Which place is cheaper, Puerto Princesa or Bangkok?
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 Bangkok or Puerto Princesa?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Bangkok and Puerto Princesa can help. It includes a travel cost comparison in addition to other factors. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.
Where Should I go: Bangkok or Puerto Princesa?
Bangkok
Bangkok: a name synonymous with all things exotic. The vibrant and exciting capital of Thailand is not just a hub for Southeast Asia, but also a destination into itself. Known for an active nightlife and party scene, as well as great food, historic temples, and busy markets, Bangkok offers a diversity to entertain even the most experienced travelers.
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 Family-Friendly Tours to Thailand, The Best Wildlife Tours to Thailand, The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Philippines, and The Best 2-Week Tours in Philippines.
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Bangkok Prices
Thailand PricesPuerto Princesa Prices
Philippines Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayBangkok $103Puerto Princesa $80
The average daily cost (per person) in Bangkok is $103, while the average daily cost in Puerto Princesa is $80. 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 Bangkok and Puerto Princesa in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personBangkok $49Puerto Princesa $22
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomBangkok $98Puerto Princesa $44
Compare Hotels in Bangkok and Puerto Princesa
Looking for a hotel in Bangkok 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.
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: Bangkok Hotel Prices and Puerto Princesa Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Bangkok $6.42Puerto Princesa $47
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Bangkok
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Bangkok are as follows:
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Tuk Tuk to bus station$2.46
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Skytrain Ticket$4.91
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Chao Phraya River Express Ticket$0.98
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Ferry Ride$0.80
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Taxi From Airport$7.67
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Short Taxi Ride$2.76
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Boat Taxi$1.53
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Trains to airport$4.91
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Bangkok
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Bangkok:
- oneway transfer service Bangkok-Hua hin: $78
- Transfer from Don Mueang Airport (DMK) to Rayong Province: $96
- Transfer from Don Mueang Airport (DMK) to HuaHin: $83
- Transfer from Don Mueang (DMK) Airport to Bangkok city: $30
- Transfer from DMK Donmuaeng International Airport to BKK Suvarnabhumi Airport: $33
- Transfer from BKK Suvarnabhumi International Airport to Huahin: $83
- Transfer from BKK Suvarnabhumi International Airport to DMK Donmuang Airport: $33
- Transfer from BKK Suvarnabhumi International Airport to Ayuttaya: $50
- Transfer from BKK Suvarnabhumi Airport to Rayong Province: $83
- Transfer from BKK Airport to Bangkok City: $29
- Transfer Suvarnabhumi Airport(BKK) to Bangkok City Center: $19
- Suvarnabhumi BKK Airport Private Transfer to/from Bangkok/Pattaya: $15
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Puerto Princesa
Also for Puerto Princesa, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Honda Bay Island: Island Tour with Lunch & Transfer: $52
- Palawan: Private San Vicente Airport Transfers: $160
- Private Transfer from Puerto Princesa to El Nido: $203
- Private Transfer to El Nido: $169
- Private for your group - transfers Puerto princesa to elnido: $100
- Puerto Princesa City Van Transfers: $23
- Puerto Princesa Palawan Private Transfers - Airport Transfers: $27
- Astoria Water Park Day Pass & Transfers: $232
- One-Way Transfer To/From El Nido: $16
- Private Airport Transfers to/from hotel: $21
- Relaxing Massage with optional transfers: $23
- Shared Airport Transfers to/from hotel: $7.11
Is it cheaper to fly into Bangkok or Puerto Princesa?
Prices for flights to both Puerto Princesa and Bangkok 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 dayBangkok $36Puerto Princesa $31
Typical Food Prices in Bangkok
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Bangkok:
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Dinner at Hard Rock Cafe (for Two)$28
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Casual Lunch of Prawns (for Two)$6.14
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2 Rotis (Bread)$1.38
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Mango & Sticky Rice$0.92
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Lunch at KFC (for Two)$6.14
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Pad Thai$2.15
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Airport Lunch for 2$17
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Lunch for 2$23
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Bangkok
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Bangkok.
