Which place is cheaper, Shanghai 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 Shanghai?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Palawan or Shanghai? 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 Shanghai?
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.
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest and most modern city in China. With a population of over 23 million, it is the economic and financial hub of the country. It also continues to be one of the fastest growing cities in China with regular changes to the city's layout and skyline. It is not uncommon for buildings to be torn down, rebuilt and then torn down and rebuilt again. The city also has skyscrapers that rank among the tallest in the world. It has an ever changing downtown and street scape. In Shanghai, the general mantra remains "out with the old, in with the new".
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 2-Week Tours from Beijing, and The Best Family-Friendly Tours to China.
-
Palawan Prices
Philippines PricesShanghai Prices
China Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPalawan $43Shanghai $132
The average daily cost (per person) in Palawan is $43, while the average daily cost in Shanghai is $132. 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 Shanghai in more detail.
Accommodation
-
Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPalawan $13Shanghai $82
-
Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPalawan $26Shanghai $164
Compare Hotels in Palawan and Shanghai
Looking for a hotel in Palawan or Shanghai? 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.
Local Transportation
-
Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Palawan $16Shanghai $3.93
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
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Shanghai
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Shanghai:
-
Taxi Ride$3.64
-
Two Subway Tickets$0.84
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Shanghai
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Shanghai:
- private transfer from Wusongkou CruisePort to Disneyland and back: $64
- [Airport Transfer] Shanghai Pudong Airport / Hongqiao Airport ⇔ Shanghai City Transfer ☆ High reputation for service! <Charter charter>: $23
- Zhujiajiao Water Town and Shanghai City Self-Guide 10-Hour Private Transfer Tour: $138
- Zhujiajiao Water Town Self-Guided Tour with Private Transfer from Shanghai: $75
- Zhouzhuang and Tongli Water Town Private Transfer Service from Shanghai : $106
- Yiwu Railway Station Private Departure Transfer from City Area : $18
- Yiwu City Private Transfer to Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport : $74
- Yiwu Airport Private Transfer, airport pick up drop off services: $20
- Wuzhen and Xitang Water Town Private Transfer from Shanghai: $133
- Wusongkou Cruise Terminal to Pudong Airport Private Transfer: $95
- Wusongkou Cruise Terminal Share Transfer Service, Baoshan Port Pick up Service: $30
- Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer in Shanghai APT-HTL (PVG,SHA): $51
Is it cheaper to fly into Palawan or Shanghai?
Prices for flights to both Shanghai 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 $19Shanghai $38
Typical Food Prices in Shanghai
Some typical examples of dining costs in Shanghai are as follows:
-
Dumpling Breakfast$1.40
-
Desserts in Jinmao Building Observatory$20
-
Ajisen Lunch for Two$7.29
-
Cantelope$1.68
-
Dumplings and Soup$2.10
-
Duck Dinner$4.21
-
Pastries$2.94
-
Barbeque Dinner$8.97
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Shanghai
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Shanghai.
- Authentic Local Food Tour In Downtown Shanghai-Tip Based: $3.58
- MingleX Dinner with Shanghai locals: $19
- Online Cooking Class Fried Rice by Sunflower Li : $20
- Online Cooking Class General Tso's Chicken by Sunflower Li: $20
- Online Cooking Class Dim Sum by Sunflower Li: $20
- Authentic Shanghai Food Tour with Chi Gua Va: $35
- Public Chinese Cooking Class in Shanghai : $50
- Huangpu River Evening Cruise Ticket with Dinner: $68
- Authentic Local Food Tour in Central Shanghai: $79
- Late Night Food Tour in the Shanghai's French Concession: $85
- Shanghai Cooking Dumpling and Taste Local Food w/Vegan Option: $87
- Private Cooking Class: Make Your Own Dim Sum In Shanghai: $88
Entertainment
-
Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Palawan $5.21Shanghai $8.55
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
Typical Entertainment Prices in Shanghai
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Shanghai are as follows:
-
30 Minute River Cruise for Two$28
-
Zoo for Two$14
Tours and Activities in Shanghai
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Shanghai are as follows:
- Half-Day Private Tour of Shanghai Bund with River Cruise or Tower View: $124
- Private Shanghai Full Day City Tour with Old and New Highlights: $108
- Shanghai Layover Tour to Xinchang Water Town with City Highlights Option : $135
- Shanghai Park Martial Arts Experience: Tai Chi or Wing Chun: $60
- Shanghai Yu Garden and Bund Private Walking Tour: $25
- Shanghai private Tour to Zhujiajiao Water Town and tallest tower: $230
- Yiwu International Trade City Private Day Tour from Shanghai by Bullet Train: $216
- Yuyuan Garden and Shanghai Museum Private Shanghai Day Tour: $175
- Zhouzhuang Water Town Self-Guided Day Tour from Shanghai: $88
- shanghai water town tour zhujiajiao: $248
- 1 Day Shanghai Airport Layover Private Tour for City Highlights: $202
- 1 Day Shanghai City Private Tour + Zhujiajiao Water Town: $230
Alcohol
-
Alcohol Drinks for one dayPalawan $7.44Shanghai $7.46
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Palawan and Shanghai, we can see that Shanghai 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 Shanghai would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Shanghai 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 Shanghai 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.