Which place is cheaper, Melbourne 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 Melbourne?
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 Melbourne 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 Melbourne?
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.
Melbourne
Melbourne is the second largest city in Australia, after Sydney. It is also the capital city of the state of Victoria, in southeastern Australia. Melbourne is arguably the best city to experience culture and the arts in Australia. There is a friendly rivalry between Melbourne and Sydney over livability and popularity and Melbourne is definitely the city to visit for its parks, shopping, restaurants, galleries and theaters. Like Sydney, it is situated on the water, at the head of Port Phillip Bay. It's a beautiful city, and although it lacks the major sights that you'll find in Sydney such as the Sydney Opera House or the Harbour Bridge, you will never find yourself lacking for entertainment. It is also a wonderful base for exploring many of the nearby highlights, including Grampians National Park, The Great Ocean Road, and Phillip Island where you can view the penguin parade.
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 Scuba Diving Tours in Australia, and The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Australia.
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Puerto Princesa Prices
Philippines PricesMelbourne Prices
Australia Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPuerto Princesa $80Melbourne $210
The average daily cost (per person) in Puerto Princesa is $80, while the average daily cost in Melbourne is $210. 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 Melbourne in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPuerto Princesa $22Melbourne $128
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPuerto Princesa $44Melbourne $256
Compare Hotels in Puerto Princesa and Melbourne
Looking for a hotel in Puerto Princesa or Melbourne? 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 Melbourne Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Puerto Princesa $47Melbourne $21
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Puerto Princesa
Also for Puerto Princesa, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- 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
- Puerto Princesa City Van Transfers: $23
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Melbourne
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Melbourne:
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Airport Bus$11
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Tram Ride$2.67
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Melbourne
Also for Melbourne, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Yarra Valley: Hot Air Balloon with Breakfast & CBD Transfers: $377
- Sydney Airport Transfer to Sydney CBD/ Other Suburbs: $96
- Private Transfer from Melbourne Port to Melbourne Airport (MEL): $80
- Private Transfer from Melbourne Airport (MEL) to Melbourne Port: $80
- Private Transfer CBD to Melbourne Airport (Sedan, SUV, or Van): $108
- Private Melbourne Airport Transfers To City (Sedan, SUV, or Van): $108
- Private Departure Transfer: Hotel to Melbourne Airports: $93
- Private Car Transfer Melbourne Airport To CBD: $85
- Private Arrival Transfer: Melbourne Airports to Hotel: $93
- Private Airport Transfer from Melbourne Airport to City Center: $69
- Mt Buller 1 Day Snow Tour (Direct Transfer To Mt Buller Village From Melbourne): $103
- Mornington Peninsula - Melbourne Airport Transfers: $215
Is it cheaper to fly into Puerto Princesa or Melbourne?
Prices for flights to both Melbourne 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 $31Melbourne $56
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 Melbourne
For Melbourne, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Coffee$2.81
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Pizza$4.92
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Melbourne
For Melbourne, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Melbourne Flavors: Queen Victoria Market Food Tour: $40
- Queen Victoria Market: 'Flavours of Australia' Food Tour: $52
- Inner North Street Food Tour: $72
- Sunset Kayak Tour with Dinner: $79
- Melbourne Sunset Kayaking Experience with Dinner: $86
- Melbourne Best Street Food Tour With A Local Guide: $88
- Best of Little Italy Dinner Tour: $92
- Chinese Dumpling Cooking Class with a Drink: $99
- Melbourne Flavours Queen Victoria Market Food Tour: $108
- Secret Food Tour: $109
- Yarra Valley Full Day Grazing Tour: Gin, Wine, Pizza, Cheese: $125
- Spanish Hands on Cooking Class: $129
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Puerto Princesa $6.30Melbourne $29
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
- 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
- Half-Day City Tour | Puerto Princesa: $53
Tours and Activities in Melbourne
For Melbourne, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- 1 Hour Sight seeing Melbourne River Cruise on historic vessel: $27
- 1 day Puffing Billy Steam Train and Wildlife Tour from Melbourne: $157
- 1.5Hr Yarra River Crown Flames and City Lights Cruise: $317
- 2 Day Great Ocean Road Small Group Tour: $843
- 2 Days and 1 Night Great Ocean Road (Melbourne Chinese Tour): $244
- 2-Hour Farm Experience in Gateway Yarra Valley: $72
- 4 Hours Sightseeing Small Group Tour in Melbourne City: $72
- 4D3N Best Bits Victoria Sightseeing Tour: $992
- 5 Days 4 Nights: Melbourne Package tour: $1,323
- Art Tour of Melbourne: $93
- ArtVo Immersive Gallery Experience: $25
- Aussie Football MCG Matchday Experience with a Local: $158
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPuerto Princesa $13Melbourne $18
Typical Alcohol Prices in Melbourne
Here are a few samples of the prices for alcohol and nightlife in Melbourne from other travelers:
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Bottle of Wine$5.44
Sample the Local Flavors in Melbourne
Also in Melbourne, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Melbourne Pub Crawl: $19
- Saturday Melbourne Bar Crawl: $19
- Weekly Bar Crawl: 5 Free shots, Club Entry: $20
- Spirits and Ales Haunted Pub Walking Tour: $26
- Melbourne Music Venue Pub Crawl with History + 2 Free Drinks: $26
- Rock'n'roll venues pub crawl including 2 free drinks and history: $57
- Relaxed Half Day Yarra Valley Wine Tasting Tour from Melbourne: $78
- Yarra Valley Wine Tour from Melbourne - Choc, Gin & Good Times: $85
- New Chocolate and wine tasting tour in the Yarra Valley: $89
- Yarra Valley Wine Tour w Exclusive Gin, Cider & Chocolate Tasting: $93
- Yarra Valley: Bus Wine Tour with Lunch and a Glass of Wine: $116
- Discover Hidden Wineries in Melbourne Boutique Wine Tour Series: $118
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Puerto Princesa and Melbourne, we can see that Melbourne 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 Melbourne is in Pacific, 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 Melbourne would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Melbourne 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 Melbourne Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Puerto Princesa or Melbourne?
Melbourne has a larger population, and is about 20 times larger than the population of Puerto Princesa. When comparing the sizes of Puerto Princesa and Melbourne, 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.