Which place is cheaper, Puerto Princesa or Lombok?
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 Lombok 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 Lombok 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: Lombok or Puerto Princesa?
Lombok
Lombok is an island east of the well-tread Bali and west of lesser-developed Sumbawa. While Lombok is not as popular as its neighbor to the west, it is a great place to visit for that very reason. Less popularity means lower prices for accommodations, food, activities, and less-inundated tourist spots. Nonetheless, Lombok is rapidly developing in tourism, and the government is naming it and Sumbawa the number two tourism spots, following Bali.
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 Wildlife Tours to Indonesia, The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Indonesia, The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Philippines, and The Best 2-Week Tours in Philippines.
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Lombok Prices
Indonesia PricesPuerto Princesa Prices
Philippines Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayLombok $55Puerto Princesa $80
The average daily cost (per person) in Lombok is $55, 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 Lombok and Puerto Princesa in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personLombok $26Puerto Princesa $22
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomLombok $52Puerto Princesa $44
Compare Hotels in Lombok and Puerto Princesa
Looking for a hotel in Lombok 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: Puerto Princesa Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Lombok $10Puerto Princesa $47
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Lombok
Also for Lombok, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Senggigi (Lombok) to Padang Bai Premium Fast Ferry Transfer: $34
- Private Transfer from Wisata Alam Semongkat to Sumbawa Besar Airport (SWQ): $216
- Private Transfer from Sumbawa Besar Airport (SWQ) to Wisata Alam Semongkat: $216
- Private Transfer from Sumbawa Besar Airport (SWQ) to Lopok: $157
- Private Transfer from Sumbawa Besar Airport (SWQ) to Lempeh: $94
- Private Transfer from Pengawisan to Lombok Airport (LOP): $71
- Private Transfer from Pekat to Sumbawa Besar Airport (SWQ): $94
- Private Transfer from Mataram to Lombok Airport (LOP): $34
- Private Transfer from Mangsit to Lombok Airport (LOP): $34
- Private Transfer from Lombok to Lombok International Airport: $43
- Private Transfer from Lombok hotels to Lombok Cruise Port: $57
- Private Transfer from Lombok Island Hotels to Lombok Cruise Port: $28
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Puerto Princesa
Also for Puerto Princesa, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Astoria Water Park Day Pass & Transfers: $232
- Private Transfer from Puerto Princesa to El Nido: $203
- Puerto Princesa Airport to El Nido Van Transfer: $200
- Private Transfer to El Nido: $169
- Palawan: Private San Vicente Airport Transfers: $160
- 3day van transportation: airport transfer, city sightseeing van, beach transfers: $120
- Van Transfers to/from Sabang or Astoria: $116
- Private for your group - transfers Puerto princesa to elnido: $100
- Honda Bay Island: Island Tour with Lunch & Transfer: $52
- Puerto Princesa City Van Transfers: $23
- Relaxing Massage with optional transfers: $23
- Private Airport Transfers to/from hotel: $21
Is it cheaper to fly into Lombok or Puerto Princesa?
Prices for flights to both Puerto Princesa and Lombok 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 dayLombok $19Puerto Princesa $31
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Lombok
For Lombok, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Gili Trawangan: Authentic Indonesian Food Gili Cooking Class: $44
- Kids Cooking Class at Tugu Hotel Lombok: $52
- Babah Peranakan Chinese Cuisine Dinner in Lombok: $66
- Traditional Cooking Class Experience With Recipes From The Past Generations: $70
- Lombok Cooking Class at Tugu Hotel Lombok: $85
- Amazing Lombok BBQ Beach Sunset Dinner: $88
- Royal Dinner Experience in Lombok at Royal Tugudom: $119
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
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Lombok $9.25Puerto Princesa $6.28
Tours and Activities in Lombok
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Lombok.
- 3 Days Lombok Sharing Tour: $146
- 3D 2N Mount Rinjani Trekking Tour To Summit And Lake: $232
- Beach Tour in Lombok Indonesia: $51
- Benang Kelambu & Stokel (Waterfall Tour): $67
- Benang Kelambu & Stokel Waterfalls and Handweaving Village Tour: $48
- Benang Kelambu Waterfall Experience from Lombok: $43
- Best Sendang Gile and Tiu Kelep Waterfalls Tour: $70
- Dirt Bike Adventure at Kuta Lombok: $126
- Discover the Best of South Beaches & Culture: Exclusive Tour: $54
- Exclusive Private Experience: 5 Secret Gili Islands: $73
- Exclusive Private Lombok Car Hire & Customized Tour: $43
- Exclusive Tete Batu Tour: Discover Lombok’s Untouched Beauty: $72
Tours and Activities in Puerto Princesa
For Puerto Princesa, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- 2in1 City tour + museum & transportation from cruise port /hotel: $25
- 3D2N El Nido Experience: $250
- 3d2n ELNIDO Package tour: $280
- 5D4N Puerto Princesa & El Nido Experience: $299
- City tour of Puerto Princesa Palawan Philippines: $20
- El Nido Day Tour: $80
- From Honda Bay Island Hopping Full-Day Tour: $40
- Full Day Excursion: UNESCO Underground River Tour: $48
- Full-Day UNESCO Underground River Tour: $60
- Half Day City Joiners Tour | Puerto Princesa: $34
- Half-Day City Tour from Puerto Princesa: $27
- Half-Day City Tour | Puerto Princesa: $53
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayLombok $7.32Puerto Princesa $13
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Lombok and Puerto Princesa, we can see that Puerto Princesa is more expensive. And not only is Lombok much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Lombok would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Lombok 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 Lombok.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Lombok Expensive? and Is Puerto Princesa 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.