Which place is cheaper, Puerto Princesa or Phuket?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Phuket or Puerto Princesa?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Phuket or Puerto Princesa, this travel comparison, which includes costs, can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison down below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.
Where Should I go: Phuket or Puerto Princesa?
Phuket
Phuket Island is the tourist mecca of southern Thailand. Known for its beaches and resorts, the island brings in a massive amount of travelers from all over the world, year round. Although the beaches are beautiful, Phuket has also become more westernized and tourist-oriented in recent decades, leaving many travelers to venture elsewhere to find that amazing beach with a more authentic Thai vibe. However, Phuket Island is quite large, and hidden gems can still be found.
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 One Week (7-Day) Tours in Thailand, The Best 2-Week Tours in Thailand, 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 dayPhuket $105Puerto Princesa $73
The average daily cost (per person) in Phuket is $105, 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 Phuket and Puerto Princesa in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPhuket $56Puerto Princesa $24
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPhuket $112Puerto Princesa $48
Compare Hotels in Phuket and Puerto Princesa
Looking for a hotel in Phuket 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: Phuket Hotel Prices and Puerto Princesa Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Phuket $11Puerto Princesa $51
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Phuket
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Phuket:
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Longtail Taxi (for Two)$8.18
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Taxi from Airport to Phuket Town$6.82
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Phuket
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Phuket:
- Ziplining Hanuman Experience in Phuket with Roundtrip Transfer (SHA Plus): $86
- Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer service in Phuket HTL-APT (HKT): $27
- Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer service in Phuket APT-HTL (HKT): $27
- Transfer to or from Phuket International Airport by Sedan: $17
- Transfer from Phuket Hotel to Phi Phi Island: $28
- Transfer from Phuket Airport to Phuket Hotel: $21
- Transfer from Phuket Airport to Khao Lak Hotel: $50
- TAXI PHUKET AIRPORT Transfer to PHUKET TOWN (SHA Plus): $30
- TAXI PHUKET AIRPORT Transfer to LAGUNA Beach Area (SHA Plus): $25
- Simon Cabaret Show in Phuket including Return Transfer (SHA Plus): $52
- Simon Cabaret Show from Phuket with Transfer (SHA Plus): $46
- Simon Cabaret Phuket Show Included Tickets and Transfer: $28
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Puerto Princesa
Also for Puerto Princesa, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Arrival Airport transfers from Puerto Princesa Airport to Hotels: $7.50
- Arrival airport transfer-Private airport to hotel in central area: $20
- El Nido to Puerto Princesa Private Van Transfer: $153
- El Nido to Puerto Princesa van transfer: $14
- Private Puerto Princesa Airport Transfers: $29
- Private Transfer to El Nido: $171
- Private Transfers Puerto Princesa To Elnido: $260
- Puerto Princesa - El Nido | Private Van Transfer: $149
- Puerto Princesa to El Nido Private Van Transfer: $153
- Airconditioned Van Transfers to/from Sabang: $12
- Astoria Water Park Day Pass & Transfers: $234
- One-Way Transfer To/From El Nido: $16
Is it cheaper to fly into Phuket or Puerto Princesa?
Prices for flights to both Puerto Princesa and Phuket 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 dayPhuket $22Puerto Princesa $20
Typical Food Prices in Phuket
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Phuket:
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Casual Dinner (for Two)$7.88
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Casual Lunch (for Two)$4.64
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Sit Down Dinner (for Two)$12
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Thai Noodles$2.45
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Bananas$0.68
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Pizza (for Two)$8.18
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Phuket
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Phuket.
- Thai Cooking Class 1.5 Hrs ( 2 Dishes Menu): $36
- Express Thai Cooking Class in Phuket: $43
- Coral Island Catamaran Cruise with Sunset Dinner: $43
- Thai Cooking Class 2 Hrs ( 4 Dishes Menu): $47
- Vegetarian Organic Thai Cooking Class and Market Tour in Phuket: $52
- Flavours of the South Guided Food Tour: $52
- Coral Island & Sunset Dinner by Sailing Catamaran: $53
- Phuket Coral Island Sunset with Dinner by Catamaran Yacht: $53
- Twilight Stylish Sky Set Dinner - The SIS Kata Resort : $54
- Organic Thai Cooking Class and Market Tour in Phuket: $55
- Phuket Cooking Class Thai activity: $55
- Phuket Thai Cooking Class with Market Tour Option: $55
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.Phuket $42Puerto Princesa $6.82
Typical Entertainment Prices in Phuket
Here are a few typical costs in Phuket for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:
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One Day Boat Tour$25
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Scuba Diving (Two Dives)$68
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Thai Oil Massage$17
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Surfboard Rental$8.18
Tours and Activities in Phuket
Here are a few actual costs in Phuket for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- 3 Khai Islands Snorkeling Tour by Speed Boat: $43
- Activities In & Around Full Day Customizable Tour: $90
- Amazing Krabi Private 1 day tour from Phuket by VAN: $219
- Khai Island Half Day Tour by Speedboat from Phuket (SHA Plus): $61
- Phi Phi Islands Adventure Day Tour with Seaview Lunch from Phuket: $68
- Private Tour: Amazing Phuket Island Tour with Big Buddha : $66
- Water Rafting 5 km Tour & ATV 1 hour - Real Adventure: $100
- Whitewater Rafting & ATV Adventure Tour from Phuket including Lunch: $119
- Zipline Adventure 32 Platforms + Roller + Skywalk: $108
- 2 Hours Phuket Old Town Street Food Walking Tour: $45
- 2-Hour ATV Tour from Phuket: $77
- 2x Snorkelling Phi Phi, Maiton, Maya Bay, khai islands tour: $58
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 dayPhuket $6.35Puerto Princesa $14
Typical Alcohol Prices in Phuket
Here are a few samples of the prices for alcohol and nightlife in Phuket from other travelers:
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Cocktails (for Two)$5.46
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Beer$2.32
Sample the Local Flavors in Phuket
Also in Phuket, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- All-Night Bar Crawl with Drinks & 4 Venues: $22
- Phuket Guided Pub Crawl: $25
- Pub Crawl Tour: $25
- Phuket Real City Tour with Rum Cocktail Distillery: $78
- Big Buddha & The Distillery Phuket: $97
- Phuket Sightseeing Tour with Rum Distillery : $97
- Phuket Rum Distillery Cocktail Workshop And Wat Chalong Temple : $172
- Phuket Rum Distillery Cocktail Workshop & Wat Chalong Temple: $213
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Phuket and Puerto Princesa, we can see that Phuket is more expensive. And not only is Puerto Princesa much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. 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 Phuket would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Phuket 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 Phuket Expensive? and Is Puerto Princesa Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Phuket or Puerto Princesa?
Puerto Princesa has a larger population, and is about 76% larger than the population of Phuket. When comparing the sizes of Phuket 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.