Which place is cheaper, Noosa Heads or Palawan?
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 Palawan or Noosa Heads?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Palawan or Noosa Heads? 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 Noosa Heads?
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.
Noosa Heads
A town and suburb located on Queensland, Australia's Sunshine Coast, Noosa is best known as a destination of pleasant weather, beautiful beachside scenery, shopping, dining, and outdoor adventure. Some of the top attractions of the area include Noosa National Park and Sunshine Beach.
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 Vineyard & Wine Tours in Australia, and The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in Australia.
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Palawan Prices
Philippines PricesNoosa Heads Prices
Australia Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPalawan $43Noosa Heads $135
The average daily cost (per person) in Palawan is $43, while the average daily cost in Noosa Heads is $135. 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 Noosa Heads in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPalawan $13Noosa Heads $58
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPalawan $26Noosa Heads $116
Compare Hotels in Palawan and Noosa Heads
Looking for a hotel in Palawan or Noosa Heads? 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: Palawan Hotel Prices and Noosa Heads Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Palawan $16Noosa Heads $17
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Palawan
Also for Palawan, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private Transfers Puerto Princesa To Elnido: $260
- Private Transfer from Puerto Princesa to El Nido: $203
- El Nido Big Lagoon and Tropical Island Private Tour with Transfer: $179
- Private Transfer from El Nido to Port Barton Palawan: $170
- Private Van Transfer : From El Nido to Puerto Princesa Palawan: $170
- 3day van transportation: airport transfer, city sightseeing van, beach transfers: $120
- Busuanga Palawan Private Airport Transfer to Coron Town: $90
- Private Busuanga Airport to Coron Hotel Transfer: $79
- PrivateTransfer from Puerto Princesa Port to Puerto Princesa city: $60
- El Nido (Lio) Airport Transfers: $50
- Private Van Transfers: Busuanga Airport to Coron Hotel Vice Versa: $48
- Coron Ultimate Tour: 7 Destinations with Lunch and Transfer: $47
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Noosa Heads
Also for Noosa Heads, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private Transfers from Sunshine Coast Airport to Noosa (2pax): $97
- Private Transfer from Sunshine Coast Airport to Hotels 13 pax: $262
- Private Transfer from Sunshine Coast Airport to Hotels 11 pax: $238
- Private Morning Transfer From Noosa to Rainbow Beach: $91
- Eumundi Markets Bus Transfer: Mooloolaba Sunshine Coast & Noosa : $32
- Australia Zoo Transfer from Noosa and Sunshine Coast: $91
Is it cheaper to fly into Palawan or Noosa Heads?
Prices for flights to both Noosa Heads 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
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Food Meals for one dayPalawan $19Noosa Heads $58
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Noosa Heads
For Noosa Heads, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Cooking Classes on Witta Maleny Sunshine Coast: $121
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Palawan $5.21Noosa Heads $40
Tours and Activities in Palawan
For Palawan, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- El Nido Full Day Tour C with Buffet Lunch : $45
- 2in1 City tour and museum with pick up at hotel or cruise port: $25
- 3D2N El Nido Experience: $250
- 5D4N Puerto Princesa & El Nido Experience: $299
- All-Inclusive El Nido Island Hopping Private Tour: $153
- Balabac Tour Semi-Private 4D3N (price varies by group size): $605
- City Tour of Puerto Princesa sightseeing excursion: $35
- City tour of Puerto Princesa Palawan Philippines : $20
- Coron Calauit Safari Tour E: $146
- Coron Culion Island Escapade Private Tour: $132
- Coron Island Escapade Group Tour with Island Lunch: $48
- Coron Island Escapade Tour (Shared Tour): $50
Typical Entertainment Prices in Noosa Heads
For Noosa Heads, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:
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Surf Lesson$43
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Sea Kayak Tour (for 2)$85
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Sunset Cruise (for 2)$13
Tours and Activities in Noosa Heads
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Noosa Heads.
- AAA NOOSA Whale watching experience in Noosa Whalesongsnoosa: $64
- Noosa Queen Sunset Cruise River: $22
- 1 Hour Tour Mooloolaba Sunset Cruise: $24
- AAA Noosa National Park tour and Dolphin Safari Whalesongsnoosa: $60
- Aquaduck Sunshine Coast - 1hr Mooloolaba Amphibious Tour: $34
- Booloumba Falls & Booloumba Creek Adventure, Conondale Nat. Park: $235
- Buderim Forest Flight Owl Encounter and Tour: $77
- Epic Kayak With Dolphins & Wildlife - 4WD Beach Adventure Noosa: $108
- Eumundi Markets and Noosa Everglades Tour with Eco Safari: $214
- Everglades Explorer - Noosa Everglades Tour: $111
- Fliteboard eFoil Group Experience in Noosa: $151
- From Noosa: Stand Up Paddle Wildlife & Beach 4X4 Adventure: $108
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPalawan $7.44Noosa Heads $10
Sample the Local Flavors in Noosa Heads
Also in Noosa Heads, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Sunshine Coast Bar Crawl Sippin on Sunshine: $15
- Sunshine Coast Brewery Tour with Lunch: $164
- Hinterland Cheese & Wine Tasting Tour - with 2 course lunch included: $188
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Palawan and Noosa Heads, we can see that Noosa Heads is more expensive. And not only is Palawan much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Palawan is in Asia and Noosa Heads is in Pacific, 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 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 Noosa Heads would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Noosa Heads 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 Noosa Heads Expensive?.
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.