Which place is cheaper, Picton 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 Picton?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Palawan or Picton? 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 Picton?
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.
Picton
Picton, New Zealand is located in the picturesque Marlborough Region on the South Island. With beachfront access in a central location and near the Marlborough Sounds, Picton is an ideal place for anyone looking for both adventure and relaxation in one of the most naturally beautiful countries in the world.
The weather in Picton is fairly mild, ranging from the low fifties to high sixties, Fahrenheit, throughout the year. Their summer months are December through March, this is when you'll find temperatures in the high sixties. During the winter, June through August, Picton experiences averages of fifty degree Fahrenheit. This means you can visit any time of the year without having to worry about weather inhibiting any of your outdoor activities!
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 Adventure Tours to New Zealand, and The Best Eco Tours in New Zealand.
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Palawan Prices
Philippines PricesPicton Prices
New Zealand Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPalawan $43Picton $101
The average daily cost (per person) in Palawan is $43, while the average daily cost in Picton is $101. 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 Picton in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPalawan $13Picton $37
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPalawan $26Picton $74
Compare Hotels in Palawan and Picton
Looking for a hotel in Palawan or Picton? 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 Picton Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Palawan $16Picton -
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Palawan
Also for Palawan, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Shared Busuanga Airport to Coron Hotel Transfer: $10
- Coron Airport Shared Hotel Transfers: $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
- Private for your group - transfers Puerto princesa to elnido : $100
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Picton
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Picton:
- Private Transfer from Picton Port to Blenheim Airport (BHE): $134
- Private Transfer from Picton Cruise Port to Blenheim City Hotels: $121
- Private Transfer from Blenheim city hotels to Picton Cruise Port: $120
- Private Transfer from Blenheim Airport (BHE) to Picton Port: $133
Is it cheaper to fly into Palawan or Picton?
Prices for flights to both Picton 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 $19Picton $34
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Picton
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Picton.
- CRUISE SHIP DAYS - HOP ON HOP OFF - Wine, Beer, Food Tour: $58
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Palawan $5.21Picton $109
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 Picton
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Picton are as follows:
- 1-Day Cruise in Queen Charlotte Track & Kupes Trail Walk: $119
- 3.5 Hour Marlborough Sounds Delivery Cruise: $66
- Bays and Bush Flight Scenic Tour: $95
- Bird Watching and Dolphin Eco-Tour from Picton: $89
- Captain Cook and Dolphin Cruise: $95
- Depart Marlborough Sounds Afternoon Seafood Cruise: $90
- Discover Self-Guided Audio Tour: $15
- Flight Experience our Water and Wilderness Scenic Tour: $178
- From Havelock to Marlborough Sounds Postie's Day Off Cruise: $83
- From Marlborough Sounds Cruise with Seafood: $104
- From Private Wine and Gourmet Tour of Marlborough: $575
- Full Day Iconic Mail Boat Cruise: $83
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPalawan $7.44Picton $34
Sample the Local Flavors in Picton
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Picton:
- Self-Guided Biking Wine Tour (full day) in the Marlborough Region.: $39
- Self-Guided Wine Tours by Bike with Lorelle & Greg : $41
- Marlborough: Hop-On Hop-Off Wine, Brewery, and Wonders Tour: $75
- Hop on Hop off Wine Tours Marlborough: $77
- Marlborough Afternoon Wine Tour with Tastings: $77
- CRUISE SHIP DAY Marlborough Hop On Hop Off Wine Tours: $77
- Marlborough Half Day Wine Tour From Picton: $92
- Marlborough Wine Tasting Tour.: $95
- Half-Day Wine Tour from Blenheim: $95
- Half-Day Wine Tour from Picton: $95
- Morning Guided with Afternoon Self-Guided Biking Wine Tour: $101
- Taste the Valley Wine Tour in Marlborough with Wine Tasting: $101
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Palawan and Picton, we can see that Picton 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 Picton 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 Picton would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Picton 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 Picton 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.