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 $101Puerto Princesa $80
The average daily cost (per person) in Bangkok is $101, 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 $48Puerto Princesa $22
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomBangkok $96Puerto 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 $6.33Puerto 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$2.42
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Skytrain Ticket$4.84
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Chao Phraya River Express Ticket$0.97
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Ferry Ride$0.79
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Taxi From Airport$7.57
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Short Taxi Ride$2.72
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Boat Taxi$1.51
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Trains to airport$4.84
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Bangkok
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Bangkok:
- oneway transfer service Bangkok-Hua hin: $78
- VIP Bangkok Tours and Transfers: $65
- Transfer from Don Mueang Airport (DMK) to Rayong Province: $96
- Transfer from Don Mueang Airport (DMK) to Koh Chang: $146
- Transfer from Don Mueang (DMK) Airport to Bangkok city: $30
- Transfer from BKK Suvarnabhumi International Airport to Huahin: $83
- Transfer from BKK Suvarnabhumi Airport to Rayong Province: $83
- Transfer Suvarnabhumi Airport(BKK) to Bangkok City Center: $19
- Transfer From Don Mueang Airport to Bangkok Hotel or Vice Versa: $41
- Suvarnabhumi to Pattaya 24 hour Round trip Transfer Service: $149
- Suvarnabhumi to Pattaya 24 hour Private Airport Transfer Service: $77
- Suvarnabhumi Airport to Round-Trip Private Transfer: $75
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Puerto Princesa
Also for Puerto Princesa, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- 3day van transportation: airport transfer, city sightseeing van, beach transfers: $120
- 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
- PrivateTransfer from Puerto Princesa Port to Puerto Princesa city: $59
- Puerto Princesa Airport to El Nido Van Transfer: $200
- Puerto Princesa City Van Transfers: $23
- Astoria Water Park Day Pass & Transfers: $232
- One-Way Transfer To/From El Nido: $16
- Private Airport Transfers to/from hotel: $21
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 $35Puerto 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)$27
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Casual Lunch of Prawns (for Two)$6.05
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2 Rotis (Bread)$1.36
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Mango & Sticky Rice$0.91
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Lunch at KFC (for Two)$6.05
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Pad Thai$2.12
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Airport Lunch for 2$17
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Lunch for 2$22
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
- Nopparat’s Traditional Thai Dinner & Dance: $25
- Twilight Dinner Cruise Along Chao Phraya River in Bangkok: $25
- Chao Phraya Princess Sunset and Dinner Cruise: $26
- Bangkok Sawasdee Sunset Dinner Cruise from ICONSIAM Beer FreeFlow: $26
- Calypso Cabaret Show with Thai Set Dinner: $28
- Meridian Sunset Cruise Dinner Buffet from Bangkok: $28
- Chao Phraya Princess Bangkok Sunset Dinner Cruise: $29
- Alangka Bangkok Sunset Dinner Cruise: $30
- Baiyoke Sky Dinner Experience with Observation Deck Access: $30
- Chao Phraya Dinner Cruise with Cabaret Show and Sunset View: $30
- Bangkok Sunset or Evening Dinner Cruise (The Planet Cruise): $30
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 $17Puerto Princesa $6.26
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$4.84
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Grand Palace Entrance Ticket$11
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Wat Pho (Reclining Buddha) Ticket$1.51
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Dusit Zoo Entrance Fee (for Two)$6.05
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Club Cover Charge$11
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Thai Boxing Tickets (for Two)$73
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Fish Pedicure$4.54
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Wat Pho entrance ticket$3.03
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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:
- "Bangkok Walking Hopping Tour" show city’s historic sights are located.: $76
- 2 Day Guided Tour from Bangkok to Ayutthaya: $93
- 2 Days Pattaya Sunset Boat Party Tour: $140
- 2 Hour Longtail Boat Bangkok Canal Tour: $79
- 2 Hour Muay Thai Training Experience with Fighters in Bangkok: $22
- 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 Hour Bus Tour in Ayutthaya Heritage and Temples: $34
- 3 Hours Heritage Ayutthaya Bus Tour to Famous Temples: $27
- 3 Remarkable Temples Walking Tour in Bangkok: $62
- 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:
- PPS CITY TOUR: $13
- Puerto Princesa; Half day City tour: $13
- Puerto Princesa City Tour with Snacks: $14
- Cathedral and Baker's Hill Tour: $14
- Half-Day City Tour with Optional Massage: $14
- Half Day City Tour with Butterfly Garden: $14
- Half-day Puerto Princesa City Tour: $15
- City tour of Puerto Princesa Palawan Philippines: $20
- 2in1 City tour + museum & transportation from cruise port /hotel: $25
- Puerto Princesa Half Day City Tour (shared tour): $27
- Shared Half City Tour with SPA: $30
- Puerto Princesa City Tour: $32
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayBangkok $5.54Puerto 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$1.21
Sample the Local Flavors in Bangkok
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Bangkok:
- Sunset Rooftop, TukTuk Ride, Night Market & Bar Crawl: $23
- The Original Speakeasy & Iconic Venues Pub Crawl: $31
- Bangkok Bar Crawl by Tuk Tuk: $68
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.