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 Adventure Tours to Vietnam, The Best Eco Tours in Vietnam, 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 $80
The average daily cost (per person) in Da Nang is $55, 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 Da Nang and Puerto Princesa in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personDa Nang $18Puerto Princesa $22
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomDa Nang $36Puerto Princesa $44
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 $47
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Da Nang
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Da Nang:
- Try find better than us! Airport Transfer in Da Nang APT-HTL (DAD): $10
- Transfer from airport train station to hotel Danang vice versa: $7.03
- Transfer from Da Nang or Hoi An to Hue via Bach Ma National Park: $81
- Transfer from Da Nang airport to Hoi An by private cars: $16
- Transfer from Da Nang Hotel to Airport by Private Car: $5.80
- Transfer Danang Airport to Intercontinenal Danang Resort: $31
- Shuttle Bus Transfer to MY SON HOLYLAND from Hoi An - Da Nang: $18
- Scenic Stops to Da Nang and Phong Nha Cave with Car Transfer: $199
- Private transfert from Da nang airport, railway station or Danang city to Hoi An: $22
- Private transfer: Da Nang Airport to/from Vinpearl Resort Golf Nam Hoi An: $32
- Private transfer service from Danang airport to Hotel: $5.47
- Private transfer from Danang city to Airport or Train station: $11
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
- 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
- Private for your group - transfers Puerto princesa to elnido: $100
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 $31
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Da Nang
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Da Nang.
- Authentic Street Food Tour in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City or Da Nang: $1.87
- Da Nang Private Street Food Tour with Students Flexible Itinerary: $5.00
- Da Nang Live Cooking Experience with Ocean Views: $10
- Da Nang Egg Coffee and Spring Roll Cooking Class: $15
- Tasty Dinner Han River Dragon Cruise by Yatch & Tradictional Show: $17
- Da Nang Food Tour & Hidden Gems w/ Students By Scooter: $20
- Da Nang Han River Night Cruise Sightseeing And Dinner Option: $20
- Poseidon Cruise with Dinner and Dragon Bridge Show: $21
- Han River Night Cruise with Optional Dinner: $23
- Home Cooking Class: Market, Garden and cooking 4 dishes: $26
- Walking Food Tour of Da Nang: $27
- Vietnamese House Visit, Coffee Making/Bánh Xèo Cooking: $27
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 $6.30
Tours and Activities in Da Nang
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Da Nang are as follows:
- 1 Day Tour Ba Na Hills with Buffet for Lunch: $84
- 1-day Discovering Da Nang city tour: $80
- 2 Days Temple Stay the Unique experience in Pagoda: $31
- 2 Days Tour from Da Nang Vietnam: $200
- 2D1N ~ Da Nang City Tour + Hoi An Accient Town + Hue City Tour: $178
- 3-hour Da Nang Food’s Devotees tour: $75
- 5-Day Central Vietnam Tour: Explore Hoi An, Hue & Da Nang city: $285
- 5D4N Central Vietnam Tour: Hoi An, Hue & Da Nang Discovery: $261
- All-Inclusive BaNa Hills & Golden Bridge Tour from Hoi An/Da Nang: $119
- Ancient Hoi An Town -Walking Tour -Lantern Boat Ride-Night Market: $79
- BA NA HILL - GOLDEN BRIDGE- SUNWORLD - FRENCH VILLAGE - PHOTO OPPORTUNITY Tour: $129
- Ba Na Hills & Golden Bridge Day Tour Pick up from Da Nang/Hoi An: $65
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 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
- 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 $8.94Puerto Princesa $13
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.