Which place is cheaper, Lima 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.
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Should you visit Puerto Princesa or Lima?
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 Lima 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 Lima?
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.
Lima
Lima, the capital city of Peru, is likely to be your point of entry for the country. Lima was founded in 1535 and was the seat of the Spanish rule for 300 years. It's a surprisingly modern city despite its rich history, but many beautiful churches and colonial architecture remain today. There are also large slum areas that highlight the poverty that exists in the city. The city and its surrounding metropolitan area have a population of about 8.5 million people, many of whom came from the Andes Mountains in search of work. Unfortunately the work opportunities are limited and the poverty is obvious as you arrive in Lima.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Philippines, The Best 2-Week Tours in Philippines, Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Peru, and The Best Adventure Tours to Peru.
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Puerto Princesa Prices
Philippines PricesLima Prices
Peru Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPuerto Princesa $80Lima $97
The average daily cost (per person) in Puerto Princesa is $80, while the average daily cost in Lima is $97. 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 Lima in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPuerto Princesa $22Lima $53
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPuerto Princesa $44Lima $106
Compare Hotels in Puerto Princesa and Lima
Looking for a hotel in Puerto Princesa or Lima? 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: Puerto Princesa Hotel Prices and Lima Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Puerto Princesa $47Lima $6.21
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: $7.11
- Transfers to/from Port Barton: $14
- Puerto Princesa:El Nido – Shared Van Transfer: $14
- One-Way Transfer To/From El Nido: $16
- Shared Transfer Puerto Princesa/Port Barton: $17
- Transfer to/from Puerto Princesa and El Nido: $17
- Transfer between Puerto Princesa and El Nido: $18
- Private Airport Transfers to/from hotel: $21
- Relaxing Massage with optional transfers: $23
- Puerto Princesa City Van Transfers: $23
- Honda Bay Island: Island Tour with Lunch & Transfer: $52
- Private for your group - transfers Puerto princesa to elnido: $100
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Lima
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Lima are as follows:
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Taxi Ride$5.88
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Taxi Ride$5.88
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Short Taxi Ride$4.41
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Lima
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Lima:
- Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer service in Lima APT-HTL (LIM): $34
- Transfer: Lima City Center to Jorge Chavez Airport (LIM): $14
- Transfer: Jorge Chavez Airport (LIM) to Lima City Center: $15
- Transfer from the Airport to hotels in Lima: $30
- Transfer by official taxi from Jorge Chávez Lima Airport: $35
- Transfer by car from the airport to the hotel: $60
- Transfer To Lima Airport: $20
- Tour Night Magic Water Park and Ravine with Transfer: $49
- Tour Magic Water Park in Lima with Small Group Transfer: $38
- QuickLlama: Door-to-door transfer from Lima Airport to Miraflores: $5.95
- Private taxi transfer: Lima Jorge Chávez Airport – Safe: $14
- Private Transfer from Pisco Port to Jorge Chavez Airport (LIM): $196
Is it cheaper to fly into Puerto Princesa or Lima?
Prices for flights to both Lima 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
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Food Meals for one dayPuerto Princesa $31Lima $33
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 Lima
Some typical examples of dining costs in Lima are as follows:
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Lunch for Two$4.71
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Ice cream$3.82
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Coffee$3.23
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Donut$1.03
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Lima
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Lima.
- Food tours on the forbidden side of Lima (Min. 3 Guests – Max. 6): $5.00
- Lima Street Food Tour: Taste Authentic Peruvian Delights: $45
- Dinner at Mangos Larcomar Restaurant: $48
- #1 Rated Lima Cooking Class: Make Ceviche, Causa & Pisco Sours!: $49
- Lima Street Food Tour : Try the best Peruvian street food: $49
- Food Tour and Market Experience: 12 Peruvian Snacks: $50
- Private Churros Cooking Class, Miraflores & Hotel Pickup: $50
- Private Cooking Class in Causa & Lomo Saltado: $50
- Andean Breads Cooking Class in Lima: $55
- Lima Market Tour & Ceviche Cooking Class with Pisco Sour: $59
- Dinner at the Cala Restaurant in Lima: $63
- Lima Market Food Tour: $65
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Puerto Princesa $6.28Lima $9.38
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
- Puerto Princesa City Tour with Snacks: $14
- Cathedral and Baker's Hill Tour: $14
- Half-Day City Tour with Optional Massage: $14
- Half Day City Tour with Butterfly Garden: $14
- Half-day Puerto Princesa City Tour: $15
- City tour of Puerto Princesa Palawan Philippines: $20
- 2in1 City tour + museum & transportation from cruise port /hotel: $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 Lima
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Lima are as follows:
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Entrance to Museo Larco (for 2)$18
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Movie Tickets$2.50
Tours and Activities in Lima
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Lima are as follows:
- 1 Day Tour to Huacachina from Lima (Dunebuggy + Vineyards): $225
- 2 Day Tour from Nazca Lines Flight, Paracas, and Huacachina: $279
- 2 Day Tour from Paracas, Ballestas Island and Huacachina: $134
- 2 Day Tour from Paracas, Huacachina, and Pisco Vineyard: $134
- 3 Day Tour From Paracas, Huacachina Oasis & Pisco Vineyard: $159
- 3 Day Tour from Nazca Lines Flight, Paracas, and Huacachina: $289
- 3 Days Tour of Paracas Huacachina and Nazca: $275
- 3 Hour Private Electric Scooter Tour of Lima: $75
- 3 Hours Walking Tour of Lima Old Town and Catacumbs: $59
- 3-Day Tour Discover Paracas and Huacachina from Lima: $260
- 4 Day Tour from Nazca Lines Flight, Paracas, and Huacachina: $299
- 8-Hour Private Tour Lima Viceroyalty and Gold Museum with Lunch: $120
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPuerto Princesa $13Lima $6.10
Typical Alcohol Prices in Lima
Some typical examples of the costs for nightlife and alcohol in Lima are as follows:
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Bottle of Wine$7.91
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Beer$4.41
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Cocktail$3.53
Sample the Local Flavors in Lima
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Lima:
- Free Pub Crawl: $5.00
- Discover Barranco's Nightlife with Bar Crawl Lima: $20
- Lima Pub Crawl - Party tour: Friday Barranco/Saturday miraflores: $22
- Discover Miraflores nightlife with Bar Crawl Lima: $24
- Lima Nightlife Tour & Society – Cultural Pub Crawl: $50
- Full Day Paracas, Huacachina and Wine Tasting from Lima: $139
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Puerto Princesa and Lima, we can see that Lima is more expensive. And not only is Puerto Princesa much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Puerto Princesa is in Asia and Lima is in South 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 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 Lima would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Lima 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 Puerto Princesa Expensive? and Is Lima Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Puerto Princesa or Lima?
Lima has a larger population, and is about 50 times larger than the population of Puerto Princesa. When comparing the sizes of Puerto Princesa and Lima, 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.