Which place is cheaper, Nelson or Palawan?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
Jump to 
Should you visit Palawan or Nelson?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Palawan or Nelson? 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 Nelson?
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.
Nelson
Nelson is a city that sits on Tasman Bay on the South Island of New Zealand. Travelers, especially ones that are heading to explore Abel Tasman National Park, frequently visit this town. Nelson has a population of about 46,000 people and, geographically speaking, it is the center of New Zealand as a whole.
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 Family-Friendly Tours to New Zealand, and The Best Wildlife Tours to New Zealand.
-
Palawan Prices
Philippines PricesNelson Prices
New Zealand Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPalawan $43Nelson $114
The average daily cost (per person) in Palawan is $43, while the average daily cost in Nelson is $114. 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 Nelson in more detail.
Accommodation
-
Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPalawan $13Nelson $41
-
Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPalawan $26Nelson $82
Compare Hotels in Palawan and Nelson
Looking for a hotel in Palawan or Nelson? 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 Nelson Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
-
Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Palawan $16Nelson $28
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
- Coron Airport Shared Hotel Transfers: $10
- Airport Transfers airport to city center hotel and cruise port: $20
- El Nido Tour with Lunch and Transfers: $44
- El Nido Tour C with Lunch and Transfers: $44
- Coron Ultimate Tour: 7 Destinations with Lunch and Transfer: $47
- Private Van Transfers: Busuanga Airport to Coron Hotel Vice Versa: $48
- El Nido (Lio) Airport Transfers: $50
- PrivateTransfer from Puerto Princesa Port to Puerto Princesa city: $60
- Private Busuanga Airport to Coron Hotel Transfer: $79
- Busuanga Palawan Private Airport Transfer to Coron Town: $90
- Private for your group - transfers Puerto princesa to elnido : $100
Is it cheaper to fly into Palawan or Nelson?
Prices for flights to both Nelson 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 dayPalawan $19Nelson $47
Entertainment
-
Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Palawan $5.21Nelson $23
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 Nelson
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Nelson are as follows:
- Abel Tasman National Park: Cruise and Hike Full-Day Tour: $347
- Abel Tasman National Park: Cruise, Kayak, & Hike Tour: $405
- Abel Tasman National Park: Waka & Walk Tour: $405
- Abel Tasman Vista Cruise: $62
- Cable Bay Adventure Park: E-bike hire: $55
- Cruise Abel Tasman to Golden Bay: $296
- Cruise, Walk, and Sail in Abel Tasman National Park: $122
- Full-Day Sailing Adventure in the Abel Tasman National Park: $160
- Great Taste Beer Tour by Bicycle (Self-guided): $77
- Half Day Guided Mountain Biking Adventure in Nelson: $74
- Half Day Nelson Electric Mountain Bike Rental Adventure: $82
- Magical Mapua Charms in off-summer Season Selfguided Cycle Tour: $74
Alcohol
-
Alcohol Drinks for one dayPalawan $7.44Nelson $13
Sample the Local Flavors in Nelson
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Nelson:
- Self-guided E-bike cycle tour with private wine tasting : $116
- Wine Tour with Tastings and Lunch: $231
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Palawan and Nelson, we can see that Nelson 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 Nelson 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 Nelson would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Nelson 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 Nelson 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.