Which place is cheaper, Puerto Princesa or Da Nang?
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 Da Nang or Puerto Princesa?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Da Nang 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: Da Nang or Puerto Princesa?
Da Nang
Halfway between Ho Chi Minh City in the south and Hanoi in the North is the easy-going beach city of Da Nang (or Danang, for some). The third most populated city in Vietnam, Da Nang draws in crowds with its beautiful and calm beaches as well as its history as a French colonial port.
With beaches, mountains, and cityscape, there's bound to be a point of interest for all travelers. Da Nang is also a transit hub to get to the four Vietnamese UNESCO World heritage sites: Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park, Hue, Hoi An, and My Son.
Da Nang experiences wet season from September through March and dry season from April through August with average temperatures of around 80℉.
Da Nang is also known to have some of the friendliest locals, probably due to the peace and quiet and lack of heavy traffic, even in the city.
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 One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Hanoi, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Ho Chi Minh City, The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Philippines, and The Best 2-Week Tours in Philippines.
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Da Nang Prices
Vietnam PricesPuerto Princesa Prices
Philippines Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayDa Nang $55Puerto Princesa $86
The average daily cost (per person) in Da Nang is $55, 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 Da Nang and Puerto Princesa in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personDa Nang $18Puerto Princesa $24
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomDa Nang $36Puerto Princesa $48
Compare Hotels in Da Nang and Puerto Princesa
Looking for a hotel in Da Nang 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: Da Nang Hotel Prices and Puerto Princesa Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Da Nang $11Puerto Princesa $51
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Da Nang
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Da Nang:
- Transfer from Hoi An to Hue by private car with stops for picture: $45
- Transfer from Da Nang to Hue : $70
- Transfer from Da Nang Hotel to Airport by Private Car: $5.00
- Transfer Private from Da Nang to Bana Hills aroundtrip : $40
- Private transfer Danang airport - Hotels in Danang: $15
- Private Transfer from Hue to Hoi An orHoi An to Hue via Hai Van Pass,Lang Co Bay: $75
- Private Transfer From Hue to Hoi An by Car: $90
- Private Transfer From Da Nang to Hoi An or from Hoi An to Da Nang: $28
- Private Transfer Da nang or Hoi An To Hue Via Ba Na Hill Golden Bridge : $55
- Private Da Nang Airport Transfer Service: $19
- Private Car Transfer to MY LAI MASSACRE & MY SON HOLYAND : $99
- Private Car Transfer Da Nang Airport To Hoi An : $21
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: $7.11
- Transfers to/from Port Barton: $14
- Puerto Princesa:El Nido – Shared Van Transfer: $14
- 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: $21
- Relaxing Massage with optional transfers: $23
- Puerto Princesa City Van Transfers: $23
- Honda Bay Island: Island Tour with Lunch & Transfer: $52
Is it cheaper to fly into Da Nang or Puerto Princesa?
Prices for flights to both Puerto Princesa and Da 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
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Food Meals for one dayDa Nang $27Puerto Princesa $34
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Da Nang
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Da Nang.
- Tasty Dinner Da Nang on Han River Cruise by Yatch & Champa Show: $17
- Poseidon Cruise with Dinner and Dragon Bridge Show: $17
- HộiAnTrà Quế farming &Cooking Class-BasketBoat Ride,Crab fishing: $26
- Eco Cooking Class and Basket boat tour from Da Nang/ Hoi An: $29
- Da Nang Food Tour Motorbike & Sightseeing By Ao Dai Lady Rider: $38
- 5 traditional dishes Da Nang cooking class with market trip: $39
- Seafood dinner, night market, sightseeing by night: $39
- Happy Cooking Class in Danang : $39
- Da Nang Evening Food Tour: $47
- 6-Hour Cooking Class in Danang (JDN1): $50
- Discover Da Nang by Night on a Private Food Tour: $53
- Hue Countryside Bike Tour & Cooking Class: $71
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.Da Nang $13Puerto Princesa $6.77
Tours and Activities in Da Nang
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Da Nang are as follows:
- Golden Bridge- Early Departure & Marble Mountains- Private Tour: $133
- Hoi An Walking Tour, Sampan Boat Trip , Foodie Tour by Night: $69
- HoiAn Walking Tour with RiverBoat-Night Market-Colourful Lantern: $39
- Jeep Tour Danang to Hai Van Pass Lunch Lang Co Beach & Waterfall: $105
- MY SON HOLYLAND Private Tour-Early Morning at 6A.M or Afternoon : $65
- Marble Mountains - Hoi An Ancient Town Afternoon Tours FROM DANANG(15H30-21H): $35
- My Lai Massacre & My Son Holyland Fullday Private Tour : $165
- My Son Holyland & MARBLE MOUNTAIN Private Tour : $87
- 1 Day Imperial City Hue Tour from Hoi An and Da Nang City : $70
- 4-Day Private Central Vietnam Tour from Hue, My Son, Hoi An: $297
- Ba Na Hill - Golden Bridge Tour: $90
- Ba Na Hill Golden Bridge Tour with Buffet Lunch: $55
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
- 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
- 2in1 City tour and museum with pick up at hotel or cruise port: $25
- Puerto Princesa Half Day City Tour (shared tour): $27
- Half-Day City Tour from Puerto Princesa: $27
- Shared Half City Tour with SPA: $30
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayDa Nang $8.91Puerto Princesa $14
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Da Nang and Puerto Princesa, we can see that Puerto Princesa is more expensive. And not only is Da Nang much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Da Nang would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Da Nang 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 Da Nang.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Da Nang Expensive? and Is Puerto Princesa Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Da Nang or Puerto Princesa?
Da Nang has a larger population, and is about 5 times larger than the population of Puerto Princesa. When comparing the sizes of Da Nang 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.