A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Palawan vs. Atami for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Palawan or Atami?

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

Should I visit Palawan or Atami? 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: Palawan or Atami?

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.

Atami

Sharing a home with the famous Mount Fuji inside the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park, Atami is a Japanese city set on the seaside of the Izu Peninsula. With volcanic hills and natural hot springs, visitors are very much drawn to the unique landscape of the place. There are many hot springs resorts that take advantage of the area's natural features, which have been attracting visitors since the 8th century.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Philippines, The Best 2-Week Tours in Philippines, The Best 10-Day Tours from Tokyo, and The Best 2-Week Tours from Tokyo.


Which place is cheaper, Atami or Palawan?

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 Palawan is $43, while the average daily cost in Atami is $108. 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 Palawan and Atami in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Palawan $13
    Atami $44
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Palawan $26
    Atami $88
Compare Hotels in Palawan and Atami

Looking for a hotel in Palawan or Atami? 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 Palawan


Hotels in Atami


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: Palawan Hotel Prices and Atami Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Palawan $16
    Atami $37

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
  • PrivateTransfer from Puerto Princesa Port to Puerto Princesa city: $60
  • Private for your group - transfers Puerto princesa to elnido : $100
  • Private Van Transfers: Busuanga Airport to Coron Hotel Vice Versa: $48
  • Private Van Transfer : From El Nido to Puerto Princesa Palawan: $170
  • Private Transfers Puerto Princesa To Elnido: $260
  • Private Transfer from Puerto Princesa to El Nido: $203
  • Private Transfer from El Nido to Port Barton Palawan: $170
  • Private Busuanga Airport to Coron Hotel Transfer: $79
  • El Nido Tour with Lunch and Transfers: $44
  • El Nido Tour C with Lunch and Transfers: $44
  • El Nido Big Lagoon and Tropical Island Private Tour with Transfer: $179

Is it cheaper to fly into Palawan or Atami?

Prices for flights to both Atami and Palawan 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
    Palawan $19
    Atami $43

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Palawan $5.21
    Atami $7.96

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 : $45
  • 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
  • All-Inclusive El Nido Island Hopping Private Tour: $153
  • Balabac Tour Semi-Private 4D3N (price varies by group size): $590
  • City Tour of Puerto Princesa sightseeing excursion: $35
  • City tour of Puerto Princesa Palawan Philippines : $20
  • Coron Calauit Safari Tour E: $146
  • Coron Culion Island Escapade Private Tour: $132
  • Coron Island Escapade Group Tour with Island Lunch: $48
  • Coron Island Escapade Tour (Shared Tour): $50

Tours and Activities in Atami

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

  • 2025 1 Day Winter Sumo Official Provincial Tour at Odawara: $104
  • Experience Tea Ceremony at a Traditional Japanese Inn : $46
  • Hakone customized private one day tour: $173
  • Japanese Traditional Music Experience: $48
  • Ninja, Samurai, Odawara Castle Experience: $138
  • Odawara Castle and Town Guided Discovery Tour: $138
  • Odawara Ramen Crawl Experience: Visit 2 Iconic Shops: $52
  • Odawara to Hakone Scenic Adventure: $172

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Palawan $7.44
    Atami $5.65


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Palawan and Atami, we can see that Atami 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 Atami would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Atami 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 Palawan Expensive? and Is Atami Expensive?.