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

Should you visit Puerto Princesa or Guilin?

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 Guilin 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 Guilin?

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.

Guilin

Guilin is a city in Southern China situated on the west bank of the Li River with Hunan to the north. Its name means, "Forest of Sweet Osmanthus," owing to the large number of fragrant Sweet Osmanthus trees located in the city. Products like tea, sugar, and wine, can be made from the tree and are found in many shops throughout Guilin. A popular tourist destination, the city is renowned for its scenery of karst topography with unique mountains jutting out of the urban landscape.

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 Hiking & Trekking Tours in China, and The Best Historical Tours in China.


Which place is cheaper, Guilin 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 $86, while the average daily cost in Guilin is $84. 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 Guilin in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Puerto Princesa $24
    Guilin $35
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Puerto Princesa $48
    Guilin $70
Compare Hotels in Puerto Princesa and Guilin

Looking for a hotel in Puerto Princesa or Guilin? 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 Guilin


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.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Puerto Princesa $51
    Guilin $5.85

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Puerto Princesa

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

  • 3day van transportation: airport transfer, city sightseeing van, beach transfers: $120
  • Airport Transfers airport to city center hotel and cruise port: $20
  • Honda Bay Island: Island Tour with Lunch & Transfer: $52
  • Palawan: Private San Vicente Airport Transfers: $160
  • Private Transfer from Puerto Princesa to El Nido: $203
  • Private Transfer to El Nido: $169
  • Private Transfers Puerto Princesa To Elnido: $260
  • Private for your group - transfers Puerto princesa to elnido : $100
  • PrivateTransfer from Puerto Princesa Port to Puerto Princesa city: $60
  • Puerto Princesa City Van Transfers: $23
  • Astoria Water Park Day Pass & Transfers: $232
  • One-Way Transfer To/From El Nido: $16

Typical Local Transportation Prices in Guilin

Some typical examples of transportation costs in Guilin are as follows:


  • Taxi
    $2.80

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Guilin

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Guilin:

  • [Airport Transfer] Haikou Airport ⇔ Haikou City Transfer ☆ High reputation for service! <Charter charter> *: $23
  • Yangshuo Via Ferrata with Round way private transfer from Guilin hotel: $120
  • Transfer from Guilin Liangjiang Airport to Guilin City Center: $41
  • Transfer from Guilin Hotels to Yangshuo Town: $37
  • Private Transfer: Guilin to/from Zhangjiajie/Fenghuang: $256
  • Private Transfer from/to Zhangjiajie to Guilin: $387
  • Private Transfer from Yangshuo/Guilin to Sanjiang and stops Longji Rice Terraces: $160
  • Private Transfer from Haikou (HAK) airport to/from Sanya hotel: $120
  • Private Transfer from Guilin to Zhaoxing and stops at Longji terraces: $168
  • Private Transfer from Guilin to Fenghuang and stops at Longji rice terraces area: $267
  • Private Transfer from Guilin to Fenghuang and stops at Hongjiang: $267
  • Private Transfer from Guilin to Fenghuang and stops at Chengyang Dong Village: $267

Is it cheaper to fly into Puerto Princesa or Guilin?

Prices for flights to both Guilin 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 $34
    Guilin $39

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

Typical Food Prices in Guilin

Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Guilin:


  • Fresh Coconut Drink
    $1.40

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Guilin

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

  • Half day Yangshuo Cooking lesson Small Group Tour: $62
  • Full-Day Li-River with the 4 Star Luxury Boat VIP Room and Yangshuo Cooking Tour: $286
  • Countryside Cycling 1-day Tour with Cooking Class: $306

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Puerto Princesa $6.77
    Guilin $28

Tours and Activities in Puerto Princesa

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

  • PPS CITY TOUR: $13
  • Puerto Princesa; Half day City tour: $13
  • Cathedral and Baker's Hill Tour: $14
  • Puerto Princesa City Tour with Snacks: $14
  • Half Day City Tour with Butterfly Garden: $14
  • Half-Day City Tour with Optional Massage: $14
  • Half-day Puerto Princesa City Tour: $15
  • City tour of Puerto Princesa Palawan Philippines : $20
  • 2in1 City tour and museum with pick up at hotel or cruise port: $25
  • Puerto Princesa Half Day City Tour (shared tour): $27
  • Half-Day City Tour from Puerto Princesa: $27
  • Shared Half City Tour with SPA: $30

Typical Entertainment Prices in Guilin

Here are a few typical costs in Guilin for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:


  • Entrance to the Caves
    $17

Tours and Activities in Guilin

Here are a few actual costs in Guilin for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:

  • 2-Day Self-Guided Guilin Tour with 4 Star Boat, Yangshuo and Longji Terraces : $200
  • Longji Rice Terraces Day Tour with the Ping'an and Dazhai Village: $209
  • 1 Day Congjiang Ethnic Dong Village Private Tour from Guilin: $219
  • 1 Day Guilin Sanjiang Tour to Dong Villages: $169
  • 1 Day Guilin Tour: Village Visit, Waterfall Viewing, Hiking: $230
  • 1 Day Li River Cruise and Yangshuo Biking Adventure: $72
  • 1 Day Li River Cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo with Private Guide: $209
  • 1 Day Li River Cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo with Private Guide & Driver: $209
  • 1 Day Private Cruise Tour at Li River from Guilin with Biking: $198
  • 1 Day Private Longji Rice Terraces and Minority Village Tour: $202
  • 1 Day Private Tour: Li River Cruise from Guilin & Yangshuo Biking: $172
  • 1 Day Relaxing Guilin Li River Cruise and Yangshuo Private Tour: $205

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Puerto Princesa $14
    Guilin $5.81


When comparing the travel costs between Puerto Princesa and Guilin, we can see that Puerto Princesa is more expensive. However, the two cities are actually relatively comparable in price, as the difference is somewhat minimal. Generally, this means that you could travel with generally the same travel style and level of luxury in each place. Since both cities are in Asia, it's no surprise that their costs are relatively close, as many destinations here have somewhat similar travel prices overall.

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 Guilin Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Puerto Princesa or Guilin?

Guilin has a larger population, and is about 4 times larger than the population of Puerto Princesa. When comparing the sizes of Puerto Princesa and Guilin, 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.