Which place is cheaper, Newcastle or Palawan?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Palawan or Newcastle?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Palawan or Newcastle? 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 Newcastle?
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.
Newcastle
Newcastle is 150 kilometers north of Sydney in New South Wales. It is also the second largest city in the state, and serves as a central point to explore the area's beaches, wineries, and beautiful natural landscape. North of the city is Stockton beach, which has many miles of isolated, beautiful beaches, stretching all the way up to Nelson Bay. The wineries are inland to the west and have some of Australia's finest wine which you can taste. If you want to see rainforests, you can head northwest to Barrington Tops National Park, which has great rainforests and freshwater streams. You may even get to see a platypus. The city also has the country's oldest sea port. In the past the city's economy was centered around the steel industry, but today the University of Newcastle is one of the area's most important employers.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 2-Week Tours in Philippines, Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Philippines, The Best Contiki Tours to Australia, and The Best G Adventures Tours to Australia.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPalawan $36Newcastle $91
The average daily cost (per person) in Palawan is $36, while the average daily cost in Newcastle is $91. 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 Newcastle in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPalawan $13Newcastle $44
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPalawan $26Newcastle $88
Compare Hotels in Palawan and Newcastle
Looking for a hotel in Palawan or Newcastle? 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 Newcastle Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Palawan $16Newcastle $8.34
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 Newcastle
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Newcastle:
- Private Transfer from Newcastle Port to Newcastle city hotels: $28
- Private Transfer from Newcastle Port to Newcastle Airport (NTL): $29
- Private Transfer from Newcastle Cruise Port to Sydney City Hotels: $88
- Private Transfer from Newcastle City Hotels to Newcastle Port: $28
- Private Transfer from Newcastle Airport (NTL) to Newcastle Port: $29
- Private Transfer - Newcastle Cruise Port to Sydney Airport (SYD): $88
- Tandem Beach Skydive with Optional Transfers: $248
- Bimbadgen Lunch Tour with Helicopter Transfers: $751
- Newcastle to Newcastle Airport (NTL) - Departure Private Transfer: $26
- Newcastle Airport (NTL) to Newcastle - Arrival Private Transfer: $26
Is it cheaper to fly into Palawan or Newcastle?
Prices for flights to both Newcastle 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 $11Newcastle $35
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
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Palawan $5.24Newcastle $15
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 Newcastle
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Newcastle are as follows:
- 3- Hour Wine and Harvest the Hunter Horse Tour in Pokolbin: $92
- 3-Hour Hunter Valley Scenic Helicopter Tour Including 3-Course Lunch from Cessnock: $254
- Architecture, Street Art & Hidden Secrets Walking Tour of Newcastle: $33
- Audrey Wilkinson Vineyard - Sweet Indulgence Experience: $37
- Audrey Wilkinson Vineyard: Fromage and Fortified Wine Experience: $50
- Award Winning Full Day Wine and Food Experience: $150
- Eat And Drink Newcastle History Walking Tour: $60
- Family Pass: Fighter World Museum Admission Ticket: $30
- From Hunter Valley Beer & Wine Group Tour: $163
- Full Day Tour in Country Towns, Rivers and Aussie Farm: $159
- Helicopter Tour of Hunter Valley in New South Wales with Lunch: $281
- Humpback Whale Encounter Tour from Newcastle: $83
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPalawan $7.49Newcastle $10
Sample the Local Flavors in Newcastle
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Newcastle:
- Cael’s Gate Wine Tasting in Broke: $5.32
- Boutique Wine Tasting Experience in Pokolbin: $6.60
- Ivanhoe Wines: Trip Advisor Seated Wine Tasting Masterclass: $9.91
- Tulloch Wines - Wine Tasting paired with Local Handmade Chocolates: $20
- 30-Minute Distillery Guided Tour in Carrington : $23
- Cheese and Wine Tasting Experience in Pokolbin: $26
- Tintilla Estate: Wine Tasting with a Meat and Cheese Platter: $26
- Tulloch Wines Hunter Heroes Wine Tasting with Local Cheese & Charcuterie Board: $33
- Tulloch Wines- Mystery Wine Tasting Experience with Local Cheese and Charcuterie: $33
- Premium Wine Tasting Experience in Pokolbin: $50
- Snapshot Half Day Hunter Valley Wine Tour: $72
- Hunter Valley Wine Tour from the Hunter with Wine Craft Beer Cheese Chocolate: $102
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Palawan and Newcastle, we can see that Newcastle 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 Newcastle 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 Newcastle would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Newcastle 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 Newcastle 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.