A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Vientiane vs. Palawan for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Vientiane or Palawan?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

If you're trying to decide where to visit between Vientiane or Palawan, this travel comparison, which includes costs, can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison down below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.

Where Should I go: Vientiane or Palawan?

Vientiane

You wouldn't expect the capital city to have such a relaxing environment, but in Vientiane, Laos you can sit back and take in the beautiful scenery without feeling pressure to see every little thing. With Vientiane, what you see is what you get.

While picturesque temples and markets line the streets, the city is still experiencing a successful building boom. Even the Presidential Palace has undergone some hefty renovations.

Palawan

Palawan is an archipelagic province of the Philippines, named for its largest island which measures about 450 kilometers (or 280 miles) long. The island is known as an ecological frontier with plenty of beaches and resorts as well as opportunities to see a diverse array of wildlife and their habitats on land and sea.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Bicycle Tours in Laos, Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Laos, The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Philippines, and The Best 2-Week Tours in Philippines.


Which place is cheaper, Palawan or Vientiane?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.

The average daily cost (per person) in Vientiane is $24, while the average daily cost in Palawan is $43. 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 Vientiane and Palawan in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Vientiane $8.45
    Palawan $13
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Vientiane $17
    Palawan $26
Compare Hotels in Vientiane and Palawan

Looking for a hotel in Vientiane or Palawan? 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 Vientiane


Hotels in Palawan


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: Vientiane Hotel Prices and Palawan Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Vientiane $2.01
    Palawan $16
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Vientiane

Some typical examples of transportation costs in Vientiane are as follows:


  • Tuk Tuk Ride
    $4.15

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Vientiane

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Vientiane:

  • Wattay Airport (VTE): Private Transfer to/from Vientiane: $20
  • Vientiane Private Transfer: Wattay Airport -Hotel-Railway Station: $9.90
  • Vientiane - Hanoi Sleeping Bus Transfer : $63
  • Vientian Private Airport Transfer - Wattay Airport: $15

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Palawan

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

  • Coron Airport Shared Hotel Transfers: $10
  • Shared Busuanga Airport to Coron Hotel Transfer: $10
  • Airport Transfers airport to city center hotel and cruise port: $20
  • El Nido Tour with Lunch and Transfers: $44
  • El Nido Tour C with Lunch and Transfers: $44
  • Coron Ultimate Tour: 7 Destinations with Lunch and Transfer: $47
  • Private Van Transfers: Busuanga Airport to Coron Hotel Vice Versa: $48
  • El Nido (Lio) Airport Transfers: $50
  • PrivateTransfer from Puerto Princesa Port to Puerto Princesa city: $60
  • Private Busuanga Airport to Coron Hotel Transfer: $79
  • Busuanga Palawan Private Airport Transfer to Coron Town: $90
  • 3day van transportation: airport transfer, city sightseeing van, beach transfers: $120

Is it cheaper to fly into Vientiane or Palawan?

Prices for flights to both Palawan and Vientiane 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
    Vientiane $12
    Palawan $19

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Vientiane

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Vientiane.

  • Vientiane classic Food tour ( Included Food ): $78
  • Night Market, Dinner, and Nightclub: $90
  • Vientiane Private Lao Cooking Class with Market Tour and Lunch: $95
  • Vientiane Private Lao Cooking Class with Market Tour: $122
  • Cooking Class Garden House: $335

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Vientiane $3.80
    Palawan $5.21

Tours and Activities in Vientiane

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Vientiane are as follows:

  • Vientiane Cultural Tour with Private Guide: $110
  • 1-Day Tour to Vang Vieng with Private Guide: $200
  • 1-Day Vientiane City Adventure: Top Sights & Hidden Gems: $110
  • From Plain of Jars Tour & Homestay: $1,650
  • From Vang Vieng 2-Day Tour with Blue Lagoon: $354
  • From Vang Vieng Tour with Cave Kayak & Zipline: $113
  • Guided Vientiane City and Buddha Park Full-Day Tour: $99
  • Half Day Private Tour in City Highlights: $120
  • Half-Day Vientiane City Bike Tour: $90
  • Lao Arts Museum & City Highlights Tour with Lunch: $122
  • Laos Railway Tickets Easily: Avoid Long Queues & Wasted Time: $30
  • Laos Railway Tickets Online: Skip Long Queues, Avoid Missing: $30

Tours and Activities in Palawan

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

  • Half-day Puerto Princesa City Tour: $15
  • Coron Town Tour with Maquinit Hot Spring: $19
  • City tour of Puerto Princesa Palawan Philippines : $20
  • Coron Island Hopping Tour A with Kayangan Lake: $25
  • 2in1 City tour and museum with pick up at hotel or cruise port: $25
  • Half-Day City Tour from Puerto Princesa: $27
  • Coron Island Hopping Tour B with Skeleton Wreck & Barracuda Lake: $32
  • Fullday Coron Island Hopping Tour : $34
  • City Tour of Puerto Princesa sightseeing excursion: $35
  • Coron Island Tour A (Shared Tour): $37
  • Joiners Honda Bay Island Hopping Tour: $38
  • Puerto Princesa: Honda Bay Tour with Lunch: $39

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Vientiane $2.12
    Palawan $7.44


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Vientiane and Palawan, we can see that Palawan is more expensive. And not only is Vientiane much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Vientiane would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Vientiane 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 Palawan would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Palawan than you might in Vientiane.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Vientiane Expensive? and Is Palawan Expensive?.