Which place is cheaper, Johor Bahru 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 Johor Bahru?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Palawan or Johor Bahru? 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 Johor Bahru?
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.
Johor Bahru
Johor Bahru is the capital of the state of Johor in Southern Malaysia. Though it is largely industrial and does not typically cater to tourists, especially compared to the grandeur of neighboring Singapore, the city does have some opportunities for shopping, dining, and entertainment.
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 Family-Friendly Tours to Malaysia, and The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Malaysia.
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Palawan Prices
Philippines PricesJohor Bahru Prices
Malaysia Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPalawan $43Johor Bahru $64
The average daily cost (per person) in Palawan is $43, while the average daily cost in Johor Bahru is $64. 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 Johor Bahru in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPalawan $13Johor Bahru $40
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPalawan $26Johor Bahru $80
Compare Hotels in Palawan and Johor Bahru
Looking for a hotel in Palawan or Johor Bahru? 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 Johor Bahru Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Palawan $16Johor Bahru $13
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
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Johor Bahru
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Johor Bahru:
- ~Chauffeur: Johor Bahru to Singapore Van Transfer: $38
- ~Chauffeur: Johor Bahru to Singapore MPV Transfer: $99
- Universal Studios Singapore + Roundtrip Transfers: $119
- Singapore Universal Studio & S.E.A Aquarium-COMBO One-Day Pass(Shared transfer): $208
- Private Transfer from Legoland (Malaysia) to Singapore Changi Airport (SIN): $164
- Private Transfer from Johor Bahru City Center to Singapore Hotels: $99
- Private Transfer : Johor Bharu (JB) to Kuala Lumpur (KL): $131
- Legoland Johor Bahru to Kuala Lumpur 1-way Transfer: $103
- Legoland Johor Bahru to Kuala Lumpur 1-way Transfer: $125
- LEGOLAND Malaysia to Kuala Lumpur City One-way Transfer: $105
- LEGOLAND Malaysia to Kuala Lumpur City Hotels One-way Transfer: $105
- LEGOLAND Malaysia Admission Ticket with Return Transfer from Kuala Lumpur: $182
Is it cheaper to fly into Palawan or Johor Bahru?
Prices for flights to both Johor Bahru 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 $19Johor Bahru $16
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Palawan $5.21Johor Bahru $7.81
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
Tours and Activities in Johor Bahru
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Johor Bahru are as follows:
- Adventure Cove Water Park Entry ticket sentosa Island singpore: $50
- Sentosa 4D Adventureland Admission Ticket in Singapore: $29
- #11Hrs Singapore Escorted Van Tour from Johor Bahru w' Tour Guide: $113
- *15Hrs Kuala Lumpur Van Tour from Johor Bahru w' Tour Guide: $132
- Adventure Waterpark Desaru Coast Johor Admission Ticket: $35
- Adventure Waterpark Desaru Coast Ticket: $40
- Brooklyn Cruise at Puteri Harbour, Johor Bahru (Direct Entry): $25
- Desaru Coast Adventure Waterpark Admission Ticket: $22
- Experience Brooklyn Cruise at Puteri Harbour: $21
- Firefly Tour Johor Bahru@Kota Tinggi Firefly Park: $6.32
- HydroDash Singapore Ticket: $45
- Johor Bahru : Seadoo JetSki 30mins Self Ride Tour (Double): $86
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPalawan $7.44Johor Bahru $5.09
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Palawan and Johor Bahru, we can see that Johor Bahru 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 Johor Bahru would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Johor Bahru 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 Johor Bahru 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.