Which place is cheaper, Cebu 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 Cebu?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Palawan or Cebu? 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 Cebu?
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.
Cebu
Cebu Island is an important island in the Visayas region of the Philippines, characterized by its main port at Cebu City as well as many natural features. The most-visited areas include islands of Mactan, Bantayan, Badian, Malapascua and Camotes, all which have resorts and hotels. Scuba diving and snorkeling are common activities along the shoreline, while hiking the mountainous spine of the island is popular inland.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Philippines, The Best 2-Week Tours in Philippines, Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Philippines, and The Best Adventure Tours to Philippines.
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Palawan Prices
Philippines PricesCebu Prices
Philippines Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPalawan $40Cebu $75
The average daily cost (per person) in Palawan is $40, while the average daily cost in Cebu is $75. 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 Cebu in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPalawan $12Cebu $23
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPalawan $24Cebu $46
Compare Hotels in Palawan and Cebu
Looking for a hotel in Palawan or Cebu? 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 Cebu Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Palawan $15Cebu $24
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Palawan
Also for Palawan, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Coron Airport Shared Hotel Transfers: $10
- Shared Busuanga Airport to Coron Hotel Transfer: $10
- Private Van Transfers: Busuanga Airport to Coron Hotel Vice Versa: $48
- El Nido Tour C with Lunch and Transfers: $49
- El Nido Tour with Lunch and Transfers: $49
- Coron Ultimate Tour: 7 Destinations with Lunch and Transfer: $50
- El Nido (Lio) Airport Transfers: $50
- Private Van Transfer Coron Town to Airport: $70
- Busuanga Palawan Private Airport Transfer to Coron Town: $70
- El Nido Beginner Surf Lesson with Lunch and Round-Trip Transfers: $74
- Private Busuanga Airport to Coron Hotel Transfer: $79
- Private for your group - transfers Puerto princesa to elnido: $100
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cebu
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Cebu:
- Sumilon Bluewater Resort Day Use w lunch and transfer from Cebu: $189
- Private Departure Transfer: Hotel to Mactan-Cebu International Airport: $35
- Private Airport to Hotel Transfer in Cebu City: $35
- Private Airport to Hagnaya Going to Bantayan Island Transfer: $122
- Private Airport Transfer: Cebu Airport (CEB) → Cebu City Hotels: $33
- Oslob Private Van Transfer between Cebu, Mactan or Mandaue City: $175
- Moalboal Sardines Run Private Tour w/ Transfers Option: $22
- Mactan-Cebu Island Hopping Cruise with Lunch & Roundtrip Transfer: $204
- Mactan Airport - Cebu City Sepoart (Transfer): $20
- Kawasan Falls Canyoneering w/ Lunch & Transfers from Cebu City: $137
- Danasan Eco Adventure Park Including Round-Trip Hotel Transfer: $212
- Cordova Private Transfer from Cordova city to Mactan Cebu Airport (CEB): $27
Is it cheaper to fly into Palawan or Cebu?
Prices for flights to both Cebu 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 $18Cebu $34
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Palawan
For Palawan, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- El Nido Fishing with Local Fisherman with Sunset Dinner: $136
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Cebu
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Cebu.
- Carbon Market Food Tour & Bars with Jeepney Ride: $16
- Highlands Guided Tour with STREET FOOD TOUR OPTION: $45
- The Ultimate Cebu Food Tour: Local Tastes & Cultural Journey: $70
- Cebu City: Historical Street and Food Tour: $89
- Cebu Traditional Cuisine Cooking Class: $98
- Private Panoramic Tour with Dinner: $100
- Cebu Traditional Bamboo Cooking Class: $107
- Cebu Traditional Bamboo Cooking: $110
- Cebu Vegetarian Cooking Class: $110
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Palawan $4.88Cebu $16
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
- 2in1 City tour + museum & transportation from cruise port /hotel: $25
- Coron Island Hopping Tour A with Kayangan Lake: $25
- Coron Island Hopping Tour Snorkel, Swim, and Relax: $29
- Coron Island Hopping Tour B with Skeleton Wreck & Barracuda Lake: $32
- Puerto Princesa City Tour: $32
- Puerto Princesa half day City tour a sightseeing excursion: $35
- Joiners Honda Bay Island Hopping Tour: $38
- Puerto Princesa: Honda Bay Tour with Lunch: $38
- Coron Parasailing Adventure: $43
Tours and Activities in Cebu
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Cebu are as follows:
- 3-Hour Small Group Cebu City Tour: $38
- Aqua Sports Adventure Package with 3 Water Activities: $129
- BEST OF Cebu City Heritage with Uphill Tour: $61
- BEST OF Cebu City Heritage with Uphill Tour | Joiners: $64
- BEST OF Guided Heritage City Joiners Tour: $44
- Badian Cebu Canyoneering Experience: $115
- Badian Cebu Canyoneering Experience: $128
- Balamban Uphill Adventure Tour in Cebu: $100
- Beginner Scuba Diving in Moalboal | Safe & Easy Experience: $65
- Best Seller Cebu City Group Tour: $53
- Boat Diving Two Dive Tour in Olango Island in Cebu: $85
- Bohol Countryside Day Tour from Cebu City or Mactan - Best Seller: $169
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPalawan $6.98Cebu $13
Sample the Local Flavors in Cebu
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Cebu:
- Makati Pub Crawl with Optional City Tour: $18
- Cebu City Light's Pub Crawl: $110
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Palawan and Cebu, we can see that Cebu 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 Cebu would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Cebu 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 Cebu 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.