Which place is cheaper, Melbourne or Palawan?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Palawan or Melbourne?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Palawan or Melbourne? 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 Melbourne?
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.
Melbourne
Melbourne is the second largest city in Australia, after Sydney. It is also the capital city of the state of Victoria, in southeastern Australia. Melbourne is arguably the best city to experience culture and the arts in Australia. There is a friendly rivalry between Melbourne and Sydney over livability and popularity and Melbourne is definitely the city to visit for its parks, shopping, restaurants, galleries and theaters. Like Sydney, it is situated on the water, at the head of Port Phillip Bay. It's a beautiful city, and although it lacks the major sights that you'll find in Sydney such as the Sydney Opera House or the Harbour Bridge, you will never find yourself lacking for entertainment. It is also a wonderful base for exploring many of the nearby highlights, including Grampians National Park, The Great Ocean Road, and Phillip Island where you can view the penguin parade.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 2-Week Tours in Philippines, Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Philippines, The Best Water Sports Tour Packages in Australia, and The Best Food and Culinary Tours in Australia.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPalawan $36Melbourne $176
The average daily cost (per person) in Palawan is $36, while the average daily cost in Melbourne is $176. 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 Melbourne in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPalawan $13Melbourne $118
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPalawan $26Melbourne $236
Compare Hotels in Palawan and Melbourne
Looking for a hotel in Palawan or Melbourne? 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 Melbourne Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Palawan $16Melbourne $19
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
- Puerto Princesa - El Nido | Private Van Transfer: $149
- Private Van Transfer : From El Nido to Puerto Princesa Palawan: $150
- Private Transfers Puerto Princesa To Elnido: $260
- Private Transfer from El Nido to Port Barton Palawan: $150
- Private Transfer From El Nido Lio Airport To El Nido Hotels: $20
- Private Puerto Princesa Airport Transfers: $29
- Private Busuanga Airport to Coron Hotel Transfer: $79
- El Nido (Lio) Airport Transfers: $50
- Arrival airport transfer-Private airport to hotel in central area: $20
- Arrival Airport transfers from Puerto Princesa Airport to Hotels: $7.50
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Melbourne
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Melbourne:
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Airport Bus$10
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Tram Ride$2.47
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Melbourne
Also for Melbourne, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Yarra Valley: Hot Air Balloon with Breakfast & CBD Transfers: $372
- Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer service Melbourne HTL-APT (MEL): $99
- Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer service Melbourne APT-HTL (MEL): $99
- Private Transfer from Melbourne Cruise Port to Melbourne hotels: $38
- Private Transfer from Melbourne Airport (MEL) to Melbourne Port: $52
- Private Transfer Melbourne Airport: $99
- Private Departure Transfer: Hotel to Melbourne Airports: $86
- Private Car Transfer Melbourne Airport To CBD: $79
- Private Arrival Transfer: Melbourne Airports to Hotel: $86
- Private Airport Transfer in Melbourne: $99
- Mt Buller 1 Day Snow Tour (Direct Transfer To Mt Buller Village From Melbourne): $89
- Mornington Peninsula - Melbourne Airport Transfers: $199
Is it cheaper to fly into Palawan or Melbourne?
Prices for flights to both Melbourne 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 $11Melbourne $30
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Palawan
For Palawan, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Puerto Princesa Fireflies Watching with Dinner: $40
Typical Food Prices in Melbourne
For Melbourne, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Coffee$2.60
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Pizza$4.54
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Melbourne
For Melbourne, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Queen Victoria Market: 'Flavours of Australia' Food Tour: $52
- Sunset Kayak Tour with Dinner: $78
- Melbourne Sunset Kayaking Experience with Dinner: $79
- Melbourne Private Multicultural Markets Food Tour: $86
- The Q Train - Table For 2 - Dinner (Departing Drysdale): $92
- Chinese Dumpling Cooking Class with a Drink: $97
- Secret Food Tour: $109
- Chinese Cooking Class Master: $118
- Spirit of Melbourne Dinner Cruise: $122
- Choose Your Asian Cuisine Cooking Masterclass: $129
- Indian Cooking Master Class: $130
- Street Food of Asia Cooking Class: $130
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Palawan $5.24Melbourne $27
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 : $43
- 2in1 City tour and museum with pick up at hotel or cruise port: $15
- 3D2N El Nido Experience: $250
- 3dayTour Underground river honda bay citytour w/ airport pick up: $125
- 5D4N Puerto Princesa & El Nido Experience: $299
- City Tour of Puerto Princesa: $35
- City tour of Puerto Princesa Palawan Philippines : $19
- Coron Calauit Safari Tour E: $89
- Coron Culion Island Escapade Private Tour: $132
- Coron Island Escapade Group Tour with Island Lunch: $48
- Coron Island Escapade Tour (Shared Tour): $50
- Coron Island Escapade Tour C: $43
Tours and Activities in Melbourne
For Melbourne, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Experience Yarra Valley: A Tailored private Wine Journey: $215
- 1 day Puffing Billy Steam Train and Wildlife Tour from Melbourne: $125
- 2 Day Great Ocean Road Small Group Tour: $800
- 2 Day Great Ocean Road Tour from Melbourne: $220
- 2024 Mt Buller, Melbourne Snow and Sightseeing Day Tour: $92
- 3 Hour Rainforest Walking Tour in Badger Creek: $40
- 3-Day Great Ocean Road and Grampians Small-Group Tour: $1,486
- 3.5 Hours Group tour Melbourne trouble-makers tour: $44
- 3/4 Day Sports Lovers Bus Tour of Melbourne with Tour Options: $179
- 4 Hours Sightseeing Small Group Tour in Melbourne City: $40
- African Cat Experience at Werribee Open Range Zoo - excl. entry: $60
- African Wild Dog Experience at Werribee Open Range Zoo : $39
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPalawan $7.49Melbourne $17
Typical Alcohol Prices in Melbourne
Here are a few samples of the prices for alcohol and nightlife in Melbourne from other travelers:
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Bottle of Wine$5.03
Sample the Local Flavors in Melbourne
Also in Melbourne, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Melbourne Pub Crawl: $17
- Weekly Bar Crawl: 5 Free shots, Club Entry: $19
- Spirits and Ales Haunted Pub Walking Tour: $25
- Melbourne Halloween Bar Crawl: $33
- Laid back,Small-Group Yarra Valley Wine Tour :Wine,Gin,Cider+more: $86
- Yarra Valley Wine Tour inc lunch with a glass of wine, tastings and chocolate: $116
- Yarra Valley Gourmet Food & Wine Tasting Tour: $127
- Southern Gippsland boutique Wine Tour with Tapas from Melbourne : $139
- Wine Tour Yarra Valley, Vic - inc. 2 course lunch + glass of wine: $165
- Yarra Valley Premium Tour Lunch and Sparkling Wine Tasting at Domaine Chandon: $179
- Champion Racehorse Tour with Beer and Wine Tasting: $192
- Yarra Valley Full Day Private Wine Tour : $245
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Palawan and Melbourne, we can see that Melbourne 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 Melbourne 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 Melbourne would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Melbourne 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 Melbourne 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.