Which place is cheaper, Puerto Princesa or Hanoi?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
Jump to 
Should you visit Hanoi or Puerto Princesa?
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 Puerto Princesa 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 Puerto Princesa?
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.
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 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.
-
Hanoi Prices
Vietnam PricesPuerto Princesa Prices
Philippines Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayHanoi $57Puerto Princesa $86
The average daily cost (per person) in Hanoi is $57, while the average daily cost in Puerto Princesa is $86. 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 Puerto Princesa in more detail.
Accommodation
-
Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personHanoi $25Puerto Princesa $24
-
Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomHanoi $50Puerto Princesa $48
Compare Hotels in Hanoi and Puerto Princesa
Looking for a hotel in Hanoi 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: Hanoi Hotel Prices and Puerto Princesa Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
-
Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Hanoi $6.54Puerto Princesa $51
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Hanoi
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Hanoi:
-
Taxi to Bus Station$1.14
-
Shuttle Bus From Airport (for Two)$3.03
-
Local Bus Ride (for Two)$0.38
-
Short Taxi Ride$1.29
-
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
- To/from Halong Bay: Luxury Limousine Transfer w/ Bus Ticket: $15
- 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
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Puerto Princesa
Also for Puerto Princesa, 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
- Honda Bay Island: Island Tour with Lunch & Transfer: $53
- Palawan: Private San Vicente Airport Transfers: $164
- Private Transfer from Puerto Princesa to El Nido: $203
- Private Transfer to El Nido: $174
- Private Transfers Puerto Princesa To Elnido: $260
- PrivateTransfer from Puerto Princesa Port to Puerto Princesa city: $60
- Puerto Princesa City Van Transfers: $24
- Astoria Water Park Day Pass & Transfers: $237
- One-Way Transfer To/From El Nido: $16
- Private Airport Transfers to/from hotel: $22
Is it cheaper to fly into Hanoi or Puerto Princesa?
Prices for flights to both Puerto Princesa 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
-
Food Meals for one dayHanoi $23Puerto Princesa $34
Typical Food Prices in Hanoi
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Hanoi:
-
High End Dinner (for Two)$11
-
Casual Lunch (for Two)$4.17
-
Bowl of Pho$0.76
-
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
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: $33
- Firefly Watching Bay Cruise with Dinner: $35
- Firefly Watching with Dinner: $40
- Firefly Watching Tour with Dinner: $55
- Seafood Lunch or Dinner with transfers: $60
- Underground River with Dinner at Kalui: $82
- Underground River and Firefly Watching with Dinner: $89
- Balayong People's Park with Dinner and Show: $119
Entertainment
-
Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Hanoi $8.07Puerto Princesa $6.77
Typical Entertainment Prices in Hanoi
Here are a few typical costs in Hanoi for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:
-
Puppet Theater$1.52
-
The Hanoi Hilton Entrance$1.52
-
National History Museum$1.52
-
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 Puerto Princesa
For Puerto Princesa, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- PPS CITY TOUR: $14
- Puerto Princesa; Half day City tour: $14
- Cathedral and Baker's Hill Tour: $14
- Puerto Princesa City Tour with Snacks: $14
- Half Day City Tour with Butterfly Garden: $15
- Half-Day City Tour with Optional Massage: $15
- Half-day Puerto Princesa City Tour: $15
- City tour of Puerto Princesa Palawan Philippines : $20
- 2in1 City tour and museum with pick up at hotel or cruise port: $25
- Half-Day City Tour from Puerto Princesa: $27
- Puerto Princesa Half Day City Tour (shared tour): $27
- Shared Half City Tour with SPA: $31
Alcohol
-
Alcohol Drinks for one dayHanoi $7.30Puerto Princesa $14
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Hanoi and Puerto Princesa, we can see that Puerto Princesa is more expensive. And not only is Hanoi much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Hanoi would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Hanoi 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 Hanoi.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Hanoi Expensive? and Is Puerto Princesa Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Hanoi or Puerto Princesa?
Hanoi has a larger population, and is about 9 times larger than the population of Puerto Princesa. When comparing the sizes of Hanoi 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.