Which place is cheaper, Shanghai 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 Shanghai?
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 Shanghai 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 Shanghai?
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.
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest and most modern city in China. With a population of over 23 million, it is the economic and financial hub of the country. It also continues to be one of the fastest growing cities in China with regular changes to the city's layout and skyline. It is not uncommon for buildings to be torn down, rebuilt and then torn down and rebuilt again. The city also has skyscrapers that rank among the tallest in the world. It has an ever changing downtown and street scape. In Shanghai, the general mantra remains "out with the old, in with the new".
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 Beijing, and The Best Family-Friendly Tours to China.
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Puerto Princesa Prices
Philippines PricesShanghai Prices
China Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPuerto Princesa $80Shanghai $139
The average daily cost (per person) in Puerto Princesa is $80, while the average daily cost in Shanghai is $139. 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 Shanghai in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPuerto Princesa $22Shanghai $86
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPuerto Princesa $44Shanghai $172
Compare Hotels in Puerto Princesa and Shanghai
Looking for a hotel in Puerto Princesa or Shanghai? 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.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Puerto Princesa $47Shanghai $4.12
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
- Transfer to/from Puerto Princesa and El Nido: $17
- Shared Transfer Puerto Princesa/Port Barton: $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
- Puerto Princesa Palawan Private Transfers - Airport Transfers: $27
- Honda Bay Island: Island Tour with Lunch & Transfer: $52
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Shanghai
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Shanghai:
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Taxi Ride$3.82
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Two Subway Tickets$0.88
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Shanghai
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Shanghai:
- Zhujiajiao Water Town and Shanghai City Self-Guide 10-Hour Private Transfer Tour: $138
- Zhujiajiao Water Town Self-Guided Tour with Private Transfer from Shanghai: $75
- Zhouzhuang and Tongli Water Town Private Transfer Service from Shanghai: $106
- Xitang Water Town Self-Guided Tour from Shanghai with Private Transfer: $100
- Wusongkou Cruise Terminal to Hongqiao Airport Chauffeur Service, Port Transfer: $87
- Wusongkou Cruise Terminal Share Transfer Service, Baoshan Port Pick up Service: $30
- Wusongkou Cruise Terminal Shanghai Disney Private Transfer: $42
- Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer in ShangHai HTL-APT (PVG,SHA): $51
- Transfer from hotels to Shanghai Pudong or Hongqiao airport: $50
- Transfer from Pudong Airport to Shanghai City Center: $30
- Transfer From City to Shanghai Pudong Airport （English Driver）: $68
- Shared Transfer: from Shanghai Wusongkou Cruise Port to Hotel in Shanghai: $30
Is it cheaper to fly into Puerto Princesa or Shanghai?
Prices for flights to both Shanghai 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 $31Shanghai $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 Shanghai
Some typical examples of dining costs in Shanghai are as follows:
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Dumpling Breakfast$1.47
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Desserts in Jinmao Building Observatory$21
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Ajisen Lunch for Two$7.64
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Cantelope$1.76
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Dumplings and Soup$2.20
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Duck Dinner$4.41
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Pastries$3.08
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Barbeque Dinner$9.40
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Shanghai
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Shanghai.
- Authentic Local Food Tour In Downtown Shanghai-Tip Based: $3.55
- Online Cooking Class Dim Sum by Sunflower Li: $20
- Online Cooking Class Fried Rice by Sunflower Li: $20
- Authentic Shanghai Food Tour with Chi Gua Va: $35
- Shanghai Huangpu River Night Cruise with Buffet Dinner: $35
- Private Home Cooking Class with local Auntie: $61
- Huangpu River Evening Cruise Ticket with Dinner: $68
- Authentic Local Food Tour Near the Bund: $71
- Shanghai Breakfast Omakase A Home Cook Food Tour: $71
- Authentic Local Food Tour in Central Shanghai: $79
- Small Group: Shanghai After Dark Food Tour with 9 tastings: $80
- Authentic Shanghai Food Tour by Walking or Cycling: $80
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Puerto Princesa $6.27Shanghai $8.96
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 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
- Puerto Princesa Half Day City Tour (shared tour): $27
- Shared Half City Tour with SPA: $30
- Half Day City Joiners Tour | Puerto Princesa: $34
- Puerto Princesa shore City Sightseeing Port of call tours: $35
Typical Entertainment Prices in Shanghai
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Shanghai are as follows:
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30 Minute River Cruise for Two$29
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Zoo for Two$15
Tours and Activities in Shanghai
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Shanghai are as follows:
- 1 Day Shanghai Airport Layover Private Tour for City Highlights: $202
- 1 Day Shanghai City Private Tour + Zhujiajiao Water Town: $230
- 1 Day Shanghai Highlight Small Group Tour: $198
- 1 Day Shanghai Private Tour: $180
- 1 Day Suzhou Private Tour (Departure from Shanghai): $240
- 1-Day Private Shanghai City Tour to See Its Past, Present and Future: $229
- 1-Day Private Tour to Shanghai Museum,Yu Garden, the Bund and Nanjing Road: $190
- 1-Day Private Tour to Shanghai Zhujiajiao Water Town,Nanjing Road and the Bund: $221
- 1-Day Private Tour to Suzhou from Shanghai: $272
- 1-Day Private Tour to Zhujiajiao Water Town,the Bund and World Financial Center: $256
- 1-Day Shanghai Tour to Oriental Pearl TV Tower, Yu Garden and Jade Buddha Temple: $224
- 13 day private tour : Splendid China+ important highlights: $4,106
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPuerto Princesa $13Shanghai $7.82
Sample the Local Flavors in Shanghai
Also in Shanghai, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Shanghai Pub Crawl (Guided Bar Hopping) with Shots Included: $26
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Puerto Princesa and Shanghai, we can see that Shanghai is more expensive. And not only is Puerto Princesa much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. 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 Shanghai would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Shanghai 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 Shanghai Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Puerto Princesa or Shanghai?
Shanghai has a larger population, and is about 90 times larger than the population of Puerto Princesa. When comparing the sizes of Puerto Princesa and Shanghai, 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.