A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Puerto Princesa vs. Flores for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Puerto Princesa or Flores?

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

Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Puerto Princesa and Flores can help. It includes a travel cost comparison in addition to other factors. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.

Where Should I go: Puerto Princesa or Flores?

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.

Flores

The town of Flores is located in Peten, Guatemala. The main hub is located on an island on Lago Peten Itza, which is connected to the mainland by a causeway. On the other side of the causeway are the towns of Santa Elena and San Benito, however, all three are often referred to as Flores. Most people visit the area for its proximity to the ancient Mayan ruins of Tikal, though the town itself is also charming with colonial buildings and historic churches lining the cobbled streets.

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 Tours for Seniors to Guatemala, and The Best G Adventures Tours to Guatemala.


Which place is cheaper, Flores or Puerto Princesa?

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 Puerto Princesa is $80, while the average daily cost in Flores is $43. 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 Puerto Princesa and Flores in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Puerto Princesa $22
    Flores $8.77
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Puerto Princesa $44
    Flores $18
Compare Hotels in Puerto Princesa and Flores

Looking for a hotel in Puerto Princesa or Flores? 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 Puerto Princesa


Hotels in Flores


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: Puerto Princesa Hotel Prices and Flores Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Puerto Princesa $47
    Flores $8.00

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Puerto Princesa

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

  • Van Transfers From Airport or Hotel to Elnido or vice versa: $260
  • Transfer to/from Puerto Princesa and El Nido: $17
  • Transfer between Puerto Princesa and El Nido: $18
  • Shared Transfer Puerto Princesa/Port Barton: $17
  • Puerto Princesa:El Nido – Shared Van Transfer: $14
  • Van Transfers to/from Sabang or Astoria: $116
  • Transfers to/from Port Barton: $14
  • Shared Airport Transfers to/from hotel: $7.11
  • Relaxing Massage with optional transfers: $23
  • Private Airport Transfers to/from hotel: $21
  • One-Way Transfer To/From El Nido: $16
  • Astoria Water Park Day Pass & Transfers: $232

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Flores

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

  • Transfer : Mayan World Airport to Flores Island Hotels: $10
  • Tikal Transfer and Tour Guide From Flores: $90
  • Same day Round-Trip VIP Exclusive Transfer to Tikal from Flores: $160
  • From Flores, Peten: One way shared transfer to Tikal: $39
  • Transfer from Flores to Semuc Champey, Lanquin, Tourists Only: $40
  • Tikal National Park Guided Tour with Transfers: $24
  • One way shared transfer to Semuc Champey, Lanquin: $49
  • Belize/Caye Caulke/San Pedro Van or Ferry Transfer: $20
  • Flores, Peten: One way shared transfer to Rio Dulce, Izabal: $39
  • Bus transfer from Flores, Guatemala to Belize City: $20

Is it cheaper to fly into Puerto Princesa or Flores?

Prices for flights to both Flores and Puerto Princesa 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
    Puerto Princesa $31
    Flores $23

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 Paddle Boat Tour & Dinner: $27
  • Jungle Firefly Watching Boat Tour & Dinner: $32
  • Firefly Watching Bay Cruise with Dinner: $34
  • Firefly Watching with Dinner: $39
  • Firefly Watching Tour with Dinner: $53
  • Seafood Lunch or Dinner with transfers: $59
  • Underground River with Dinner at Kalui: $80
  • Underground River and Firefly Watching with Dinner: $87
  • Balayong People's Park with Dinner and Show: $116

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Puerto Princesa $6.26
    Flores $20

Tours and Activities in Puerto Princesa

For Puerto Princesa, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • 2in1 City tour + museum & transportation from cruise port /hotel: $25
  • 3D2N El Nido Experience: $250
  • 3d2n ELNIDO Package tour: $280
  • 5D4N Puerto Princesa & El Nido Experience: $299
  • Best of Puerto Princesa Palawan Signature 3Day Tour in 1 Package: $195
  • City tour of Puerto Princesa Palawan Philippines: $20
  • Deals: Puerto Princesa Palawan 2days Tours & 2n Inn accomodation: $250
  • El Nido Day Tour: $80
  • From Honda Bay Island Hopping Full-Day Tour: $40
  • Full Day Excursion: UNESCO Underground River Tour: $48
  • Full-Day UNESCO Underground River Tour: $54
  • Half Day City Joiners Tour | Puerto Princesa: $34

Typical Entertainment Prices in Flores

Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Flores's activities, tours, and tickets:


  • Tikal Entrance (for 2)
    $39
  • Map of Tikal
    $3.27

Tours and Activities in Flores

For Flores, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • 2-Day Tour to Tikal and Yaxhá from Flores Island: $220
  • All Inclusive Tikal Tour from Flores and Airport: $105
  • All Inclusive Tikal Tour from Flores or Mayan World Airport: $78
  • Basic Tour to Tikal Includes Transportation and Guide Service: $25
  • 1-Day Tikal Tour Private Service From your Hotel: $185
  • Blue Crater, Imox Lagoon & Hidden Pools Tour: $75
  • Tikal National Park Tour with Mayan Energy Reading: $222
  • Yaxha Shared Sunset Tour with Transportation & Guide: $25
  • From Flores Guided Tour to Tikal with transportation + lunch: $75
  • From Flores Petén: Tour to Playa 3 Naciones: $150
  • From 2-Day Semuc Champey Tour with Caves & Tubing: $38
  • From 2-Day Tikal & Yaxhá Tour: $299

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Puerto Princesa $13
    Flores $21

Typical Alcohol Prices in Flores

Some typical examples of the costs for nightlife and alcohol in Flores are as follows:


  • Two Margaritas
    $2.62


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Puerto Princesa and Flores, we can see that Puerto Princesa is more expensive. And not only is Flores much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Puerto Princesa is in Asia and Flores is in Central America, 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 Flores would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Flores 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 Puerto Princesa would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Puerto Princesa than you might in Flores.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Puerto Princesa Expensive? and Is Flores Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Puerto Princesa or Flores?

Puerto Princesa has a larger population, and is about 8 times larger than the population of Flores. When comparing the sizes of Puerto Princesa and Flores, 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.