Which place is cheaper, Puerto Princesa or Petra?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Petra or Puerto Princesa?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city is more affordable and which is best for your travel style? If you're trying to figure out where to go next, comparing the travel costs between Petra and Puerto Princesa can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Petra or Puerto Princesa?
Petra
Whether you're checking off the Seven Wonders of the World, or you're just a huge Indiana Jones fan, the city of Petra must be on your bucket list. The "rose red city, half as old as time," was the capital of the Nabataean kingdom in the 6th century BC. It was the center for trade and commerce until an earthquake took out buildings and destroyed their water management system. After this destruction, the city of Petra seemed to be lost to western civilization.
Puerto Princesa
The island of Palawan is known the Philippines' last frontier and its capital, Puerto Princesa, is considered the greenest city in the Philippines. With plenty of land that has yet to be explored and inundated with tourists, Puerto Princesa, also known as "The City of the Living God," is a nature buff's dream. Whether you want to swim with starfish, walk among the mangrove treetops, or visit the world's largest saltwater crocodile at the Palawan Nature Conservation Center, Puerto Princesa and its surrounding area offers plenty of opportunities to get into the great wide open.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Historical Tours in Jordan, The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Jordan, The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in Philippines, and The Best Honeymoon Tours in Philippines.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPetra $125Puerto Princesa $73
The average daily cost (per person) in Petra is $125, while the average daily cost in Puerto Princesa is $73. 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 Petra and Puerto Princesa in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPetra $59Puerto Princesa $24
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPetra $118Puerto Princesa $48
Compare Hotels in Petra and Puerto Princesa
Looking for a hotel in Petra or Puerto Princesa? 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: Petra Hotel Prices and Puerto Princesa Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Petra $23Puerto Princesa $51
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Petra
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Petra:
- Private transfer Petra to/from Wadi Rum: $118
- Private Transfer from Petra City Hotels to Aqaba Airport: $93
- Private Transfer Petra to/from Wadi Rum: $135
- Private Transfer From Petra to Amman or Airport With Optional : $99
- Private Transfer Amman Airport to Petra or vice versa via the King's Highway: $120
- Private Transfer Amman Airport to Ma'in Hotel and vice versa: $73
- Private Departure Transfer: Petra Hotels to Amman Airport: $93
- Petra to Wadi Rum Private Transfer: $80
- Petra to Sheikh Hussein Crossing Border Private Transfer: $180
- Petra to Madaba Private Transfer: $140
- Petra to Aqaba South Beach Hotels Private Transfer: $110
- Petra Private Transfer to or from Aqaba: $105
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Puerto Princesa
Also for Puerto Princesa, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Shared Airport Transfers to/from hotel: $7.20
- Arrival Airport transfers from Puerto Princesa Airport to Hotels: $7.50
- Airconditioned Van Transfers to/from Sabang: $12
- Transfers to/from Port Barton: $14
- El Nido to Puerto Princesa van transfer: $14
- Van Transfer; Puerto Princesa to El Nido: $14
- One-Way Transfer To/From El Nido: $16
- Transfer between Puerto Princesa and El Nido: $16
- Arrival airport transfer-Private airport to hotel in central area: $20
- Private Airport Transfers to/from hotel: $22
- Relaxing Massage with optional transfers: $23
- Private Puerto Princesa Airport Transfers: $29
Is it cheaper to fly into Petra or Puerto Princesa?
Prices for flights to both Puerto Princesa and Petra 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 dayPetra $38Puerto Princesa $20
Typical Food Prices in Petra
Some typical examples of dining costs in Petra are as follows:
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Dinner for Two$12
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Juice$1.76
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Petra
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Petra.
- Cooking outside in little Petra between the Mountains. : $45
- Private Outdoor bedouin Dinner in Petra: $300
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Puerto Princesa
For Puerto Princesa, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Firefly Watching Tour with Dinner: $26
- Firefly Watching Paddle Boat Tour & Dinner: $27
- Jungle Firefly Watching Boat Tour & Dinner: $32
- Firefly Watching Bay Cruise with Dinner: $34
- Puerto Princesa Fireflies Watching with Dinner: $40
- Seafood Lunch or Dinner with transfers: $60
- Underground River and Firefly Watching with Dinner: $81
- Underground River with Dinner at Kalui: $81
- Balayong People's Park with Dinner and Show: $117
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Petra $47Puerto Princesa $6.82
Typical Entertainment Prices in Petra
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Petra are as follows:
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Entry to Petra for One$71
Tours and Activities in Petra
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Petra are as follows:
- 3 Hour Horse Riding Adventure around the Petra Area: $145
- 3-hour Private Guided Tour In Petra with hotel pick up.: $75
- Petra Back Entrance Private Walking Tour: $215
- Private Back Trail Tour of Petra starting from the Monastery : $276
- Private Full-Day Tour to Petra and Wadi Rum from Dead Sea: $269
- Private Half-Day Tour of Petra with Lunch: $120
- Private Indiana-Jones Archeological Trail Tour: $90
- Private Petra Back Entrance Tour with Guide .: $140
- Wadi Rum Day Tour from Petra ending in Aqaba: $138
- Wadi Rum Private Tour from Petra with Martian and Star Wars Film Site: $173
Tours and Activities in Puerto Princesa
For Puerto Princesa, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Puerto Princesa; Half day City tour: $14
- PPS CITY TOUR: $14
- Guided City Walking Tour with Snacks: $14
- Puerto Princesa City Tour with Snacks: $14
- Half-Day City Tour with Optional Massage: $14
- 2in1 City tour and museum with pick up at hotel or cruise port: $15
- Half-day Puerto Princesa City Tour: $15
- City tour of Puerto Princesa Palawan Philippines : $19
- Puerto Princesa Half Day City Tour (shared tour): $22
- Joiners Puerto Princesa City Tour: $27
- Puerto Princesa City Tour (Joiners Tour): $28
- El Nido Nacpan Inland Tour (TRICYCLE) (Private Tour): $33
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPetra $15Puerto Princesa $14
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Petra and Puerto Princesa, we can see that Petra is more expensive. And not only is Puerto Princesa much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Petra is in Middle East and Puerto Princesa is in Asia, 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 Puerto Princesa would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Puerto Princesa 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 Petra would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Petra than you might in Puerto Princesa.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Petra Expensive? and Is Puerto Princesa Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Petra or Puerto Princesa?
Puerto Princesa has a larger population, and is about 10 times larger than the population of Petra. When comparing the sizes of Petra and Puerto Princesa, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.
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.