Which place is cheaper, Osaka or Palawan?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Palawan or Osaka?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Palawan or Osaka? 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 Osaka?
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.
Osaka
The third largest city in Japan, Osaka has a lot to offer travelers. It's at the center of the Kansai region, and is a wonderful place to spend a few days. The city sits at the mouth of the Yodo River on Osaka Bay and is a major commercial hub for the country.
Osaka has a humid subtropical climate with four seasons. The winters are mild with January temperatures having an average high of almost 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Snow is very rare. Springs start cool and become hot and humid. This is also the wettest season with the rainiest time being between May and early July. Summers are hot and humid with July temperatures climbing into the high 90s Fahrenheit. The fall season becomes cooler as winter approaches.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 2-Week Tours in Philippines, Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Philippines, The Best Coach Bus Tours in Japan, and The Best Adventure Tours to Japan.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPalawan $36Osaka $88
The average daily cost (per person) in Palawan is $36, while the average daily cost in Osaka is $88. 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 Osaka in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPalawan $13Osaka $45
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPalawan $26Osaka $90
Compare Hotels in Palawan and Osaka
Looking for a hotel in Palawan or Osaka? 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 Osaka Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Palawan $16Osaka $14
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 Osaka
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Osaka:
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Subway$7.83
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Osaka
Also for Osaka, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Universal Studios Japan Entry Pass & Shared 1-way Transfer: $100
- Shared Arrival Transfer: Osaka Itami Airport to Osaka City: $25
- Shared Arrival Transfer: Osaka Itami Airport to Kyoto City: $66
- Roundtrip Transfer from Osaka Airport ITM to Arima-Onsen Resorts: $109
- Private departure transfer from central Osaka city to Itami airport (ITM): $125
- Private arrival transfer from Kansai airport to Kobe City & Arima Onsen: $92
- Private Transfer from Osaka hotels to Osaka Cruise Port: $72
- Private Transfer from Osaka Port to Osaka Kansai Int Airport(KIX): $79
- Private Transfer from Osaka Port to Osaka Kansai Int Airport: $71
- Private Transfer from Osaka Cruise Port to Osaka hotels: $72
- Private Transfer from Osaka Cruise Port to Osaka city hotels: $66
- Private Transfer from Osaka City Hotels to Maizuru Cruise Port: $96
Is it cheaper to fly into Palawan or Osaka?
Prices for flights to both Osaka 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 $11Osaka $25
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 Osaka
For Osaka, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Osaka:Food Tour & Shopping(Grand Opening Limited Time Offer): $25
- 2-Hour Kuromon Market Walking Street Food Tour: $26
- Private Takoyaki Cooking Class by Natives in Osaka: $36
- Japanese home cooking class in Osaka Umeda: $45
- Osaka Okonomiyaki Cooking Experience!: $49
- Ramen and Gyoza Cooking Class in Dotonbori: $61
- Kimono experience and Japanese home-cooking lesson Osaka: $63
- Osaka Authentic Tempura & Miso Soup Japan Cooking Class: $64
- RAMEN and 2 types GYOZA (dumplings) Cooking Class: $65
- Three Types of RAMEN Cooking Class: $65
- Kimono experience and Japanese home-cooking lesson Osaka Umeda : $65
- Ramen and Gyoza Cooking Class in Osaka Dotonbori: $66
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Palawan $5.24Osaka $20
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
Typical Entertainment Prices in Osaka
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Osaka's activities, tours, and tickets:
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Osaka Aquarium (for 2)$30
Tours and Activities in Osaka
For Osaka, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- "Dotonbori Nightscapes: Photoshooting tour in Dotonbori": $120
- "Experience Kyoto: A Full-Day Private Tour Adventure": $120
- 1-Day walking tour in Osakaļ¼Castle, temples and Ukiyoe: $134
- 150 mins Deep Samurai Experience near Osaka Castle: $179
- 2-Hour Osaka Go-Kart Experience with Local Guide from Namba: $138
- 3 Days Private Osaka Kyoto and Nara Tour with English Driver: $1,579
- 3 Hours Historical Tour of Princess Saio on an Electric Cart: $32
- 3/4/5 Hours Private Tour in Osaka with Local Guide: $117
- 4-Day Private Kyoto Osaka Nara Sightseeing tour with Guide: $2,370
- 4-hour Private Walking Tour to Historical Town of Saiku: $71
- 5 Hour Osaka Castle Tsutenkaku and Dotonbori Guided Tour: $71
- 90mins Samurai Pilgrimage Osaka Castle Tour: $214
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPalawan $7.49Osaka $12
Sample the Local Flavors in Osaka
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Osaka:
- Osaka Namba Hidden Places Bar Crawl: $16
- Osaka Pub Crawl and Nightlife Tour: $23
- Namba Pub Bar Crawl with a Local Guide: $30
- Osaka Evening: Ultimate Pub Bar Crawl with an Expert Local Guide: $32
- Local Bar Crawl in Dotombori and Uranamba Area: $38
- Osaka Local Bar Crawl in Dotombori & Uranamba Area: $39
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Palawan and Osaka, we can see that Osaka is more expensive. And not only is Palawan much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. 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 Osaka would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Osaka 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 Osaka 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.