Which place is cheaper, Palawan or Dubai?
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 Dubai 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 Dubai and Palawan can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Dubai or Palawan?
Dubai
Ever wonder what it would be like to see the lifestyles of the rich and famous up close. There's no more upscale destination than Dubai. It's by far and away the spot for shopping, partying, sunbathing, fine dining and the most luxurious of luxury. As the most modern and progressive of the seven emirates in the United Arab Emirates, this area has experienced an unbelievable economic boom and tourism spike. It's a desert city with an amazing infrastructure.
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 3-Day Tours from Dubai, The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in United Arab Emirates, The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Philippines, and The Best 2-Week Tours in Philippines.
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Dubai Prices
UAE PricesPalawan Prices
Philippines Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayDubai $289Palawan $39
The average daily cost (per person) in Dubai is $289, while the average daily cost in Palawan is $39. 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 Dubai and Palawan in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personDubai $170Palawan $12
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomDubai $340Palawan $24
Compare Hotels in Dubai and Palawan
Looking for a hotel in Dubai 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: Dubai Hotel Prices and Palawan Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Dubai $13Palawan $14
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Dubai
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Dubai:
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Taxi Ride$12
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Airport Taxi$12
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Sea Taxi$0.54
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Dubai
Also for Dubai, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- VR Park Dubai Ticket with Transfer: $86
- Ultimate Dubai Helicopter Tour with Optional Transfers: $241
- Toyota Previa Private Airport Transfer To OR From Dubai Airport: $59
- Toyota Previa Private Airport Transfer To OR From Dubai Airport: $80
- Top of Burj Khalifa & Sky Views Dubai Tour with Transfers: $184
- The View at the Palm with Transfer: $75
- The View At The Palm Jumeirah Dubai With Transfer: $105
- The View At The Palm Jumeirah Dubai Tickets with Private transfer: $112
- The Green Planet Dubai tickets with Private transfer: $126
- Sunrise Hot Air Balloon Ride with Transfers Classic: $255
- Stress-Busting Smash Room Experience in Dubai with Pvt. Transfer: $160
- Sky Views Observatory Dubai with Glass Slide with transfer option: $42
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Palawan
Also for Palawan, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private Van Transfer : From El Nido to Puerto Princesa Palawan: $218
- Private Transfer from Puerto Princesa to El Nido: $203
- El Nido Big Lagoon and Tropical Island Private Tour with Transfer: $179
- Private for your group - transfers Puerto princesa to elnido: $100
- Private Busuanga Airport to Coron Hotel Transfer: $79
- El Nido Beginner Surf Lesson with Lunch and Round-Trip Transfers: $73
- Private Van Transfer Coron Town to Airport: $68
- Busuanga Palawan Private Airport Transfer to Coron Town: $68
- El Nido (Lio) Airport Transfers: $50
- El Nido Tour C with Lunch and Transfers: $49
- Private Van Transfers: Busuanga Airport to Coron Hotel Vice Versa: $48
- Coron Ultimate Tour: 7 Destinations with Lunch and Transfer: $45
Is it cheaper to fly into Dubai or Palawan?
Prices for flights to both Palawan and Dubai 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 dayDubai $96Palawan $17
Typical Food Prices in Dubai
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Dubai:
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French bread$0.95
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Sumo salad in Dubai Mall + Juice$10
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Lemon Mint Tea$4.36
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Coffee & Cake$6.54
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Smoothie$5.45
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Shawarma$1.91
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Dubai
For Dubai, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Dubai Luxury Red Dunes Safari with BBQ Dinner and Live Shows: $4.00
- Evening Desert Safari With BBQ dinner & live shows: $5.00
- Premium Desert Safari with Camel Ride, Sandboard Dinner with BBQ: $6.78
- Dubai Desert Safari Tour Hotel Transfer, Camel Ride & BBQ Dinner: $6.78
- VIP Red Dune Safari Dubai,Pick/Drop,Camel Ride, Quad & BBQ Dinner: $8.00
- Premium vip private desrt safari BBQ dinner quad live shows: $8.25
- Premium Desert Safari with VIP Lounge, Quad, Camel Ride & Dinner: $8.36
- Premium Desert Safari, Pick/Drop, Camel Ride, Quad bike & Dinner: $8.37
- Dubai Private Red Dunes Safari With Quad Biking, Dinner and Shows: $8.40
- VIP Dubai Red Dune Desert Safari 4x4, Camel Ride and BBQ Dinner: $8.75
- Budget-Friendly Evening Desert Safari + BBQ Dinner & Live Shows: $8.99
- VIP Dubai Desert Safari with Camel Ride,Quad Bike & Buffet Dinner: $9.15
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: $134
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Dubai $19Palawan $4.74
Typical Entertainment Prices in Dubai
For Dubai, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:
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Visit to the Dubai Museum$0.82
Tours and Activities in Dubai
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Dubai.
- “Dubai City Tour – Old & Modern Highlights with Hotel Pickup.: $209
- "Discover Abu Dhabi: A Captivating 6-Hour Guided Tour": $69
- (Private) Abu Dhabi Sightseeing Tour from Dubai: $195
- 05 Hours Dubai Night City Tour: $61
- 1 Day Dubai City Tour: $80
- 1 HR - Dubai Marina Luxury Yacht Tour: $20
- 1 Hour Private Videography Tour of Aya Universe in Dubai: $215
- 1 Hour Shared Desert Horse Riding Experience: $50
- 1 hour Jetski Tour - Burj Al Arab Tour: $165
- 1-Hour Desert Buggy Self-Drive Adventure: Camel Ride & Sandboard: $249
- 1-Hour Jet Ski Tour – Burj Al Arab, Atlantis, & Dubai Skyline: $155
- 1-Hour KTM 450CC Dirt bike Desert Adventure Tours in Dubai: $154
Tours and Activities in Palawan
For Palawan, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- 2in1 City tour + museum & transportation from cruise port /hotel: $25
- 3D2N El Nido Experience: $250
- 3d2n ELNIDO Package tour: $280
- 5D4N Puerto Princesa & El Nido Experience: $299
- All-Inclusive El Nido Beach Hopping Private Tour: $153
- Balabac Tour Semi-Private 4D3N (price varies by group size): $590
- City tour of Puerto Princesa Palawan (hotel & cruiseship pick up): $20
- Coron Culion Island Escapade Private Tour: $132
- Coron Island Adventure Snorkeling Dugong Watching and More: $130
- Coron Island Escapade Group Tour with Island Lunch: $46
- Coron Island Escapade Tour (Shared Tour): $50
- Coron Island Hopping Tour A (Private Tour): $112
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayDubai $23Palawan $6.77
Typical Alcohol Prices in Dubai
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in Dubai:
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A Couple Drinks$25
Sample the Local Flavors in Dubai
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Dubai:
- Pub Crawl Nightlife Tours: $38
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Dubai and Palawan, we can see that Dubai is more expensive. And not only is Palawan much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Dubai is in Middle East and Palawan is in Asia, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. 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 Dubai would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Dubai 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 Dubai 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.