Which place is cheaper, Saint Thomas 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 Saint Thomas?
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 Saint Thomas 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 Saint Thomas?
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.
Saint Thomas
Saint Thomas is a beautiful island in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Together with St. John, St. Croix, and Water Island, it forms the unincorporated territory of the United States. The island is also home to the territorial capital and port of Charlotte Amalie. The island's population is just over 50,000, which is slightly less than half of the territory's total population.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Philippines, and The Best 2-Week Tours in Philippines.
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Puerto Princesa Prices
Philippines PricesSaint Thomas Prices
USVI Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPuerto Princesa $77Saint Thomas $258
The average daily cost (per person) in Puerto Princesa is $77, while the average daily cost in Saint Thomas is $258. 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 Saint Thomas in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPuerto Princesa $22Saint Thomas $131
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPuerto Princesa $44Saint Thomas $262
Compare Hotels in Puerto Princesa and Saint Thomas
Looking for a hotel in Puerto Princesa or Saint Thomas? 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 Saint Thomas Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Puerto Princesa $45Saint Thomas $37
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Puerto Princesa
Also for Puerto Princesa, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Astoria Water Park Day Pass & Transfers: $232
- Private Transfer from Puerto Princesa to El Nido: $203
- Private Transfer to El Nido: $169
- Palawan: Private San Vicente Airport Transfers: $160
- Van Transfers to/from Sabang or Astoria: $116
- Private for your group - transfers Puerto princesa to elnido: $100
- Honda Bay Island: Island Tour with Lunch & Transfer: $52
- Puerto Princesa Palawan Private Transfers - Airport Transfers: $30
- Puerto Princesa City Van Transfers: $23
- Relaxing Massage with optional transfers: $23
- Private Airport Transfers to/from hotel: $21
- Transfer between Puerto Princesa and El Nido: $18
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Saint Thomas
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Saint Thomas are as follows:
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Scooter Rental$65
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Taxi Ride$5.00
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Saint Thomas
Also for Saint Thomas, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Vi Top Taxi and Tours Airport Transfer to the Ritz Carlton: $180
- Vi Top Taxi -St.Thomas Airport Transfer to Marriott Frenchman Cove: $110
- Vi Top Taxi - St. Thomas Airport Transfer to Wyndham Margaritaville: $180
- Vi Top Taxi & Tours -Airport Transfer to Bolongo Bay/ Limetree: $110
- Transfer from Cyril E. King Airport(STT) to Charlotte Amalie Port: $79
- St.thomas Airport Transfer to any location one or round trip: $129
- St.Thomas to St.Thomas Airport (STT) - Departure Private Transfer: $105
- St.Thomas to St.Thomas Airport (STT) - Departure Private Transfer: $105
- St.Thomas Airport(STT) to St.Thomas - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $210
- St.Thomas Airport Transfer to Bluebeards castle or Yacht haven: $110
- St.Thomas Airport (STT) to St.Thomas - RoundTrip Private Transfer: $210
- St. Thomas USVI Airport Transfer to the Redhook Ferry: $180
Is it cheaper to fly into Puerto Princesa or Saint Thomas?
Prices for flights to both Saint Thomas 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 $30Saint Thomas $94
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
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Saint Thomas
For Saint Thomas, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Sunset & Harbor Lights Dinner Sail from the Marriott's Frenchman's Cove: $119
- Afternoon Snorkel, Pizza & Sunset Tour departing from St. Thomas & St. John: $120
- St. John PiZZA Pi Snorkel Sail with Beach Stop, Lunch & Open Bar - Westin: $129
- St Thomas Pizza Pi Snorkel Sail From Frenchman's Reef: $139
- Flavors of St Thomas Walking Food Tour: $145
- St. Thomas Dinner Sail to St. John with Open Bar - Ritz-Carlton: $149
- Pizza Pi Shuttle (Official) - Jet Ski Trip St Thomas: $269
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Puerto Princesa $6.06Saint Thomas $60
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
- Adventure package (3 days tour + Accomodation ): $234
- City tour of Puerto Princesa Palawan (hotel & cruiseship pick up): $20
- 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: $60
- Half Day City Joiners Tour | Puerto Princesa: $34
- Half-Day City Tour | Puerto Princesa: $53
Tours and Activities in Saint Thomas
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Saint Thomas.
- #1 St. Thomas Ghost Tour – Virgin Island's Original Haunted Tour: $41
- 1 Hour Jet Ski Tour in the Virgin Islands from Westin St. John: $169
- 1-Hour Guided Jet Ski Tour in St. Thomas from Frenchman's Reef: $159
- 3 Hour Kayak and Snorkel Tour: $139
- Aerial Sightseeing Adventure!: $250
- Book Your Private Two and a Half Hour Island Tour today!: $150
- CWORI Dive Center: Try Scuba Diving Experience at Coki Beach: $109
- Children's Treasure Hunt Walking Tour: $25
- Cocktail Sunset Cruise from Sapphire Beach Resort: $130
- Coral World Ocean Park General Admission Ticket: $29
- Cruise Ship Port Shuttle to St John Ferry: $34
- Full-Day Sailing Tour in Virgin Islands National Park: $285
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPuerto Princesa $12Saint Thomas $27
Sample the Local Flavors in Saint Thomas
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Saint Thomas:
- Da Conch Crawl- Walking Tour and Bar Crawl Downtown St. Thomas: $148
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Puerto Princesa and Saint Thomas, we can see that Saint Thomas 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 Saint Thomas is in Caribbean Islands, 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 Saint Thomas would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Saint Thomas 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 Saint Thomas Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Puerto Princesa or Saint Thomas?
Puerto Princesa has a larger population, and is about 8 times larger than the population of Saint Thomas. When comparing the sizes of Puerto Princesa and Saint Thomas, 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.