Which place is cheaper, Split 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 Split?
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 Split 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 Split?
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.
Split
Split is a historic city in Central Dalmatia with many opportunities to glimpse its fascinating past in its historic city center. Centuries ago the city grew up around a Diocletian palace that was used as refuge by the locals.
Today, as you wander around the historic center, you can see the remains of the Roman walls, temples, and squares. Despite it's appeal to tourists, Split is much more than just a tourist destination. It is larger than you might initially realize and it spreads well beyond the historic center. There is a population of about 300,000 in the larger area and it is an economic center for the region.
Split has a beautiful climate with mild winters, countless sunny days, and a generally pleasant temperature. As such, there are many opportunities to enjoy yourself outdoors, whether by participating in sports or walking around the city's quaint streets. Winters in Split are also quite mild, but there may be one snowy day, on average, every year. This rare snowfall can cause a significant disruption in the flow of traffic.
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 Walking Tours in Croatia, and The Best Luxury Tours to Croatia.
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Puerto Princesa Prices
Philippines PricesSplit Prices
Croatia Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPuerto Princesa $77Split $220
The average daily cost (per person) in Puerto Princesa is $77, while the average daily cost in Split is $220. 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 Split in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPuerto Princesa $22Split $95
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPuerto Princesa $44Split $190
Compare Hotels in Puerto Princesa and Split
Looking for a hotel in Puerto Princesa or Split? 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 Split Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Puerto Princesa $45Split $26
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 Palawan Private Transfers - Airport Transfers: $30
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Split
Also for Split, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Zagreb to Private Transfer with Plitvice Lakes: $554
- Zadar Private Vehicle Transfer from Split with Sightseeing Stop: $212
- Transfer from Split Airport to Split City Center: $70
- Transfer Split to Split airport: $81
- Transfer Split to Split airport: $69
- Transfer Split to Dubrovnik with Sightseeing in Ston Town: $290
- Transfer Split airport to Split: $81
- Transfer Split airport to Split: $78
- Transfer to Zagreb with Plitvice Lakes Entry Tickets: $197
- Private Transfer to Krka with Driver & Optional Guide: $466
- Private Boat Transfer to Hvar Island: $548
- Airport to Hvar Town Speedboat Transfer: $700
Is it cheaper to fly into Puerto Princesa or Split?
Prices for flights to both Split 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 $30Split $104
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 Split
For Split, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Omiš: Sunset Boat Trip to Pučišća Brač island with Dinner: $51
- Split’s Ultimate Walking Food Tour with Full Meal & Drinks: $67
- Small Group Food Tour with Private Option: $104
- Split Old Town Authentic Food Tour with 9 Dishes & Local Wines: $124
- Split Food Tour: Discover Split One Bite At A Time: $137
- Split Food Tour: Discover Split One Bite at a Time: $140
- Dinner In Dalmatia: A Family Affair Outside Split: $142
- Split Cooking Class: $200
- Vegan Cooking Class with Local Market Tour in Split: $200
- From farm to table : Cooking class on island Brac: $297
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Puerto Princesa $6.06Split $13
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 Split
For Split, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- "Blue Lagoon Boat Tour from Split,Swimming,Snorkeling&Free Drink": $57
- "Not Today" - Game of Thrones and History of Split Private Guided Walking Tour: $89
- 2 Hours Split Walking tour with free food tasting: $183
- 2-Hour Sunset Cruise Split: $103
- 2-Hour Sunset Cruise Split: $135
- 2-hours Split Segway Tour: $73
- 3 islands Tour from Split and Brac: $170
- 3-Hour Via-Ferrata Adventure in Fortica Fortress: $40
- 4 Hours Blue Lagoon and Island Tour: $91
- 4 Islands Tour from Split to Zlatni Rat, Hvar & Pakleni Islands: $160
- 4-Hour Dalmatian Food and Wine flavors Experience in Split Patio: $137
- 4-in-1 Boat Party Experience Split, Croatia.: $80
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPuerto Princesa $12Split $20
Sample the Local Flavors in Split
Also in Split, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Split Pub Crawl: Nightlife, Shots & Club Entry: $14
- Split Nightlife Pub Crawl with Shots and Club Entry: $17
- From Krka Waterfalls, Food & Wine Tasting Tour: $44
- From Krka Waterfalls, Food & Wine Tasting Tour: $53
- Split/Trogir: Krka National Park Day Trip with Wine Tasting: $55
- From Krka Waterfalls day tour & wine tasting: $55
- Dalmatian wine tasting by Bottiglia wine & deli: $57
- Olive Oil and Wine Tasting with Snacks: $57
- Educational wine tasting in Split: $63
- Split&Sip: Educational wine tasting: $64
- From Split/Trogir: Mostar and Medjugorje Tour with Wine Tasting: $97
- Split/Trogir: Mostar and Medjugorje Tour with Wine Tasting: $99
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Puerto Princesa and Split, we can see that Split 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 Split is in Europe, 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 Split would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Split 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 Split Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Puerto Princesa or Split?
Split has a larger population, and is about 12% larger than the population of Puerto Princesa. When comparing the sizes of Puerto Princesa and Split, 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.