Which place is cheaper, Lake Tekapo 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 Lake Tekapo?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Palawan or Lake Tekapo? 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 Lake Tekapo?
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.
Lake Tekapo
Tekapo is a lakeside town on the South Island of New Zealand, and it is part of the Mackenzie District of Canterbury. This is one of the bluest lakes in the country and is surrounded by the mighty mountains of the Southern Alps.
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 Tours for Seniors to New Zealand, and The Best Contiki Tours to New Zealand.
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Palawan Prices
Philippines PricesLake Tekapo Prices
New Zealand Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPalawan $43Lake Tekapo $84
The average daily cost (per person) in Palawan is $43, while the average daily cost in Lake Tekapo is $84. 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 Lake Tekapo in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPalawan $13Lake Tekapo $59
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPalawan $26Lake Tekapo $118
Compare Hotels in Palawan and Lake Tekapo
Looking for a hotel in Palawan or Lake Tekapo? 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 Lake Tekapo Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Palawan $16Lake Tekapo -
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
Is it cheaper to fly into Palawan or Lake Tekapo?
Prices for flights to both Lake Tekapo 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 $19Lake Tekapo $22
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Palawan $5.21Lake Tekapo -
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 Lake Tekapo
Here are a few actual costs in Lake Tekapo for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Chameleon Stargazing Shared Tour: $72
- Christchurch: Mt Cook & Lake Tekapo Small Group Day Tour: $173
- Christchurch: Mt Cook Full-Day Private Tour via Lake Tekapo: $180
- Christchurch: to Queenstown via Mt Cook 1 Way Tour: $231
- Dark Sky Indoor Maori Cultural Astronomy Experience: $36
- Highlights Tour with Tasting & Sunset in Oia: $116
- Lake Tekapo Fishing Tour: $191
- Lake Tekapo Guided 4WD Tours (Small Group, Carbon Positive): $173
- Lake Tekapo High Country Farm Tour (Carbon Positive): $86
- Lake Tekapo Scenic 4WD Cass Valley Wilderness Tour: $202
- Lake Tekapo Scenic Wilderness Cass Valley Tour: $209
- Lake Tekapo Ultimate Stargazing Experience: $119
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPalawan $7.44Lake Tekapo -
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Palawan and Lake Tekapo, we can see that Lake Tekapo 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 Lake Tekapo 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 Lake Tekapo would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Lake Tekapo 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 Lake Tekapo 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.