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

Should you visit Mount Bromo or Puerto Princesa?

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

Should I visit Mount Bromo or Puerto Princesa? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.

Where Should I go: Mount Bromo or Puerto Princesa?

Mount Bromo

Mt. Bromo is the most famous active volcano in East Java at 2,329 meters high. Most visit Mt. Bromo to see the spectacular sunrise over the Tenggar-Caldera. Cemoro Lawang is the most popular town where tourists stay while visiting. Be prepared with cash ahead of time, as you'll have a hard time finding an ATM in town.

While you may be accustomed to warmer weather in other cities on the island, the highlands of Mt. Bromo will require that you dress warmly, if only for the night and early morning that you're there to see the sunrise, as temperatures may drop to freezing. There are many vendors selling hats and gloves if you need them.

Daytime temperatures, on the other hand, are much warmer in high 60s. Note that wet season takes place from November to March, and the months of January and February experience the heaviest rains and even flooding.

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 Budget Tours to Indonesia, The Best Tours for Seniors to Indonesia, The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Philippines, and The Best 2-Week Tours in Philippines.


Which place is cheaper, Puerto Princesa or Mount Bromo?

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 Mount Bromo is $25, 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 Mount Bromo and Puerto Princesa in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Mount Bromo $10
    Puerto Princesa $24
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Mount Bromo $20
    Puerto Princesa $48
Compare Hotels in Mount Bromo and Puerto Princesa

Looking for a hotel in Mount Bromo 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 Mount Bromo


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: Puerto Princesa Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Mount Bromo $7.03
    Puerto Princesa $51

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Puerto Princesa

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

  • Private Transfers Puerto Princesa To Elnido: $260
  • Astoria Water Park Day Pass & Transfers: $232
  • Private Transfer from Puerto Princesa to El Nido: $203
  • 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
  • PrivateTransfer from Puerto Princesa Port to Puerto Princesa city: $60
  • Honda Bay Island: Island Tour with Lunch & Transfer: $52
  • Puerto Princesa City Van Transfers: $23
  • Relaxing Massage with optional transfers: $23

Is it cheaper to fly into Mount Bromo or Puerto Princesa?

Prices for flights to both Puerto Princesa and Mount Bromo 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
    Mount Bromo $8.84
    Puerto Princesa $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.
    Mount Bromo $7.88
    Puerto Princesa $6.77

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 and museum with pick up at hotel or cruise port: $25
  • 3D2N El Nido Experience: $250
  • 5D4N Puerto Princesa & El Nido Experience: $299
  • City Tour of Puerto Princesa sightseeing excursion: $35
  • 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
  • Half Day City Joiners Tour | Puerto Princesa: $34
  • Half-Day City Tour from Puerto Princesa: $27
  • Half-Day City Tour | Puerto Princesa: $53
  • Half-day Puerto Princesa City Tour: $15

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Mount Bromo $4.43
    Puerto Princesa $14


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

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