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

Should you visit Palawan or Nanjing?

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

Should I visit Palawan or Nanjing? 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: Palawan or Nanjing?

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.

Nanjing

Nanjing is the capital city of the Jiangsu Province on the central eastern coast of China, just north of Shanghai. This historically and culturally rich city lies at the lower end of the Yangtze river, resulting in lush and scenic landscapes. Nanjing is well-known for having many popular historical sites, some of which have been listed as UNESCO World Heritage sites.

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 Historical Tours in China, and The Best 10-Day Tours in China.


Which place is cheaper, Nanjing or Palawan?

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 Palawan is $43, while the average daily cost in Nanjing is $118. 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 Palawan and Nanjing in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Palawan $13
    Nanjing $47
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Palawan $26
    Nanjing $94
Compare Hotels in Palawan and Nanjing

Looking for a hotel in Palawan or Nanjing? 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 Palawan


Hotels in Nanjing


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: Palawan Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Palawan $16
    Nanjing $39

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Palawan

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

  • 3day van transportation: airport transfer, city sightseeing van, beach transfers: $120
  • Airport Transfers airport to city center hotel and cruise port: $20
  • Busuanga Palawan Private Airport Transfer to Coron Town: $90
  • Coron Airport Shared Hotel Transfers: $10
  • Coron Ultimate Tour: 7 Destinations with Lunch and Transfer: $47
  • El Nido (Lio) Airport Transfers: $50
  • El Nido Big Lagoon and Tropical Island Private Tour with Transfer: $179
  • El Nido Tour C with Lunch and Transfers: $44
  • El Nido Tour with Lunch and Transfers: $44
  • Private Busuanga Airport to Coron Hotel Transfer: $79
  • Private Transfer from El Nido to Port Barton Palawan: $170
  • Private Transfer from Puerto Princesa to El Nido: $203

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Nanjing

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Nanjing:

  • [Airport transfer] Nanjing Lukou International Airport ⇔ Nanjing city transfer ☆ High reputation for service! <Charter charter>: $27
  • Zhenjiang Private Transfer Service from Nanjing City or Lukou Airport : $78
  • Yangzhou Private Transfer Service from Nanjing City or Lukou Airport : $80
  • Tangshan Hot Spring Spa Resorts Private Transfer from Nanjing City : $44
  • Private Transfer to Zhenjiang from Nanjing City Center: $94
  • Private Transfer to Yangzhou from Nanjing City Center: $89
  • Private Transfer to Yangzhou City from Nanjing Lukou Airport : $109
  • Private Transfer to Nanjing Railway Station from Lukou Airport : $45
  • Private Transfer between Nanjing Jinniuhu Wild Animal Park and City Hotels: $62
  • Private Transfer Between Tangshan Hot Spring Resort and Nanjing Lukou Airport: $49
  • Private Round Trip Transfer to Yangzhou Attractions from Nanjing: $89
  • Private Nanjing Airport Transfer to Zhenjiang City: $110

Is it cheaper to fly into Palawan or Nanjing?

Prices for flights to both Nanjing and Palawan 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
    Palawan $19
    Nanjing $49

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Nanjing

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

  • 3-Hour Nanjing Authentic Local Food Tour by Public Transportation: $93
  • Flexible Private Nanjing City Night Tour with Dinner Option : $112
  • Private Amazing Nanjing Airport Layover Tour with Lunch or Dinner: $181

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Palawan $5.21
    Nanjing $9.41

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: $38

Tours and Activities in Nanjing

Here are a few actual costs in Nanjing for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:

  • Half-Day Nanjing City Private Flexible Tour : $109
  • 2-Day Unlimited Nanjing Private Flexible Tour with Lunch Option : $295
  • 4-Hour Nanjing City Private Tailor-Made Tour in Your Way : $109
  • 4-Hour Nanjing Private Tour with Xiaoling Tomb and Sun Yatsen Mausoleum : $124
  • 6-Hour Private Tour of Xiaoling Tomb,City Wall & Memorial Hall : $115
  • All Inclusive Nanjing City Private Day Tour with Tailor-Made Highlights: $213
  • Flexible Private Nanjing City Highlights Day Tour: $160
  • Flexible Private Nanjing City Highlights Day Tour: $168
  • Flexible Private Nanjing Independent Tour : $63
  • Flexible Private Nanjing Layover Tour: $171
  • Flexible Yangzhou Private Day Tour from Nanjing: $212
  • Half Day Nanjing City Private Flexible Tour with Night River Cruise: $206

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Palawan $7.44
    Nanjing $9.61


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

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