Which place is cheaper, Palawan or Hanoi?
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 Hanoi or Palawan?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Hanoi and Palawan can help. It includes a travel cost comparison in addition to other factors. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.
Where Should I go: Hanoi or Palawan?
Hanoi
Hanoi is the chaotic capital of Vietnam, and it serves as a great introduction to the country for many travelers. It's the second largest city in the country after Saigon and is an interesting combination of East meets West. There's traditional Vietnamese culture with subtle influences brought by the French. The city continues to grow and change rapidly and it's easy to get lost amidst the chaos.
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 Tours for Seniors to Vietnam, The Best G Adventures Tours to Vietnam, The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Philippines, and The Best 2-Week Tours in Philippines.
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Hanoi Prices
Vietnam PricesPalawan Prices
Philippines Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayHanoi $57Palawan $43
The average daily cost (per person) in Hanoi is $57, while the average daily cost in Palawan is $43. 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 Hanoi and Palawan in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personHanoi $25Palawan $13
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomHanoi $50Palawan $26
Compare Hotels in Hanoi and Palawan
Looking for a hotel in Hanoi 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: Hanoi Hotel Prices and Palawan Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Hanoi $6.54Palawan $16
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Hanoi
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Hanoi:
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Taxi to Bus Station$1.14
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Shuttle Bus From Airport (for Two)$3.03
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Local Bus Ride (for Two)$0.38
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Short Taxi Ride$1.29
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Short Motorbike Ride (10 Minutes)$0.76
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Hanoi
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Hanoi:
- Vietnam Airport Transfer and Visa On Arrival: $55
- VIP LUXURY Sapa 2D1N -TRANSFER BY LUX LIMOUSINE CAR (Stay at 5* hotel): $189
- V.I.P Halong/Lan Ha Bay Full Day With Luxury Transfer From Hanoi: $120
- Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer service in Ha Noi HTL-APT (HAN): $14
- Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer service in Ha Noi APT-HTL (HAN): $14
- Transfer to or from Sapa in a Sleeper Bus from Hanoi: $30
- Transfer Hanoi to Halong Super Limousine Morning Bus: $33
- Top-Rated Luxury Halong Bay 2-Day Cruise Including Hanoi Transfer: $285
- The most Luxury Day Cruise with transfer from Ha Noi & Drink : $101
- The Best Sapa Tour 2D1N Stay At 3* Hotel -Transfer by Sleep BUS : $159
- Symphony Cruise- Luxury Day Trip From Hanoi With Express Transfer: $105
- Small Group Halong Islands, Cave, Kayak. Seafood Lunch. Transfers: $142
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Palawan
Also for Palawan, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- 3day van transportation: airport transfer, city sightseeing van, beach transfers: $120
- Airport Transfers airport to city center hotel and cruise port: $20
- Busuanga Palawan Private Airport Transfer to Coron Town: $90
- Coron Airport Shared Hotel Transfers: $10
- Coron Ultimate Tour: 7 Destinations with Lunch and Transfer: $47
- El Nido (Lio) Airport Transfers: $50
- El Nido Big Lagoon and Tropical Island Private Tour with Transfer: $179
- El Nido Tour C with Lunch and Transfers: $44
- El Nido Tour with Lunch and Transfers: $44
- Private Busuanga Airport to Coron Hotel Transfer: $79
- Private Transfer from El Nido to Port Barton Palawan: $170
- Private Transfer from Puerto Princesa to El Nido: $203
Is it cheaper to fly into Hanoi or Palawan?
Prices for flights to both Palawan and Hanoi 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 dayHanoi $23Palawan $19
Typical Food Prices in Hanoi
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Hanoi:
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High End Dinner (for Two)$11
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Casual Lunch (for Two)$4.17
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Bowl of Pho$0.76
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Italian Dinner (for Food)$5.88
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Hanoi
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Hanoi.
- (Group/Individual) HANOI STREET FOOD TOUR : $5.13
- Hanoi Old Quarter Cooking Class Tour With Local Market Shopping : $9.71
- Hanoi Walking Street Food Tour with Train-Street Visit: $18
- Hanoi Cooking Class: Pho/Bun Cha/Banh Xeo...+Free Egg/Salt Coffee: $19
- Hanoi local street food tour: $20
- Hanoi Street Food Tour with Train Street Visit: $22
- Hanoi food tour-Local street food tour (food&guide included): $22
- Hanoi Street Food Tour: $23
- Hanoi Street Food Tour with Experience Guide & Real Foodie: $24
- Hanoi Street Food Tour with Local Delicacies (3 Hours): $24
- Best Hanoi Day Street Food Tour with Real Foodie Tastings: $24
- Hanoi Food Tours: $24
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Hanoi $8.07Palawan $5.21
Typical Entertainment Prices in Hanoi
Here are a few typical costs in Hanoi for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:
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Puppet Theater$1.52
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The Hanoi Hilton Entrance$1.52
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National History Museum$1.52
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Puppet Theater Ticket$2.65
Tours and Activities in Hanoi
Here are a few actual costs in Hanoi for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- 2 Day Private Guided Tour in Pu Luong Nature Hanoi: $169
- 2 Days Hanoi City Bus Tour Experience: $239
- 2-Day Ta Chi Nhu Mountain Hiking Experience: $228
- 2-day Explore Halong Bay in Caravella Cruise: $268
- 3D2N Cao Bang Ba Be Lake Experience: $190
- 3D2N Sapa Bac Ha Shared Tour: $245
- 4 Days 3 Nights Ha Giang Loop Tour from Hanoi by Sleeper Bus: $235
- 5 Days Motorbike Tour in Ha Giang Loop From Hanoi: $265
- All-Inclusive 2D/1N 5star Cruises: Meals-Kayak-Cave-Accommodation : $175
- Ambassador Day Cruise: Discover The Beauty of Halong Bay: $101
- Bai Dinh Pagoda Trang An and Eco Hang Mua Cave Heritage Day Tour: $53
- Beautiful Female Riders Vespa Red River Countryside Tour 5 Hours: $59
Tours and Activities in Palawan
For Palawan, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Half-day Puerto Princesa City Tour: $15
- Coron Town Tour with Maquinit Hot Spring: $19
- City tour of Puerto Princesa Palawan Philippines : $20
- Coron Island Hopping Tour A with Kayangan Lake: $25
- 2in1 City tour and museum with pick up at hotel or cruise port: $25
- Half-Day City Tour from Puerto Princesa: $27
- Coron Island Hopping Tour B with Skeleton Wreck & Barracuda Lake: $32
- Fullday Coron Island Hopping Tour : $34
- City Tour of Puerto Princesa sightseeing excursion: $35
- Coron Island Tour A (Shared Tour): $37
- Joiners Honda Bay Island Hopping Tour: $38
- Puerto Princesa: Honda Bay Tour with Lunch: $38
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayHanoi $7.30Palawan $7.44
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Hanoi and Palawan, we can see that Hanoi is more expensive. And not only is Palawan much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. 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 Hanoi would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Hanoi 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 Hanoi 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.