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personBali $37Palawan $12
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomBali $74Palawan $24
Compare Hotels in Bali and Palawan
Looking for a hotel in Bali 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: Bali Hotel Prices and Palawan Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Bali $8.07Palawan $14
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Bali
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Bali:
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Motorbike Rental$2.77
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Bali
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Bali:
- West Beach Nusa Penida Tour with Speedboat Transfer from Sanur: $99
- Unforgettable Batur Volcano Hiking With Private Transfer: $85
- Ubud Highlight Private Tour with Transfer: $48
- Ubud ATV Quad Bike Ticket And Transfer: $34
- Traditional Balinese Massage with Hotel Transfer: $50
- Private Departure Transfer: Hotel to Bali Airport: $33
- Private Departure Transfer: Hotel to Airport Jimbaran and Uluwatu: $16
- Private Bali Transfer & Costumize Day trip: $18
- Private Arrival Transfer: Bali Airport to Jimbaran and Uluwatu Hotel: $16
- Private Arrival Transfer: Bali Airport to Hotel: $33
- Private Airport Transfer: Densapar City → DPS Airport: $8.88
- Premium SUV Bali Airport Departure Private Transfer: $29
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
- 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
- Private Busuanga Airport to Coron Hotel Transfer: $79
Is it cheaper to fly into Bali or Palawan?
Prices for flights to both Palawan and Bali 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 dayBali $32Palawan $17
Typical Food Prices in Bali
Some typical examples of dining costs in Bali are as follows:
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Coffee$1.11
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Lunch for Two$12
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Bali Cafe for Two$24
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Lunch for Two$7.21
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Lunch for 2$7.99
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Dinner for 2$8.76
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Bali
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Bali.
- Best Romantic Seafood Dinner at Jimbaran Beach Sunset: $30
- Bali Romantic Seafood Dinner under sunset jimbaran Beach: $36
- Romantic Seafood Dinner at Jimbaran beach: $38
- Private Tour Uluwatu Sunset Kecak Dance and Dinner at Jimbaran: $41
- Bali's Best Sunset: Uluwatu Kecak Dance & Dinner Jimbaran Beach: $50
- Spice Garden, Jamu & Cooking Class in Bali Village: $55
- Kekeb Cooking Class at Nusa Dua: $55
- Uluwatu Temple Sunset Tour & Dinner at Jimbaran Bay: $63
- Authentic Balinese Cooking Classes: $63
- Highlights Padang - Padang, Melasti Beach & Jimbaran Dinner: $65
- Bali Street Food Tour: $65
- Ubud Slow Afternoon with Balinese Cooking Class: $69
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.Bali $9.68Palawan $4.82
Typical Entertainment Prices in Bali
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Bali are as follows:
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Spa for Two$48
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Snorkelling Trip$11
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Cooking School$25
Tours and Activities in Bali
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Bali are as follows:
- 1 Day Penida Island And Uluwatu Temple Private Guided Tour: $123
- 2 Day Tours Ubud Art Village, Dance And Other Tourist Attractions: $186
- 3-Days Lombok,Gili island Tour Hopping around departure from Bali island: $300
- 5 Hours Bali Blue Lagoon Snorkeling Tour Including Tanjung Jepun: $59
- ATV Ride Adventure in Bali: $31
- Adventure Amazing ATV Quad Bike with Waterfall include Lunch: $63
- Adventure Rafting Journey With Us! And Ubud Tours: $123
- All Inclusive Bali Benoa Watersports and Jet Ski Adventure: $26
- All Inclusive Tour to Tanah Lot Temple and Monkey Forest: $56
- All-Inclusive: Besakih Temple & Ancient Village Experience: $78
- Amazing Day Tour: Highlights of Ubud Village Hidden Waterfall: $29
- Amazing Private Tour: Tukad Cepung Waterfall + 5 tourist objects: $63
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
- Half-Day City Tour from Puerto Princesa: $27
- Puerto Princesa City Tour: $32
- 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
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayBali $2.86Palawan $6.89
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Bali and Palawan, we can see that Bali 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 Bali would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Bali 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 Bali 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.