Which place is cheaper, Palawan or Krabi?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Krabi or Palawan?
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 Krabi and Palawan can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Krabi or Palawan?
Krabi
Thailand is covered in beaches, but if you're more interested in immersion in Thai culture than the salty ocean, consider a trip to Krabi, also known as "Krabi Town". Pronounced "Grabee," this small, but bustling city is just up the river from the coast, and is the gateway to the beaches in the surrounding Province of Krabi. Krabi Town is full of hotels, agencies and western restaurants, but if you look hard enough, you'll easily see the energy and life of Thailand. While there are no beaches in the town itself, there is plenty of Thai culture to experience.
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 10-Day Tours in Thailand, The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Thailand, The Best 2-Week Tours in Philippines, and Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Philippines.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayKrabi $55Palawan $36
The average daily cost (per person) in Krabi is $55, while the average daily cost in Palawan is $36. 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 Krabi and Palawan in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personKrabi $36Palawan $13
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomKrabi $72Palawan $26
Compare Hotels in Krabi and Palawan
Looking for a hotel in Krabi 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: Krabi Hotel Prices and Palawan Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Krabi $3.80Palawan $16
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Krabi
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Krabi are as follows:
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Scooter Rental$8.18
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Short Tuk-Tuk Ride$2.73
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2 Bottles of Gasoline$2.18
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Longboat Taxi from Town$5.46
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Krabi
Also for Krabi, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- VAN PHUKET AIRPORT Transfer to PHUKET TOWN (SHA Plus): $39
- VAN PHUKET AIRPORT TRANSFER to TRI TRANG BEACH: $34
- VAN PHUKET AIRPORT TRANSFER to SIRAY BAY: $39
- VAN PHUKET AIRPORT TRANSFER to ROYAL YACHT HAVEN: $28
- VAN PHUKET AIRPORT TRANSFER to RAWAI BEACH: $42
- VAN PHUKET AIRPORT TRANSFER to PHUKET TOWN: $31
- VAN PHUKET AIRPORT TRANSFER to NATAI BEACH: $39
- VAN PHUKET AIRPORT TRANSFER to NAIYANG BEACH: $27
- VAN PHUKET AIRPORT TRANSFER to MAI KHAO BEACH: $28
- VAN PHUKET AIRPORT TRANSFER to LAYAN BEACH: $24
- VAN PHUKET AIRPORT TRANSFER to LAGUNA BEACH: $24
- VAN PHUKET AIRPORT TRANSFER to LAEM HIN PIER, COCONUT ISLAND: $28
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Palawan
Also for Palawan, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Shared Busuanga Airport to Coron Hotel Transfer: $10
- Puerto Princesa - El Nido | Private Van Transfer: $149
- Private Van Transfer : From El Nido to Puerto Princesa Palawan: $140
- Private Transfers Puerto Princesa To Elnido: $260
- Private Transfer From El Nido Lio Airport To El Nido Hotels: $20
- Private Puerto Princesa Airport Transfers: $29
- Private Busuanga Airport to Coron Hotel Transfer: $79
- El Nido (Lio) Airport Transfers: $50
- Arrival airport transfer-Private airport to hotel in central area: $20
- Arrival Airport transfers from Puerto Princesa Airport to Hotels: $7.50
- Airport Transfers: $20
Is it cheaper to fly into Krabi or Palawan?
Prices for flights to both Palawan and Krabi 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 dayKrabi $13Palawan $11
Typical Food Prices in Krabi
For Krabi, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Casual Lunch (for Two)$6.82
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Drinks on the Beach$6.55
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Sit Down Dinner (for Two)$17
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Nice Dinner (for Two)$30
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Mango Shake$1.36
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Pad Thai$2.73
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Fruit from the Market$1.64
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Pancakes$2.73
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Coffee & Cake$2.05
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Krabi
For Krabi, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Snorkeling and Sunset Dinner Trip From Krabi: $33
- 7 Islands Sunset Tour with BBQ Dinner & Night Snorkeling by Longtail Boat: $34
- Small-Group Smart Thai Cooking Class in Krabi: $36
- Snorkeling and Sunset to Krabi 7 Islands by Longtail Boat + Buffet BBQ Dinner: $36
- Traditional Thai Cooking Class with Smart Cook: $37
- 7 Islands Sunset Tour with BBQ Dinner & Plankton: $38
- 7 Islands Sunset Tour with BBQ Dinner and Snorkeling: $38
- Evening Thai Cooking Class at Ya's Cookery: $39
- Seven Islands Snorkel Cruise with Dinner: $41
- 4 Islands Sunset Longtail Boat Tour with BBQ Dinner: $41
- Authentic Thai cooking class with market tour: $42
- Krabi 7 Islands Sunset Tour with BBQ Dinner and Snorkeling: $42
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Palawan
For Palawan, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Puerto Princesa Fireflies Watching with Dinner: $40
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Krabi $10Palawan $5.24
Typical Entertainment Prices in Krabi
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Krabi's activities, tours, and tickets:
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Thai-English Book$9.00
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Thai Massages (for Two)$22
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Bikini & Sarong$16
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Yoga Class (1 Hour)$12
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Backgammon Set (travel size)$6.82
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Kayak Trip (for Two)$52
Tours and Activities in Krabi
For Krabi, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Full Day Guided Tour in Bor Thor Caves and Mangroves : $147
- Phi Phi Islands Tour with Bioluminescent Planktons from krabi: $79
- 1 Hour Horse Riding Tour On The Beach Krabi: $43
- 2 Hour Horse Riding Tour On The Beach Krabi: $61
- 4 Island Speed Boat Adventure by Sea Eagle Tour from Krabi: $35
- 4 Island Sunset Snorkeling Cruise + bioluminescent Night Snorkel: $104
- 4 Island Tour by Traditional Big Longtail Boat from Krabi: $28
- 4 Islands & Sunset Tour by Long Tail Boat with Plankton : $71
- 4 Islands Day Tour by Speed Boat (from Ao Nang, Krabi): $39
- 4 Islands Day Tour from Krabi with Tub, Chicken, Poda Island & Phra Nang Cave: $51
- 4 Islands Full-day Tour from Krabi with Tub, Chicken, Poda Island & Phra Nang: $55
- 4 Islands Full-day Tour from Krabi with Tub, Chicken, Poda Island & Phra Nang: $55
Tours and Activities in Palawan
For Palawan, 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
- 2in1 City tour and museum with pick up at hotel or cruise port: $15
- 3 Days Coron Palawan Reefs & Wreck Multi Day Tours: $180
- 3D2N El Nido Experience: $250
- 3dayTour Underground river honda bay citytour w/ airport pick up: $125
- 5D4N Puerto Princesa & El Nido Experience: $299
- City Tour of Puerto Princesa: $35
- City tour of Puerto Princesa Palawan Philippines : $19
- Coron Busuanga Calauit Safari Tour With Black Island (Private): $225
- Coron Busuanga Calauit Safari Tour With Black Island (Shared Tour): $93
- Coron Calauit Safari Tour E: $89
- Coron Culion Island Escapade Private Tour: $132
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayKrabi $4.34Palawan $7.49
Typical Alcohol Prices in Krabi
Some typical examples of the costs for nightlife and alcohol in Krabi are as follows:
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Beer$2.45
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Cocktails (for Two)$8.18
Sample the Local Flavors in Krabi
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Krabi:
- Railay Pub Crawl: $14
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Krabi and Palawan, we can see that Krabi 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 Krabi would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Krabi 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 Krabi 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.