Which place is cheaper, Melbourne or El Nido?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit El Nido or Melbourne?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit El Nido or Melbourne? 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: El Nido or Melbourne?
El Nido
El Nido is a coastal destination on the Philippine island of Palawan. It consists of about 45 islands and islets all with beautiful beachfront scenery and plenty of opportunities for experiencing nature above and below the water. Some of the island's best features include limestone karst cliffs, coral reefs, lagoons, coves, and waterfalls.
Melbourne
Melbourne is the second largest city in Australia, after Sydney. It is also the capital city of the state of Victoria, in southeastern Australia. Melbourne is arguably the best city to experience culture and the arts in Australia. There is a friendly rivalry between Melbourne and Sydney over livability and popularity and Melbourne is definitely the city to visit for its parks, shopping, restaurants, galleries and theaters. Like Sydney, it is situated on the water, at the head of Port Phillip Bay. It's a beautiful city, and although it lacks the major sights that you'll find in Sydney such as the Sydney Opera House or the Harbour Bridge, you will never find yourself lacking for entertainment. It is also a wonderful base for exploring many of the nearby highlights, including Grampians National Park, The Great Ocean Road, and Phillip Island where you can view the penguin parade.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in Philippines, The Best Honeymoon Tours in Philippines, The Best Water Sports Tour Packages in Australia, and The Best Food and Culinary Tours in Australia.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayEl Nido $39Melbourne $176
The average daily cost (per person) in El Nido is $39, while the average daily cost in Melbourne is $176. 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 El Nido and Melbourne in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personEl Nido $14Melbourne $118
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomEl Nido $28Melbourne $236
Compare Hotels in El Nido and Melbourne
Looking for a hotel in El Nido or Melbourne? 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: El Nido Hotel Prices and Melbourne Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.El Nido $19Melbourne $19
Hired Cars and Shuttles in El Nido
Also for El Nido, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private Van Transfer : From El Nido to Puerto Princesa Palawan: $150
- Private Transfer from El Nido to Port Barton Palawan: $150
- Private Transfer From El Nido Lio Airport To El Nido Hotels: $20
- Lio Airport to/from Hotel Transfers: $36
- El Nido Town: Transfers to/from Nacpan Beach: $11
- El Nido (Lio) Airport Transfers: $50
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Melbourne
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Melbourne:
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Airport Bus$10
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Tram Ride$2.47
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Melbourne
Also for Melbourne, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Yarra Valley: Hot Air Balloon with Breakfast & CBD Transfers: $372
- Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer service Melbourne HTL-APT (MEL): $99
- Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer service Melbourne APT-HTL (MEL): $99
- Private Transfer from Melbourne hotels to Melbourne Cruise Port: $38
- Private Transfer from Melbourne Port to Melbourne Airport (MEL): $52
- Private Transfer from Melbourne Airport (MEL) to Melbourne Port: $52
- Private Departure Transfer: Hotel to Melbourne Airports: $86
- Private Car Transfer Melbourne Airport To CBD: $79
- Private Arrival Transfer: Melbourne Airports to Hotel: $86
- Private Airport Transfer in Melbourne: $99
- Mt Buller 1 Day Snow Tour (Direct Transfer To Mt Buller Village From Melbourne): $89
- Mornington Peninsula - Melbourne Airport Transfers: $198
Is it cheaper to fly into El Nido or Melbourne?
