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

Should you visit Puerto Princesa or San Francisco?

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 San Francisco 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 San Francisco?

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.

San Francisco

San Francisco is a beautiful city that is famous for it's picturesque neighborhoods, liberal character, and stunning location on the bay. Some people describe San Francisco as the United State's most "European City." This title most likely comes from its compact development and its easy walkability. It also has no shortage of parks and public spaces where you can pass some time. The city sits on the end of a peninsula and offers stunning views of the blue bay, rolling green hills, and the striking Golden Gate Bridge.

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 2-Week Tours from Los Angeles, and The Best Family-Friendly Tours to United States of America.


Which place is cheaper, San Francisco 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.

  • Puerto Princesa Prices
    Philippines Prices
    San Francisco Prices
    USA Prices
  • Average Daily Cost Per person, per day
    Puerto Princesa $80
    San Francisco $251

The average daily cost (per person) in Puerto Princesa is $80, while the average daily cost in San Francisco is $251. 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 San Francisco in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Puerto Princesa $22
    San Francisco $130
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Puerto Princesa $44
    San Francisco $260
Compare Hotels in Puerto Princesa and San Francisco

Looking for a hotel in Puerto Princesa or San Francisco? 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 San Francisco


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 San Francisco Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Puerto Princesa $47
    San Francisco $16

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
  • 3day van transportation: airport transfer, city sightseeing van, beach transfers: $120
  • 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: $27
  • Puerto Princesa City Van Transfers: $23
  • Relaxing Massage with optional transfers: $23
  • Private Airport Transfers to/from hotel: $21

Typical Local Transportation Prices in San Francisco

Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in San Francisco:


  • Taxi to SFO
    $45
  • Golden Gate Bridge Toll
    $6.00
  • Alcatraz Tour
    $30

Hired Cars and Shuttles in San Francisco

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

  • Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer in San Francisco HTL-APT (SFO): $138
  • Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer in San Francisco APT-HTL (SFO): $138
  • Sedan Airport Transfer from SFO to East Bay (one way): $262
  • Silicon Valley Private Tour with Transfers: $510
  • SFO Airport Private Transfer to Downtown: $29
  • SFO Airport Private Transfer to Downtown: $115
  • One Way Private Airport Transfer Service: $95
  • San Francisco to/from Yosemite National Park: 1-Way Transfer: $99
  • San Francisco to Yosemite One-Way Transfer: $164
  • San Francisco to San Francisco Airport (SFO) - Departure Private Transfer: $53
  • San Francisco to SFO | Private Airport Transfer (One-Way): $130
  • San Francisco Port to San Francisco Airport SFO -Private Transfer: $77

Is it cheaper to fly into Puerto Princesa or San Francisco?

Prices for flights to both San Francisco 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
    San Francisco $79

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 San Francisco

For San Francisco, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • Online Cooking Class Pepper Steak Great for Team Building: $20
  • Online Cooking Class Beijing Dumplings by Chef Sunflower Li: $25
  • No Diet Club - Best street food tour in San Francisco !: $64
  • Mission District Street Art and Food Tour: $79
  • North Beach and Little Italy Food Tour: $84
  • North Beach & Chinatown Authentic Food Tour: $84
  • The Mission District Food Tour with 5 Local Dishes: $85
  • Mission District Food Tour with 6 Tastings: $89
  • Mission District Food Tour with Tastings: $92
  • Mission District Walking Food Tour: $99
  • Fisherman's Wharf and Pier 39 Food Tour: $99
  • Chinatown Walking Food Tour: $99

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Puerto Princesa $6.27
    San Francisco $31

Tours and Activities in Puerto Princesa

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

  • 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
  • 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
  • Half-day Puerto Princesa City Tour: $15
  • Hiking in Batak Tribal Village tour: $164

Tours and Activities in San Francisco

Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for San Francisco.

  • 1HR San Francisco Chinatown and Downtown GoCar Tour: $99
  • 2-Day Alcatraz Visit + San Francisco E-Bike Tour: $180
  • 2-Day San Francisco Hop on Hop off Bus Tour + Bonus Night Tour: $95
  • 2HR Golden Gate Bridge and Lombard Loop GoCar Tour: $169
  • 2hr. INTERACTIVE Sailing Experience on San Francisco Bay: $149
  • 2hr. SUNSET Sailing Experience on San Francisco Bay: $149
  • 2hrs- Beyond the Bridge - Marin Headlands GoCar Tour: $219
  • 3HR Golden Gate Bridge and Golden Gate Park GoCar Tour: $229
  • 90-Minute Sunset Tour Aboard Wine Therapy: $95
  • A Self-Guided Audio Tour of San Francisco’s Chocolate Story: $12
  • AURA: An Immersive Experience in USA: $30
  • Alcatraz & Private City Tour +Alcatraz Island: $484

For more ideas for your next trip, check out The Best Museums in San Francisco, The Best Outdoor Activities in San Francisco, and Things to Do In San Francisco on a Rainy Day.


Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Puerto Princesa $13
    San Francisco $22

Sample the Local Flavors in San Francisco

Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in San Francisco:

  • SF Pub Crawl and Clubbing Experience: $17
  • San Francisco Ghosts Boos and Booze Haunted Pub Crawl: $29
  • Ghosts, Boos and Booze Haunted Pub Crawl: $30
  • Walk with Spirits Haunted Pub Crawl: $44
  • Local Distillery Cocktail Class: $49
  • Castro Bar Crawl in San Francisco: $49
  • Wine Tasting on the Bay: $85
  • Napa Valley Half-Day Wine Tour with Tastings: $103
  • 5 hours private napa wine tour from san francisco up to 7 people: $120
  • Half-Day Wine Country Tour with Wine Tastings: $130
  • From Napa & Sonoma Valley Full-Day Wine Tour: $132
  • From Napa & Sonoma Valley Full-Day Wine Tour: $132


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Puerto Princesa and San Francisco, we can see that San Francisco 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 San Francisco is in North 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 San Francisco would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in San Francisco 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 San Francisco Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Puerto Princesa or San Francisco?

San Francisco has a larger population, and is about 5 times larger than the population of Puerto Princesa. When comparing the sizes of Puerto Princesa and San Francisco, 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.