Which place is cheaper, Puerto Princesa or Dubai?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Dubai or Puerto Princesa?
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 Puerto Princesa can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Dubai or Puerto Princesa?
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.
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 Romantic Tours for Couples in United Arab Emirates, The Best Family-Friendly Tours to United Arab Emirates, The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in Philippines, and The Best Honeymoon Tours in Philippines.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayDubai $248Puerto Princesa $74
The average daily cost (per person) in Dubai is $248, while the average daily cost in Puerto Princesa is $74. 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 Puerto Princesa in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personDubai $170Puerto Princesa $25
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomDubai $340Puerto Princesa $50
Compare Hotels in Dubai and Puerto Princesa
Looking for a hotel in Dubai 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: Dubai Hotel Prices and Puerto Princesa Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Dubai $13Puerto Princesa $52
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:
- Zipline Experience in Dubai Marina with 1 Way Private Transfers: $265
- Xline Marina: World Largest Zipline in Dubai with Transfer Option: $243
- Wild Wadi tickets with Transfers: $100
- Wild Wadi Waterpark with One-Way Transfer: $140
- Wild Wadi Waterpark tickets with Private transfer: $154
- Wild Wadi Dubai water park Ticket with 1 way transfer in Dubai: $110
- Wild Wadi Adventure Waterpark Tickets With Transfers : $105
- Wild Wadi - Dubai Theme Water Park Tickets With Transfers Option: $159
- Visit AYA Universe Light and Sound Park in Dubai with Transfer: $65
- View the Palm Entry Tickets with Return Transfers: $70
- View at The Palm Jumeirah Dubai Tickets With Optional Transfers: $50
- Two Dives in Fujairah for Certified Divers including Transfers: $179
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Puerto Princesa
Also for Puerto Princesa, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private Transfers Puerto Princesa To Elnido: $260
- Astoria Water Park Day Pass & Transfers: $240
- Private Transfer to El Nido: $176
- El Nido to Port Baron Private Van Transfer: $162
- Puerto Princesa to El Nido Private Van Transfer: $157
- El Nido to Puerto Princesa Private Van Transfer: $157
- Private for your group - transfers Puerto princesa to elnido : $100
- Relaxing Massage with optional transfers: $24
- Private Airport Transfers to/from hotel: $22
- Arrival airport transfer-Private airport to hotel in central area: $20
- Transfer between Puerto Princesa and El Nido: $16
- One-Way Transfer To/From El Nido: $16
Is it cheaper to fly into Dubai or Puerto Princesa?
Prices for flights to both Puerto Princesa 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 $56Puerto Princesa $20
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$6.53
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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:
- Old Town, Creek, Museums, Souks, & Street Food Tour: $8.71
- Al-Seef Premium Dinner Cruise: $13
- Dubai Dhow Cruise Dinner in Deira Creek: $15
- 2-Hour Evening Dhow Cruise and Dinner: $15
- Dubai Romantic Dhow Creek Dinner Cruise With Live Shows and International Buffet: $15
- Romantic Sightseeing Dhow Cruise Dinner: $15
- Dhow Cruise with Dinner at Dubai Al Seef: $15
- Dhow Boat Dinner Cruise in Dubai: $16
- Scenic Dhow Cruise with Buffet Dinner and Live Shows: $16
- Deira Creek: Dhow Cruise Dinner: $16
- Catamaran Cruise with Dinner at Al Jaddaf Waterfront Dubai: $17
- Romantic Dhow Cruise Dinner in Dubai Creek: $17
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 Tour with Dinner: $27
- Firefly Watching Paddle Boat Tour & Dinner: $28
- Jungle Firefly Watching Boat Tour & Dinner: $33
- Firefly Watching Bay Cruise with Dinner: $35
- Puerto Princesa Fireflies Watching with Dinner: $40
- Seafood Lunch or Dinner with transfers: $61
- Underground River and Firefly Watching with Dinner: $83
- Underground River with Dinner at Kalui: $83
- Balayong People's Park with Dinner and Show: $120
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Dubai $19Puerto Princesa $6.92
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.
- 4 hours Night Yacht Party Tour at Dubai Harbour for Adults : $120
- Abu Dhabi Day Tour with Qasr al Watan: $53
- Admission ticket for IMG Worlds of Adventure in Dubai: $95
- Bur Dubai Abra Tour and Boat Ride with Museum of Illusions : $135
- Burj Khalifa At the Top & Sky Views Ticket: $167
- Burj Khalifa Observation deck Dubai Admission Ticket : $71
- Classical Dubai Highlights City Tour : $44
- DXB Tour and Aquaventure water park & lost Chambers PRIVATE tour: $215
- Desert Adventure with ATV and Camel Ride and Live Shows: $80
- Dibba Full Day Cruise Trip: $191
- Discover Old Dubai Walking Tour With Food Tasting : $10
- Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo Explorer Tickets: $95
Tours and Activities in Puerto Princesa
For Puerto Princesa, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- 3D2N El Nido Experience: $250
- 3d2n ELNIDO Package tour: $280
- 5-Hours Farmstay Experience: $65
- 5D4N Puerto Princesa & El Nido Experience: $299
- City Tour of Puerto Princesa: $35
- City tour of Puerto Princesa Palawan Philippines : $20
- Combi Tour : Underground River + Firefly Watching: $83
- El Nido Day Tour: $83
- El Nido Island Hopping Day Tour from Puerto Princesa City: $199
- Enchanted Philippines: 10 days of adventure.: $2,682
- From Honda Bay Island Hopping Full-Day Tour: $42
- Group Underground River Tour, from Puerto Princesa w/ Lunch: $60
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayDubai $23Puerto Princesa $14
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: $66
- Pub Crawl Nightlife Tour: $69
- Pub Crawl Private, Birthdays & Corporate Events: $110
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Dubai and Puerto Princesa, we can see that Dubai is more expensive. And not only is Puerto Princesa much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Dubai is in Middle East and Puerto Princesa 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 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 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 Puerto Princesa.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Dubai Expensive? and Is Puerto Princesa Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Dubai or Puerto Princesa?
Dubai has a larger population, and is about 7 times larger than the population of Puerto Princesa. When comparing the sizes of Dubai 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.