A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Palawan vs. Suzhou for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Palawan or Suzhou?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Should I visit Palawan or Suzhou? 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 Suzhou?

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.

Suzhou

Suzhou is a city in Jiangsu province famed for its beautiful gardens and traditional waterside architecture, featuring elaborate canals and bridges. Located on the Yangtze Delta, the city consists largely of waterways making Suzhou a kind of 'Venice of the Orient.' It is also a hub for scholars, artists, and skilled craftsmen.

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 One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Shanghai, and The Best 2-Week Tours from Beijing.


Which place is cheaper, Suzhou or Palawan?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.

The average daily cost (per person) in Palawan is $43, while the average daily cost in Suzhou is $127. 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 Suzhou in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Palawan $13
    Suzhou $39
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Palawan $26
    Suzhou $78
Compare Hotels in Palawan and Suzhou

Looking for a hotel in Palawan or Suzhou? 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.

Hotels in Palawan


Hotels in Suzhou


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 $16
    Suzhou $58

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Palawan

Also for Palawan, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Coron Airport Shared Hotel Transfers: $10
  • Shared Busuanga Airport to Coron Hotel Transfer: $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
  • 3day van transportation: airport transfer, city sightseeing van, beach transfers: $120

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Suzhou

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Suzhou:

  • Suzhou to Beijing Bullet Train Ticket with Local Private Transfer : $178
  • Suzhou Private Transfer to Zhouzhuang Water Town with Shanghai Drop-off Option: $84
  • Suzhou Private Transfer to Tongli Water Town with Shanghai Drop-off Option: $84
  • Suzhou Gardens Entry Ticket with Optional Guide&Transfer Services: $8.00
  • Shanghai Pudong International Airport Private Departure Transfer from Suzhou: $87
  • Shanghai Private Transfer from Suzhou with Stop-over at Zhouzhuang Water Town : $81
  • Shanghai Private Transfer from Suzhou with Stop-over at Tongli Water Town : $90
  • Shanghai Hongqiao Airport to Suzhou Chauffeur Service, Shanghai Airport Transfer: $240
  • Private Round-Trip Transfer between Zhouzhuang Water Town and Suzhou City: $58
  • Private Round Trip Transfer to Tianping Mountain from Suzhou: $51
  • Private Round Trip Transfer from Suzhou to Luzhi Water Town: $64
  • Private Day Tour: Gardens and Old Street in Suzhou with Hotel or Railway Station Transfer: $277

Is it cheaper to fly into Palawan or Suzhou?

Prices for flights to both Suzhou 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 day
    Palawan $19
    Suzhou $57

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Suzhou

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Suzhou.

  • Suzhou Alleyway Walking Food Tour: $55
  • Suzhou Alleyway Food Tour: $63
  • Half-Day Private Customized Suzhou Highlights with Lunch or Dinner Option: $123
  • Private Suzhou Night Tour:Master of the Nets Garden, Ancient Canal with Dinner: $145

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Palawan $5.21
    Suzhou $9.47

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: $39

Tours and Activities in Suzhou

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Suzhou are as follows:

  • 1 Day Suzhou Private Tour - Create the Tour You Want: $300
  • 4-Hour Flexible Suzhou City Highlights Private Tour: $114
  • 4-Hour Suzhou Private Customized Tour: $80
  • 4-Hour Suzhou Private Flexible Tour with Garden and Boat Ride Option: $125
  • 4-Hour Suzhou Private Tour: Humble Administrator’s Garden,Tiger Hill and Canal : $134
  • 4-Hour Tongli Water Town Private Tour from Suzhou with Boat Ride : $128
  • 4-Hour Zhouzhuang Water Town Private Tour from Suzhou with Boat Ride: $145
  • Classic Suzhou Tour with Hotel or Railway Station Pickup: $269
  • Essential Suzhou City Sightseeing Private Day Tour: $296
  • Flexible Suzhou City Highlights Private Day Tour with Authentic Lunch: $167
  • Full Day Luzhi Water Town Day Tour From Suzhou: $178
  • Full-Day Suzhou Gardens Private Tour with Local Guide: $298

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Palawan $7.44
    Suzhou $6.50


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Palawan and Suzhou, we can see that Suzhou 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 Suzhou would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Suzhou 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 Suzhou Expensive?.