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

Should you visit Palawan or Napier?

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

Should I visit Palawan or Napier? 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 Napier?

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.

Napier

Napier is city on the eastern coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It is part of the Hawke's Bay Region, a famous area for wine vineyards. Napier has a population of 61,000 people and is known for its Art Deco architecture and of course, wine.

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 Contiki Tours to New Zealand, and The Best G Adventures Tours to New Zealand.


Which place is cheaper, Napier 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 Napier is $193. 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 Napier in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Palawan $13
    Napier $101
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Palawan $26
    Napier $202
Compare Hotels in Palawan and Napier

Looking for a hotel in Palawan or Napier? 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 Napier


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 Napier Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Palawan $16
    Napier $30

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 Napier?

Prices for flights to both Napier 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
    Napier $63

Typical Food Prices in Napier

For Napier, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:


  • Casural Lunch
    $8.28

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Napier

For Napier, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • Taste Hawke's Bay - A Sweet treat food Tour: $115

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Palawan $5.21
    Napier $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 : $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

Tours and Activities in Napier

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

  • Shore excursion - Napier sight seeing/Art Deco Tour, : $53
  • 3 hour Napier City + Premium Winery Tour: $87
  • Art Deco Walking Private Tour from Napier Cruise Port: $249
  • Cape Winery Cycle Tour - 6 wineries, self-guided: $69
  • Coast to Vineyards Self-Guided Scenic Cycle Tour from Napier: $48
  • Deco City Black Cab Tours and Shuttles: $104
  • Discover Napier Earthquake: Self-Guided Audio Tour: $15
  • Half Day Sightseeing and Taste Tour: $95
  • Hawke's Bay Historic Wineries Tour - Featuring NZ oldest Winery: $118
  • Hawke's Bay: Self Guided Coast to Vineyards Cycle Tour: $46
  • Hawke's bay: Chocolate, Honey, and Ice Cream Tour: $124
  • Hawkes Bay Wine & Local Producers Tour | Award Winning | 6 hours: $164

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Palawan $7.44
    Napier $16

Typical Alcohol Prices in Napier

Some typical examples of the costs for nightlife and alcohol in Napier are as follows:


  • Wine
    $12

Sample the Local Flavors in Napier

Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Napier:

  • Art-Deco + Te Mata Peak+ Garden Walk + Wine Tasting: $86
  • Deco Napier, Te Mata Peak, Garden Walk and Wine Tasting Tour: $89
  • Half Day Small-Group Hawkes Bay Wine Tour: $101
  • Wine Tasting Tour in Napier Region: $104
  • Napier Cruise Excursion Art Deco Tour and Wine Tasting: $107
  • From Hawke's Bay Small Group Wine Tour: $113
  • Napier Art Deco & Distillery Tour with Tastings: $116
  • Art Deco Heritage & Gin Distillery Tour with Tasting: $126
  • Hawkes Bay - Scenic, luncheon, wine Tour: $131
  • Wine Tour and Tastings in Hawkes Bay : $146
  • Craggy Range Deluxe - Hawke's Bay Wine Tour : $150


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