A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Kolkata (Calcutta) vs. Puerto Princesa for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Kolkata (Calcutta) or Puerto Princesa?

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

If you're trying to decide where to visit between Kolkata (Calcutta) or Puerto Princesa, 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: Kolkata (Calcutta) or Puerto Princesa?

Kolkata (Calcutta)

Formerly known as Calcutta, Kolkata is the capital of West Bengal, India. Featuring colonial architecture, galleries, temples, and festivals, the city has flourished from its roots as an East India Company trading post in the 18th Century to a thriving metropolis. Today Kolkata is a diverse center of culture and bustling activity.

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 4-Week (1-Month) Tours in India, The Best Bicycle Tours in India, The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Philippines, and The Best 2-Week Tours in Philippines.


Which place is cheaper, Puerto Princesa or Kolkata (Calcutta)?

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

  • Kolkata (Calcutta) Prices
    India Prices
    Puerto Princesa Prices
    Philippines Prices
  • Average Daily Cost Per person, per day
    Kolkata (Calcutta) $45
    Puerto Princesa $86

The average daily cost (per person) in Kolkata (Calcutta) is $45, while the average daily cost in Puerto Princesa is $86. 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 Kolkata (Calcutta) and Puerto Princesa in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Kolkata (Calcutta) $16
    Puerto Princesa $24
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Kolkata (Calcutta) $32
    Puerto Princesa $48
Compare Hotels in Kolkata (Calcutta) and Puerto Princesa

Looking for a hotel in Kolkata (Calcutta) 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.

Hotels in Kolkata (Calcutta)


Hotels in Puerto Princesa


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: Kolkata (Calcutta) Hotel Prices and Puerto Princesa Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Kolkata (Calcutta) $4.85
    Puerto Princesa $51

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Kolkata (Calcutta)

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Kolkata (Calcutta):

  • The Second City of Empire: A Kolkata Heritage Walking Tour with Private Transfer: $134
  • Private Transfer from Kolkata to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose (CCU) Airport: $65
  • Private Departure Transfer: Hotel to Kolkata Airport: $23
  • Path of Knowledge: A Heritage Walking Tour of Kolkata with Private Transfer: $153
  • Kolkata Hotels to Kolkata Airport drop: Private Transfers: $35
  • Kolkata Airport to Kolkata Hotels drop: Private Transfers: $35
  • Departure transfer from Hotel to Airport in Kolkata: $23
  • Build Your Own: custom private tour of Kolkata with transfers: $69

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
  • Airport Transfers airport to city center hotel and cruise port: $20
  • 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

Is it cheaper to fly into Kolkata (Calcutta) or Puerto Princesa?

Prices for flights to both Puerto Princesa and Kolkata (Calcutta) 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
    Kolkata (Calcutta) $23
    Puerto Princesa $34

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Kolkata (Calcutta)

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Kolkata (Calcutta).

  • Hooghly River Dinner Cruise: $26
  • Bengali Nights Kolkata Food Tour with 13+ Tastings: $35
  • Alleyway Food Tour: $46
  • Food Tour Delights of Kolkata with Aditya: $118

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
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Kolkata (Calcutta) $14
    Puerto Princesa $6.77

Tours and Activities in Kolkata (Calcutta)

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Kolkata (Calcutta) are as follows:

  • 02 Days Private Kolkata Tour with Lunch : $179
  • A Unique Experience of Kolkata Public Transport System: $98
  • Capturing the City of Joy; Full Day Kolkata Street Photography Tour: $85
  • Cultural Confluence of Kolkata - Culture Kaleidoscope Tour: $41
  • Custom Private Kolkata Sightseeing with English speaking Guide: $75
  • Durga Puja 2025 Tours -The Festival Enjoyed Close Up: $75
  • Explore Kolkata- Private Full Day Tour: $99
  • Full Day Pilgrimage Tour of Ganga Sagar from Kolkata: $100
  • Gangasagar Pilgrimage Day Tour from Kolkata: $147
  • Half Day Private Tour of Kolkata with a Local Companion: $69
  • Hello Calcutta Walk Tour: $49
  • Heritage Walking Tour of Kolkata: $70

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 Butterfly Garden: $14
  • Half-Day City Tour with Optional Massage: $14
  • Half-day Puerto Princesa City Tour: $15
  • City tour of Puerto Princesa Palawan Philippines : $20
  • 2in1 City tour and museum with pick up at hotel or cruise port: $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
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Kolkata (Calcutta) $7.85
    Puerto Princesa $14


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

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Kolkata (Calcutta) Expensive? and Is Puerto Princesa Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Kolkata (Calcutta) or Puerto Princesa?

Kolkata (Calcutta) has a larger population, and is about 30 times larger than the population of Puerto Princesa. When comparing the sizes of Kolkata (Calcutta) 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.