Which place is cheaper, Byron Bay or Palawan?
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 Palawan or Byron Bay?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Palawan or Byron Bay? 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 Byron Bay?
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.
Byron Bay
South of Brisbane, off the Pacific Highway, is the coastal town of Byron Bay. It is close to Cape Byron, which is the easternmost point in mainland Australia. Byron Bay makes its way onto most traveler's itineraries because of its wonderful beach activities. The area is world famous for its waves, making it popular with surfers, but it also has incredible scuba diving, whale watching, and a generally relaxed atmosphere. The area continues to rise in popularity with travelers and as such, amenities and facilities are popping up everywhere.
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 Walking Tours in Australia, and The Best Eco Tours in Australia.
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Palawan Prices
Philippines PricesByron Bay Prices
Australia Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPalawan $43Byron Bay $175
The average daily cost (per person) in Palawan is $43, while the average daily cost in Byron Bay is $175. 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 Byron Bay in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPalawan $13Byron Bay $67
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPalawan $26Byron Bay $134
Compare Hotels in Palawan and Byron Bay
Looking for a hotel in Palawan or Byron Bay? 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: Palawan Hotel Prices and Byron Bay Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Palawan $16Byron Bay $32
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
- Coron Airport Shared Hotel Transfers: $10
- Airport Transfers airport to city center hotel and cruise port: $20
- El Nido Tour with Lunch and Transfers: $44
- El Nido Tour C with Lunch and Transfers: $44
- Coron Ultimate Tour: 7 Destinations with Lunch and Transfer: $47
- Private Van Transfers: Busuanga Airport to Coron Hotel Vice Versa: $48
- El Nido (Lio) Airport Transfers: $50
- PrivateTransfer from Puerto Princesa Port to Puerto Princesa city: $60
- Private Busuanga Airport to Coron Hotel Transfer: $79
- Busuanga Palawan Private Airport Transfer to Coron Town: $90
- Private for your group - transfers Puerto princesa to elnido : $100
Is it cheaper to fly into Palawan or Byron Bay?
Prices for flights to both Byron Bay 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
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Food Meals for one dayPalawan $19Byron Bay $83
Typical Food Prices in Byron Bay
Some typical examples of dining costs in Byron Bay are as follows:
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Dinner at Olivo (for 2)$59
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Byron Bay
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Byron Bay.
- Bangalow Native Bush Food Tour: $50
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Palawan $5.21Byron Bay $36
Tours and Activities in Palawan
For Palawan, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Half-day Puerto Princesa City Tour: $15
- Coron Town Tour with Maquinit Hot Spring: $19
- City tour of Puerto Princesa Palawan Philippines : $20
- Coron Island Hopping Tour A with Kayangan Lake: $25
- 2in1 City tour and museum with pick up at hotel or cruise port: $25
- Half-Day City Tour from Puerto Princesa: $27
- Coron Island Hopping Tour B with Skeleton Wreck & Barracuda Lake: $32
- Fullday Coron Island Hopping Tour : $34
- City Tour of Puerto Princesa sightseeing excursion: $35
- Coron Island Tour A (Shared Tour): $37
- Joiners Honda Bay Island Hopping Tour: $38
- Puerto Princesa: Honda Bay Tour with Lunch: $38
Typical Entertainment Prices in Byron Bay
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Byron Bay are as follows:
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Buddha Gardens Spa (for 2)$124
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Surf Lesson$43
Tours and Activities in Byron Bay
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Byron Bay are as follows:
- Tandem Skydive Experience : $288
- Beyond Byron Hinterland Tour: $147
- Brisbane: Byron Bay Day Tour - Lighthouse Sunset & The Farm: $125
- Broken Head Aboriginal Tour: $50
- Broken Head Aboriginal Tour: $50
- Byron Bay Dolphin Tour - Ocean Safari: $64
- Byron Bay Half-Day Tour: $65
- Byron Bay Lighthouse Aboriginal Tour: $65
- Byron Bay Lighthouse Aboriginal Tour: $67
- Byron Bay Private Bike Tour : $50
- Byron Bay Wild Koala Tour: $85
- Byron Bay and Burleigh Heads Private Tour from Brisbane: $959
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPalawan $7.44Byron Bay $14
Sample the Local Flavors in Byron Bay
Also in Byron Bay, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Arvo Session Brewery and Distillery Tour: $99
- Afternoon Brewery and Distillery session : $104
- Full-Day Brewery and Distillery Tour with Lunch: $136
- Full Barrel Brewery and Distillery tour: $138
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Palawan and Byron Bay, we can see that Byron Bay is more expensive. And not only is Palawan much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Palawan is in Asia and Byron Bay is in Pacific, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. 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 Byron Bay would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Byron Bay 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 Byron Bay 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.