Which place is cheaper, Puerto Princesa or Riga?
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 Riga or Puerto Princesa?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Riga or Puerto Princesa? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.
Where Should I go: Riga or Puerto Princesa?
Riga
Riga is the vibrant capital city of Latvia. It continues to gain popularity as a tourist destination in part because it is the base for the airline Air Baltic. This affordable airline offers discount flights around Europe and most of these flights pass through Riga with a forced overnight layover. This encourages travelers to visit this fascinating city for at least a night or two.
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.
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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Riga Prices
Latvia PricesPuerto Princesa Prices
Philippines Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayRiga €122Puerto Princesa €70
The average daily cost (per person) in Riga is €122, while the average daily cost in Puerto Princesa is €70. 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 Riga and Puerto Princesa in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personRiga €52Puerto Princesa €20
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomRiga €104Puerto Princesa €40
Compare Hotels in Riga and Puerto Princesa
Looking for a hotel in Riga or Puerto Princesa? 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: Riga Hotel Prices and Puerto Princesa Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Riga €9.63Puerto Princesa €41
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Riga
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Riga:
- Transfer from Riga center to Airport: $52
- Transfer from Riga Airport to Riga Old city: $52
- Transfer from Riga Airport RIX to Riga City Center: $34
- Sightseeing Transfer from Riga to Tallinn: $133
- Super Grand Prix - Go-Kart Racing with Transfers: $249
- Snowmobile Adventure with Transfer: $196
- Go-Kart Racing & Pub Crawl with Transfers: $136
- Canal and River Cruise with Old Town Transfer: $20
- Abandoned Building Exploration Tour with Transfer: $288
- 4x4 Off-Road Adventure with Hotel Transfers: $254
- 2-Hour Quad Bike Tour with Transfer: $311
- 100% Private Countryside Sauna, Hot Tub & Transfer: $565
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
- Shared Transfer Puerto Princesa/Port Barton: $17
- Transfer to/from Puerto Princesa and El Nido: $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
- Honda Bay Island: Island Tour with Lunch & Transfer: $52
- Private for your group - transfers Puerto princesa to elnido: $100
Is it cheaper to fly into Riga or Puerto Princesa?
Prices for flights to both Puerto Princesa and Riga 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 dayRiga €57Puerto Princesa €27
Typical Food Prices in Riga
Some typical examples of dining costs in Riga are as follows:
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Fast Food Lunch€5.77
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Riga
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Riga.
- Riga Central Market Food Tour with Guide & Tastings ENG, DE: $26
- Central Market Latvian Food Tour with 20 taste samples: $52
- Khinkali and Pelmeni Cooking Master Class: $69
- Latvian Cooking Class in a Local Home: $114
- Riga Medieval Dinner: $127
- Riga Medieval Dinner: $128
- Traditional Latvian Dinner with Private Folk Show: $248
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
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Riga €14Puerto Princesa €5.49
Tours and Activities in Riga
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Riga are as follows:
- 2 Hours Walking Tour in Legends and Secret of Riga's Old Town: $105
- 5,5 Hour Small Group Tour to Hill of Crosses from Riga: $88
- ATV Quad guided off road tour: $200
- Admission Ticket to Live Silver Museum: $13
- Aeroplane Flight Experience: $80
- Audio Tour of Riga Old Town: $12
- Bike Tour Riga Beyond Old Town Art Nouveau and Urban Culture: $35
- Bobsleigh - Truly Unique Winter Adventure!: $170
- City tour for beginners in Riga: $65
- Civilization Secrets Private Walking Tour in Riga: $455
- Da Vinci Genius immersive art experience in Riga: $17
- Deluxe Riga Tour from Cruise Port: $53
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
- 2in1 City tour + museum & transportation from cruise port /hotel: $25
- Puerto Princesa Half Day City Tour (shared tour): $27
- Half-Day City Tour from Puerto Princesa: $27
- Shared Half City Tour with SPA: $30
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayRiga €20Puerto Princesa €11
Sample the Local Flavors in Riga
Also in Riga, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Old town pub & bar crawl, hidden gems, and local party: $29
- Pub Crawl with Local Guide: $29
- Brewery Tour with Beer and Riga Balsam Tasting: $32
- Combo Brewery Tour + Canal Boat tour: $39
- 2 in 1 - Old Town Walking Tour & Pub Crawl: $40
- Private - Riga Pub Crawl: $40
- Riga 2 in 1 Tour: Art Nouveau Tour & Pub Crawl: $45
- Riga Evening Adventure: Pub Crawl & Games Night: $50
- Game Night & Pub Crawl: $51
- Authentic Latvian Brewery Beer Tasting & Riga Highlight Tour: $51
- Latvian Brewery Visit & 5 Beer tasting: $52
- Pub Crawl for 50+ with Folk Clubs & Authentic Bars: $52
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Riga and Puerto Princesa, we can see that Riga is more expensive. And not only is Puerto Princesa much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Riga is in Europe and Puerto Princesa is in Asia, 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 Riga would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Riga 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 Riga Expensive? and Is Puerto Princesa Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Riga or Puerto Princesa?
Riga has a larger population, and is about 5 times larger than the population of Puerto Princesa. When comparing the sizes of Riga and Puerto Princesa, 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.