A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Istanbul vs. Puerto Princesa for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Istanbul or Puerto Princesa?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

If you're trying to decide where to visit between Istanbul or Puerto Princesa, this travel comparison, which includes costs, can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison down below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.

Where Should I go: Istanbul or Puerto Princesa?

Istanbul

Istanbul is strategically located on the Bosphorus and is split between Europe and Asia. It truly is a city where east meets west. Istanbul is the cultural and financial hub of Turkey, and also the most populous city. The sites are countless and there's something for everybody, whether you're interested in art, music, food, or adventure. You can pass many days exploring both the residential and commercial pockets of this city. Much of the appeal is hidden away along back alleys or within corner shops.

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 2-Week Tours in Turkey, Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Turkey, The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Philippines, and The Best 2-Week Tours in Philippines.


Which place is cheaper, Puerto Princesa or Istanbul?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.

The average daily cost (per person) in Istanbul is $154, while the average daily cost in Puerto Princesa is $80. 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 Istanbul and Puerto Princesa in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Istanbul $71
    Puerto Princesa $22
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Istanbul $142
    Puerto Princesa $44
Compare Hotels in Istanbul and Puerto Princesa

Looking for a hotel in Istanbul 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.

Hotels in Istanbul


Hotels in Puerto Princesa


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: Istanbul Hotel Prices and Puerto Princesa Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Istanbul $33
    Puerto Princesa $47
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Istanbul

Some typical examples of transportation costs in Istanbul are as follows:


  • Metro Cards
    $4.43

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Istanbul

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Istanbul:

  • İstanbul Airport Transfer: $54
  • İstanbul Airport Transfer: $67
  • istanbul airport transfer: $24
  • Viaport Theme Park Ticket with Optional Hotel Transfer: $45
  • Viaport Aquarium Ticket with Optional Hotel Transfer: $35
  • Viaport Aquapark Ticket with Optional Hotel Transfer: $65
  • VIP Daily Transfer from the Istanbul Airport to Istanbul City: $95
  • VIP Airport Transfer: $54
  • Transfer from Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen Airport(SAW)to Istanbul Port: $44
  • Transfer from Hotels to Airports in Istanbul by Private Eco-Sedan: $51
  • Saw Sabiha Gokcen Airport Transfers for Old City & Taksim Hotels: $72
  • Sabiha Gokcen Airport transfers to Sultanahmet hotels: $77

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Puerto Princesa

Also for Puerto Princesa, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Shared Airport Transfers to/from hotel: $7.11
  • Transfers to/from Port Barton: $14
  • Puerto Princesa:El Nido – Shared Van Transfer: $14
  • One-Way Transfer To/From El Nido: $16
  • Transfer to/from Puerto Princesa and El Nido: $17
  • Shared Transfer Puerto Princesa/Port Barton: $17
  • Transfer between Puerto Princesa and El Nido: $18
  • Private Airport Transfers to/from hotel: $21
  • Relaxing Massage with optional transfers: $23
  • Puerto Princesa City Van Transfers: $23
  • Honda Bay Island: Island Tour with Lunch & Transfer: $52
  • Private for your group - transfers Puerto princesa to elnido: $100

Is it cheaper to fly into Istanbul or Puerto Princesa?

Prices for flights to both Puerto Princesa and Istanbul 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 day
    Istanbul $57
    Puerto Princesa $31

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Istanbul

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Istanbul.

  • Istanbul Food Tour 30 Tasting Stops with Audio Maps Written Guide: $8.00
  • Istanbul Bosphorus Dinner Cruise Tour: $26
  • Bosphorus Night Cruise: Dinner, Drinks & Hotel Pickup: $30
  • Budget Evening Cruise: Dinner, Live Shows & Party: $30
  • Bosphorus Dinner Cruise with Shows and Drinks: $30
  • Istanbul Bosphorus Dinner Cruise and Show with Private Table: $30
  • Istanbul Luxury Bosphorus View Tavern Dinner & Belly Dance Show: $30
  • İstanbul Mega Lüfer Dinner Cruise Bosphorus and Show - Pvt. Table: $30
  • Bosphorus Turkish Night Show and Dinner Cruise with Private Table: $31
  • Istanbul Bosphorus Cruise Dinner, Drinks & Show with Pickup: $32
  • Bosphorus Evening Cruise: Dinner, Live Shows & Private Table: $32
  • Istanbul Bosphorus Dinner Cruise with Turkish Night Show: $34

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: $32
  • Firefly Watching Bay Cruise with Dinner: $34
  • Firefly Watching with Dinner: $39
  • Firefly Watching Tour with Dinner: $53
  • Seafood Lunch or Dinner with transfers: $59
  • Underground River with Dinner at Kalui: $80
  • Underground River and Firefly Watching with Dinner: $87
  • Balayong People's Park with Dinner and Show: $116

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Istanbul $37
    Puerto Princesa $6.26

Tours and Activities in Istanbul

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Istanbul are as follows:

  • 1 or 2 Day Private Istanbul Guided Tour: $80
  • 1,2 or 3 DAY: Private Guided Istanbul Tour from CRUISE SHIP or HOTEL: $130
  • 1-Day Best of Istanbul Private Tour with the Best Local Guides: $295
  • 1-Day Private Istanbul Layover Tour: $240
  • 10 Tastings of Istanbul Foodie Tour: $107
  • 2 Day Cappadocia Tour with Istanbul Flights &Hot Air Balloon Tour: $298
  • 2 Hours Bosphorus Cruise ((MORNING TOUR)): $24
  • 2-Days Private Walking Tour in Istanbul: $300
  • 2-Hour Scenic Bosphorus Cruise in Istanbul Throughout the Day: $8.34
  • 4 Hours Private Highlights Tour Of Istanbul: $180
  • 4 Hours Turkish Dining Experience in Istanbul: $149
  • A Knight's Day in Istanbul - Medieval Martial Arts Experience: $90

Tours and Activities in Puerto Princesa

For Puerto Princesa, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • Puerto Princesa; Half day City tour: $13
  • PPS CITY TOUR: $13
  • Puerto Princesa City Tour with Snacks: $14
  • Cathedral and Baker's Hill Tour: $14
  • Half Day City Tour with Butterfly Garden: $14
  • Half-Day City Tour with Optional Massage: $14
  • Half-day Puerto Princesa City Tour: $15
  • City tour of Puerto Princesa Palawan Philippines: $20
  • 2in1 City tour + museum & transportation from cruise port /hotel: $25
  • Puerto Princesa Half Day City Tour (shared tour): $27
  • Shared Half City Tour with SPA: $30
  • Puerto Princesa City Tour: $32

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Istanbul $10
    Puerto Princesa $13

Sample the Local Flavors in Istanbul

Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Istanbul:

  • Famous Istanbul Pub Crawl #1 Nightlife Experience: $28
  • Istanbul Wine Tasting at Home with Local Family: $78
  • Istanbul Private Wine Tasting Tour Through 3 City Wineries: $213


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Istanbul and Puerto Princesa, we can see that Istanbul is more expensive. And not only is Puerto Princesa much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Istanbul is in Europe 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 Istanbul would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Istanbul 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 Istanbul Expensive? and Is Puerto Princesa Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Istanbul or Puerto Princesa?

Istanbul has a larger population, and is about 70 times larger than the population of Puerto Princesa. When comparing the sizes of Istanbul 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.