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

Should you visit Leh or Puerto Princesa?

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

Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Leh and Puerto Princesa. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.

Where Should I go: Leh or Puerto Princesa?

Leh

Leh is a small town located in the Indus river valley at a crossroads of the old trading routes from Kashgar, Tibet, and Kashmir. Today, the town is best known for its Buddhist sites and nearby trekking areas. It is situated in northern India, amidst the mountainous Himalayan range.

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 One-Week (7-Day) Tours from New Delhi, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Mumbai, The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in Philippines, and The Best Honeymoon Tours in Philippines.


Which place is cheaper, Puerto Princesa or Leh?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.

The average daily cost (per person) in Leh is $39, while the average daily cost in Puerto Princesa is $73. 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 Leh and Puerto Princesa in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Leh $17
    Puerto Princesa $24
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Leh $34
    Puerto Princesa $48
Compare Hotels in Leh and Puerto Princesa

Looking for a hotel in Leh 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 Leh


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: Leh Hotel Prices and Puerto Princesa Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Leh $7.86
    Puerto Princesa $51

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Leh

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Leh:

  • Leh Airport Transfer: $33

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: $7.20
  • Arrival Airport transfers from Puerto Princesa Airport to Hotels: $7.50
  • Airconditioned Van Transfers to/from Sabang: $12
  • Transfers to/from Port Barton: $14
  • El Nido to Puerto Princesa van transfer: $14
  • Van Transfer; Puerto Princesa to El Nido: $14
  • One-Way Transfer To/From El Nido: $16
  • Transfer between Puerto Princesa and El Nido: $16
  • Arrival airport transfer-Private airport to hotel in central area: $20
  • Private Airport Transfers to/from hotel: $22
  • Relaxing Massage with optional transfers: $23
  • Private Puerto Princesa Airport Transfers: $29

Is it cheaper to fly into Leh or Puerto Princesa?

Prices for flights to both Puerto Princesa and Leh 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
    Leh $14
    Puerto Princesa $20

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 Tour with Dinner: $26
  • Firefly Watching Paddle Boat Tour & Dinner: $27
  • Jungle Firefly Watching Boat Tour & Dinner: $32
  • Firefly Watching Bay Cruise with Dinner: $34
  • Puerto Princesa Fireflies Watching with Dinner: $40
  • Seafood Lunch or Dinner with transfers: $60
  • Underground River and Firefly Watching with Dinner: $81
  • Underground River with Dinner at Kalui: $81
  • Balayong People's Park with Dinner and Show: $117

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Leh $14
    Puerto Princesa $6.82

Tours and Activities in Leh

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

  • "Leh to Pangong Lake Sameday tour: A Day of Tranquil Wonders: $80
  • From Srinagar: Private Himalayan 11-Day Tour to Ladakh: $1,507
  • LADAKH TOUR: $659
  • Leh-Ladakh Sameday Tour/ Capture the Majesty in Just One Day: $53

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: $14
  • PPS CITY TOUR: $14
  • Guided City Walking Tour with Snacks: $14
  • Puerto Princesa City Tour with Snacks: $14
  • Half-Day City Tour with Optional Massage: $14
  • 2in1 City tour and museum with pick up at hotel or cruise port: $15
  • Half-day Puerto Princesa City Tour: $15
  • City tour of Puerto Princesa Palawan Philippines : $19
  • Puerto Princesa Half Day City Tour (shared tour): $22
  • Joiners Puerto Princesa City Tour: $27
  • Puerto Princesa City Tour (Joiners Tour): $28
  • El Nido Nacpan Inland Tour (TRICYCLE) (Private Tour): $33

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Leh $5.57
    Puerto Princesa $14


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Leh and Puerto Princesa, we can see that Puerto Princesa is more expensive. And not only is Leh much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Leh would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Leh 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 Leh.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Leh Expensive? and Is Puerto Princesa Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Leh or Puerto Princesa?

Puerto Princesa has a larger population, and is about 4 times larger than the population of Leh. When comparing the sizes of Leh 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.