Which place is cheaper, Nara or Palawan?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Palawan or Nara?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Palawan or Nara? 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 Nara?
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.
Nara
As Japan's first capital, Nara offers a world of tradition and culture second only to the city of Kyoto. It is home to eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites, which are largely concentrated in the area of Nara Park. Here, it is also common to see many deer wandering freely amongst the temples and shrines.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 2-Week Tours in Philippines, Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Philippines, The Best Sightseeing Tours in Japan, and The Best Cultural Tours in Japan.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPalawan $36Nara $0.00
The average daily cost (per person) in Palawan is $36, while the average daily cost in Nara is $0.00. 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 Nara in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPalawan $13Nara -
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPalawan $26Nara $0.00
Compare Hotels in Palawan and Nara
Looking for a hotel in Palawan or Nara? 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 Nara Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Palawan $16Nara -
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Palawan
Also for Palawan, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Arrival Airport transfers from Puerto Princesa Airport to Hotels: $7.50
- Shared Busuanga Airport to Coron Hotel Transfer: $10
- Private Transfer From El Nido Lio Airport To El Nido Hotels: $20
- Arrival airport transfer-Private airport to hotel in central area: $20
- Private Puerto Princesa Airport Transfers: $29
- El Nido (Lio) Airport Transfers: $50
- Private Busuanga Airport to Coron Hotel Transfer: $79
- Puerto Princesa - El Nido | Private Van Transfer: $149
- Private Van Transfer : From El Nido to Puerto Princesa Palawan: $150
- Private Transfer from El Nido to Port Barton Palawan: $150
- Private Transfers Puerto Princesa To Elnido: $260
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Nara
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Nara:
- Kansai Airport (KIX)：Private One-Way Transfer to/from Nara: $240
Is it cheaper to fly into Palawan or Nara?
Prices for flights to both Nara 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 $11Nara -
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
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Nara
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Nara.
- Eel Fishing and Cooking Experience in Kyoto: $72
- Cooking class, learning how to make authentic sushi: $111
- Full Day Nara E bike Tour and Osaka History Food Tour: $189
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Palawan $5.24Nara -
Tours and Activities in Palawan
For Palawan, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- 2in1 City tour and museum with pick up at hotel or cruise port: $15
- Half-day Puerto Princesa City Tour: $15
- Coron Town Tour with Maquinit Hot Spring: $16
- Flyfish ride and Clear Kayak Experience in Coron: $17
- City tour of Puerto Princesa Palawan Philippines : $19
- Coron Town Tour: $20
- Coron Island Hopping Tour A with Kayangan Lake: $25
- Joiners Puerto Princesa City Tour: $27
- El Nido Tour D Full Day w/ Beach Lunch: $28
- Coron Island Hopping Tour B with Skeleton Wreck & Barracuda Lake: $32
- Coron Island Tour B: $34
- firefly watching tour : $35
Tours and Activities in Nara
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Nara are as follows:
- 1 Day Walking Tour in Nara Palace Deer and Inkstick: $166
- 1-Day Walking Tour in Palace, Deer and Inkstick: $147
- All must-sees in 3 hours - Nara Park Classic Tour! From JR Nara!: $42
- EBike Eco Chic Tour Explore 1300 Year Old Primeval Forest: $88
- Eigo Tour - Walk in Nara City: $65
- Experience Authentic Sushi making in Nara: $115
- Guided Tour of Todai ji and Nara Park: $83
- Guided Uji Anime Walking Tour: $31
- Half-Day Private Guided Tour : Nara Imperial Palace: $95
- Half-Day Private Guided Tour to Nara City: $95
- Immersive Experience Tour in Totsukawa village: $3,202
- Katsuragi: Unique Sumo Experience: $195
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPalawan $7.49Nara -
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Palawan and Nara, we can see that Palawan is more expensive. And not only is Nara much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Nara would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Nara 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 Palawan would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Palawan than you might in Nara.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Palawan Expensive? and Is Nara 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.