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

Should you visit Palawan or Coffs Harbour?

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

Should I visit Palawan or Coffs Harbour? 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 Coffs Harbour?

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.

Coffs Harbour

Coffs Harbour is in New South Wales between Brisbane and Sydney. Historically, Coffs Harbour has been a popular vacation destination among families, particularly Australian families. Most visitors today are families that are carrying on a longstanding tradition and bringing their children to the holiday destination of their childhood. You'll also find backpackers who spend up to a week here, dividing the trip between Sydney and Brisbane. The area has a well established tourist infrastructure that is not as trendy as that in Byron Bay, but it remains a wonderful community to visit if you're not looking for the party atmosphere.

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 Vineyard & Wine Tours in Australia, and The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in Australia.


Which place is cheaper, Coffs Harbour 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 Coffs Harbour is $174. 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 Coffs Harbour in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Palawan $13
    Coffs Harbour $63
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Palawan $26
    Coffs Harbour $126
Compare Hotels in Palawan and Coffs Harbour

Looking for a hotel in Palawan or Coffs Harbour? 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 Coffs Harbour


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 Coffs Harbour Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Palawan $16
    Coffs Harbour $22

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 Coffs Harbour?

Prices for flights to both Coffs Harbour 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
    Coffs Harbour $89

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Palawan $5.21
    Coffs Harbour $42

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

Typical Entertainment Prices in Coffs Harbour

Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Coffs Harbour's activities, tours, and tickets:


  • Surfing Museum (for 2)
    $7.20

Tours and Activities in Coffs Harbour

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

  • Treetops Adventure Tree Ropes Course: $46
  • Daytime Kayak Eco Tour of New South Wales: $40
  • Sunset Kayak Eco Tour with Marine Scientist: $40

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Palawan $7.44
    Coffs Harbour $8.41


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