- Baiyoke Sky Observation Deck With Buffet Dinner or Lunch: $24
- Twilight Dinner Cruise Along Chao Phraya River in Bangkok: $25
- Meridian Sunset Cruise Dinner Buffet from Bangkok: $25
- Chao Phraya Princess Sunset and Dinner Cruise: $27
- Chao Phraya River Meridian Dinner Buffet Cruise Tour: $28
- Chao Phraya Princess Bangkok Sunset Dinner Cruise: $29
- Thai Cooking Class in Bangkok's Old Town with Market Tour: $29
- Alangka Bangkok Sunset Dinner Cruise: $30
- Bangkok Sunset or Evening Dinner Cruise (The Planet Cruise): $30
- Smile Riverside Cruise Luxury Buffet Dinner from Bangkok: $31
- Nopparat’s Traditional Thai Dinner & Dance: $31
- Authentic Thai Cooking with the Largest market visit &TukTuk ride: $33
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: $32
- Firefly Watching Bay Cruise with Dinner: $34
- Firefly Watching with Dinner: $39
- Firefly Watching Tour with Dinner: $53
- Seafood Lunch or Dinner with transfers: $59
- Underground River with Dinner at Kalui: $80
- Underground River and Firefly Watching with Dinner: $87
- Balayong People's Park with Dinner and Show: $116
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Bangkok $18Puerto Princesa $6.27
Typical Entertainment Prices in Bangkok
Here are a few typical costs in Bangkok for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:
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Movie Ticket$4.91
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Grand Palace Entrance Ticket$11
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Wat Pho (Reclining Buddha) Ticket$1.53
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Dusit Zoo Entrance Fee (for Two)$6.14
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Club Cover Charge$12
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Thai Boxing Tickets (for Two)$74
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Fish Pedicure$4.60
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Wat Pho entrance ticket$3.07
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Siriraj Museum (2)$12
Tours and Activities in Bangkok
Here are a few actual costs in Bangkok for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- 2 Days Ayutthaya Authentic Tour with the Local: $277
- 2 Days Pattaya Sunset Boat Party Tour: $140
- 2 Hour Electric Tuk Tuk Cultural Tour of Bangkok: $30
- 2 Hours Bangkok Canal Tour By Longtail Boat: $72
- 2 Hours TukTuk Adventure Bangkok Highlights: $30
- 2-Day River Kwai Adventure with 1-Night Stay at Resotel: $243
- 2-hour SUNSET Canal Tour + FOODS Tasting with Tour Guide: $50
- 3 Days Bangkok Experience with Accommodation & Top Sightseeing: $183
- 3 Hours Private Bangkok Highlights Tour by Public Transport: $88
- 3 Remarkable Temples Walking Tour in Bangkok: $62
- 4 Dishes Thai Cuisine Experience at Bang Kruai, Nonthaburi: $59
- 4 Hours Private Tour in Bangkok: $107
Tours and Activities in Puerto Princesa
For Puerto Princesa, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Puerto Princesa; Half day City tour: $13
- PPS CITY TOUR: $13
- Cathedral and Baker's Hill Tour: $14
- Puerto Princesa City Tour with Snacks: $14
- Half Day City Tour with Butterfly Garden: $14
- Half-Day City Tour with Optional Massage: $14
- Half-day Puerto Princesa City Tour: $15
- City tour of Puerto Princesa Palawan Philippines: $20
- Puerto Princesa Half Day City Tour (shared tour): $27
- Half-Day City Tour from Puerto Princesa: $27
- Shared Half City Tour with SPA: $30
- Puerto Princesa City Tour: $32
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayBangkok $5.60Puerto Princesa $13
Typical Alcohol Prices in Bangkok
Some typical examples of the costs for nightlife and alcohol in Bangkok are as follows:
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Beer$1.23
Sample the Local Flavors in Bangkok
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Bangkok:
- Sunset Rooftop, TukTuk Ride, Night Market & Bar Crawl: $21
- GoGo Bar Crawl With Party Vehicle and Party Guide: $62
- Bangkok Bar Crawl by Tuk Tuk: $69
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Bangkok and Puerto Princesa, we can see that Bangkok is more expensive. And not only is Puerto Princesa much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Puerto Princesa would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Puerto Princesa 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 Bangkok would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Bangkok than you might in Puerto Princesa.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Bangkok Expensive? and Is Puerto Princesa Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Bangkok or Puerto Princesa?
Bangkok has a larger population, and is about 30 times larger than the population of Puerto Princesa. When comparing the sizes of Bangkok 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.
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.