Prices for flights to both Melbourne and El Nido 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 dayEl Nido $12Melbourne $30
Typical Food Prices in Melbourne
For Melbourne, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Coffee$2.60
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Pizza$4.54
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Melbourne
For Melbourne, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Queen Victoria Market: 'Flavours of Australia' Food Tour: $52
- Eynesbury Homestead Dinner and Ghost Tour: $53
- Sunset Kayak Tour with Dinner: $78
- Melbourne Sunset Kayaking Experience with Dinner: $79
- Melbourne Private Multicultural Markets Food Tour: $86
- Pizza Making Party: $89
- Chinese Dumpling Cooking Class with a Drink: $97
- Secret Food Tour: $109
- Chinese Cooking Class Master: $118
- Spirit of Melbourne Dinner Cruise: $122
- Choose Your Asian Cuisine Cooking Masterclass: $129
- Street Food of Asia Cooking Class: $130
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.El Nido $5.38Melbourne $27
Tours and Activities in El Nido
For El Nido, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- El Nido Full Day Tour C with Buffet Lunch : $43
- El Nido Group Tour B - Cave Tour w/ Island Lunch: $47
- El Nido Island Hopping Tour A: $27
- El Nido Island Hopping Tour C: Hidden Beaches & Shrine: $29
- El Nido Island Hopping Tour C; Hidden Beach: $32
- El Nido Island Tour A w/ Fees included (No Hidden Charges): $31
- El Nido Island Tour B w/ Fees included (No Hidden Charges): $28
- El Nido Island Tour C w/ Fees included (No Hidden Charges): $31
- El Nido Island Tour D w/ Fees included (No Hidden Charges): $31
- El Nido Nacpan Day Tour: $63
- El Nido Palawan Private Tour C, with Lunch: $139
- El Nido Private Lagoon Tour - Tour A w/ Island Lunch: $139
Tours and Activities in Melbourne
For Melbourne, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- 1 Day Penguin Island Tour from Melbourne Penguins express: $79
- 1 day Puffing Billy Steam Train and Wildlife Tour from Melbourne: $125
- 12 Apostles Great Ocean Road Eco Tour with lunch from Melbourne: $109
- 2 Day Great Ocean Road Small Group Tour: $800
- 2-Hour Farm Experience in Gateway Yarra Valley: $66
- 2024 Mt Buller, Melbourne Snow and Sightseeing Day Tour: $92
- 3 Hour Rainforest Walking Tour in Badger Creek: $40
- 3-Day Great Ocean Road and Grampians Small-Group Tour: $1,486
- 3.5 Hours Group tour Melbourne trouble-makers tour: $44
- 3/4 Day Sports Lovers Bus Tour of Melbourne with Tour Options: $178
- 4 Hours Sightseeing Small Group Tour in Melbourne City: $40
- African Cat Experience at Werribee Open Range Zoo - excl. entry: $60
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayEl Nido $8.36Melbourne $17
Typical Alcohol Prices in Melbourne
Here are a few samples of the prices for alcohol and nightlife in Melbourne from other travelers:
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Bottle of Wine$5.03
Sample the Local Flavors in Melbourne
Also in Melbourne, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Melbourne Pub Crawl: $17
- Weekly Bar Crawl: 5 Free shots, Club Entry: $19
- Spirits and Ales Haunted Pub Walking Tour: $25
- Melbourne Halloween Bar Crawl: $33
- Laid back,Small-Group Yarra Valley Wine Tour :Wine,Gin,Cider+more: $86
- Yarra Valley Day Trip with Local Wine Tastings from Melbourne: $102
- Yarra Valley Wine Tour inc lunch with a glass of wine, tastings and chocolate: $116
- Yarra Valley Gourmet Food & Wine Tasting Tour: $127
- Southern Gippsland boutique Wine Tour with Tapas from Melbourne : $139
- Wine Tour Yarra Valley, Vic - inc. 2 course lunch + glass of wine: $165
- Mornington Peninsula Premium Tour with Wine Tasting at Yabby Lake : $172
- Yarra Valley Premium Tour Lunch and Sparkling Wine Tasting at Domaine Chandon: $178
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between El Nido and Melbourne, we can see that Melbourne is more expensive. And not only is El Nido much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since El Nido is in Asia and Melbourne is in Pacific, 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 El Nido would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in El Nido 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 Melbourne would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Melbourne than you might in El Nido.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is El Nido Expensive? and Is Melbourne Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, El Nido or Melbourne?
Melbourne has a larger population, and is about 480 times larger than the population of El Nido. When comparing the sizes of El Nido and Melbourne, 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.