Which place is cheaper, Surfers Paradise or Palawan?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Palawan or Surfers Paradise?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Palawan or Surfers Paradise? 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 Surfers Paradise?
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.
Surfers Paradise
A tourist mecca, Surfers Paradise is one of the most popular travel destinations along Australia's famed Gold Coast. The beach stretches for miles and there is an endless supply of almost constant parties. You'll find high rise apartments lined up along the shore and plenty of shopping areas, restaurants, nightclubs, and bars. Travelers from around the world visit the area, and it's a right of passage for Australia's teens to vacation in or near Surfers Paradise. For many travelers, Surfers Paradise comes across as little more than a mass marketed, over commercialized, party destination, but for others it is a vacation dream. Prices are highly inflated so you have to keep your whits about you to avoid being ripped off. Surfers Paradise is a destination of extremes and it conjures up extreme emotions in many travelers, be it positive or negative.
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 $36Surfers Paradise $104
The average daily cost (per person) in Palawan is $36, while the average daily cost in Surfers Paradise is $104. 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 Surfers Paradise in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPalawan $13Surfers Paradise $66
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPalawan $26Surfers Paradise $132
Compare Hotels in Palawan and Surfers Paradise
Looking for a hotel in Palawan or Surfers Paradise? 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
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Palawan $16Surfers Paradise $11
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
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Surfers Paradise
Also for Surfers Paradise, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private Transfer to Brisbane/BNE Airport from Gold Coast/OOL Airport( 1-7 pax): $229
- Private Transfer from Gold Coast Airport - Surfers Paradise: $50
- Private Transfer from Brisbane Airports to Surfers Paradise: $106
- Luxury Private Transfer between Gold Coast Airport and Gold Coast city (1-7pax) : $89
- Gold Coast Theme Parks: Shared Hotel Transfers: $14
- Gold Coast Hot Air Balloon + Winery Breakfast + Return Transfers: $291
- Gold Coast Airport Transfers Corporate Chauffeurs Gold Coast: $119
- All-Inclusive Dolphin & Tangalooma Wrecks Day Cruise (Gold Coast Transfer): $149
Is it cheaper to fly into Palawan or Surfers Paradise?
Prices for flights to both Surfers Paradise 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 $11Surfers Paradise $26
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 Surfers Paradise
For Surfers Paradise, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Buffet Dinner Sightseeing Cruise: $78
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Palawan $5.24Surfers Paradise $23
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 Surfers Paradise
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Surfers Paradise's activities, tours, and tickets:
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Surf Lesson$78
Tours and Activities in Surfers Paradise
For Surfers Paradise, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Evening Rainforest & Glow Worm Experience - Small Group Tour: $79
- 1.5hr Jetski Tour with island stopover - SELF DRIVE - NO LICENCE NEEDED: $185
- 2.5hrs Jetski Tour with island stopover / Self Drive / Surfers Paradise: $259
- Barefoot Luxury Mount Tamborine Winery Tour from Gold Coast: $151
- Body Massage Experience in Gold Coast : $98
- Buffet Lunch Sightseeing Cruise: $59
- Catch a Crab Tour with Optional Seafood Lunch: $53
- Glow Worms - Nocturnal Rainforest/Waterfall Adventure: $72
- Gold Coast 1.5-Hour Sightseeing River Cruise from Surfers Paradise: $30
- Gold Coast City Lights Cruise: $37
- Gold Coast Hop On Hop Off Sightseeing Cruise Day Pass: $30
- Gold Coast Quack'rDuck Amphibious Tour from Surfers Paradise: $33
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPalawan $7.49Surfers Paradise $11
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Palawan and Surfers Paradise, we can see that Surfers Paradise 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 Surfers Paradise 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 Surfers Paradise would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Surfers Paradise 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 Surfers Paradise 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.