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

Should you visit Palawan or Kyoto?

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

Should I visit Palawan or Kyoto? 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 Kyoto?

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.

Kyoto

Kyoto is a larger city of Japan, though it is very much set in the old ways. With quiet temples, sublime gardens, colorful shrines, and geisha walking amidst a city surrounded by stunning mountains, Kyoto feels like a world of another time and place. True to ancient Japanese tradition, most aspects of daily life are tied closely with the changing of the seasons.

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, Kyoto 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 Kyoto is $118. 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 Kyoto in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Palawan $13
    Kyoto $66
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Palawan $26
    Kyoto $132
Compare Hotels in Palawan and Kyoto

Looking for a hotel in Palawan or Kyoto? 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 Kyoto


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 Kyoto Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Palawan $16
    Kyoto $7.82

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Palawan

Also for Palawan, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • 3day van transportation: airport transfer, city sightseeing van, beach transfers: $120
  • Airport Transfers airport to city center hotel and cruise port: $20
  • Busuanga Palawan Private Airport Transfer to Coron Town: $90
  • Coron Airport Shared Hotel Transfers: $10
  • Coron Ultimate Tour: 7 Destinations with Lunch and Transfer: $47
  • El Nido (Lio) Airport Transfers: $50
  • El Nido Big Lagoon and Tropical Island Private Tour with Transfer: $179
  • El Nido Tour C with Lunch and Transfers: $44
  • El Nido Tour with Lunch and Transfers: $44
  • Private Busuanga Airport to Coron Hotel Transfer: $79
  • Private Transfer from El Nido to Port Barton Palawan: $170
  • Private Transfer from Puerto Princesa to El Nido: $203

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Kyoto

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Kyoto:

  • Shared Departure Transfer: Kyoto City to Osaka Itami Airport: $107
  • Private departure transfer from Kyoto city to Osaka Itami International airport: $82
  • Private departure transfer from Kyoto city to Kansai International airport: $113
  • Private Transfer from Maizuru Port to Osaka Kansai Airport (KIX): $226
  • Private Transfer from Maizuru Port to Osaka Kansai Airport (KIX): $248
  • Private Transfer from Maizuru Cruise Port to Osaka Airport (ITM): $155
  • Minivan Departure Transfer from Kyoto City to Kansai Airport KIX: $260
  • Naruto & Boruto at Nijigen no Mori Entry & Transfer: $47
  • Kyoto hotels to Kansai Airport (KIX) - Departure Private Transfer: $142
  • Japan Railway Station Shared Departure Transfer : Kyoto City to Kyoto Station: $71
  • Departure Transfer from Kyoto to Itami Airport ITM by Minivan: $130
  • Arashiyama Kinkakuji Quiet Trail E-Bike Tour with Hotel Transfer: $131

Is it cheaper to fly into Palawan or Kyoto?

Prices for flights to both Kyoto 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
    Kyoto $43

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Kyoto

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Kyoto.

  • Sushi & Tempura Cooking Class: $48
  • Kyoto Nishiki Market & Depachika: 2-hours Food Tour with a Local: $48
  • Sushi Cooking Class (Making three types of sushi): $48
  • Private Cooking Class Udon in Kyoto Japan: $54
  • 1 hour Takoyaki and Okonomiyaki cooking class in Kyoto: $61
  • Kyoto Ramen Spoon Painting & Michelin Cooking Class : $61
  • Dinner with Maiko: $62
  • Private Guided Traditional Buddhist Cooking in Japan: $69
  • Kyoto Udon and Tempura Cooking Class with Professional Chefs: $72
  • Kyoto Ramen Bowl Painting and Michelin Cooking Class: $75
  • Ramen Bowl Painting & Cooking in Gion, Kyoto: $75
  • Gion Food Tour 13 Dishes at 4 Eateries: $76

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Palawan $5.21
    Kyoto $13

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: $39

Tours and Activities in Kyoto

Here are a few actual costs in Kyoto for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:

  • Explore Nara in a Day Van Tour from Kyoto: $164
  • Kyoto K Drama GPS App Walking Tour Mobile Game: $14
  • Kyoto Private Full-day Walking Tour from Kyoto Station: $158
  • Kyoto Sake Tasting Shared Tour Experience: $58
  • Osaka Kyoto Experience Japanese Homogi: $138
  • Quick Kyoto Tour for the First-Timers by Local Tour Guide: $60
  • 1 Day Kyoto Tour with a Local Guide: $150
  • 1 Day Private Sightseeing Tour in Kyoto: $211
  • 1-Day Kyoto Uji & Nara Tour with Tea Ceremony: $126
  • 1-Hour Japanese Archery Experience in Kyoto: $44
  • 1.5 Hours Kyoto Insider Sake Experience: $70
  • 10 Hrs Full day Kyoto Tour w/Hotel Pick-up: $629

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Palawan $7.44
    Kyoto $13

Sample the Local Flavors in Kyoto

Also in Kyoto, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:

  • Kyoto Local Bar Crawl in Kawaramachi Area: $41
  • Fushimi Cherry Blossom and Sake Brewery Tour: $101
  • Kyoto Sake Brewery & Tasting Walking Tour: $102
  • Fushimi Sake Brewery Tour - 18 Tastings in 2.5 Hours: $162
  • Kyoto Sake Brewery Tour with Lunch: $227


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