Which place is cheaper, Tauranga 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 Tauranga?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Palawan or Tauranga? 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 Tauranga?
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.
Tauranga
Tauranga is a city on the North Island of New Zealand. It is situated on the western side of the Bay of Plenty, which is on the east coast of the island. Its population of 130,000 makes it the fifth largest city in the country. Tauranga is a Maori word translated roughly to 'a sheltered anchorage'. This makes sense as the town is located near a very large harbor and protected by Matakana Island. Mount Maunganui is at the headland of the town and regarded as a suburb of Tauranga. The beach at Mt Maunganui is a surfing hot spot. The climate is mostly warm and dry because of the town's sheltered position.
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 PricesTauranga Prices
New Zealand Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPalawan $43Tauranga $118
The average daily cost (per person) in Palawan is $43, while the average daily cost in Tauranga 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 Tauranga in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPalawan $13Tauranga $74
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPalawan $26Tauranga $148
Compare Hotels in Palawan and Tauranga
Looking for a hotel in Palawan or Tauranga? 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 Tauranga Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Palawan $16Tauranga $6.75
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 Palawan or Tauranga?
Prices for flights to both Tauranga 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 $19Tauranga $37
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Palawan $5.21Tauranga $10
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
Tours and Activities in Tauranga
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Tauranga are as follows:
- 6hr Hobbiton Movie Set Tour - Departs Tauranga: $155
- 7 Hours Te Puia Rotorua Tour from Tauranga with Concert: $164
- Boutique tour , Mt Maunganui, NZ farm, Rotorua lakes/geothermal : $138
- From Dolphin and Wildlife Cruise: $102
- From Half-Day Swimming with Dolphins Tour: $97
- Guided Māori History and Culture Tour to Rotorua and Tauranga: $143
- Half Day Dolphin & Wildlife Cruise - Tauranga: $104
- Hobbiton movie set tour and a lot more beautiful NZ sights: $240
- Katikati Avocado Adventure: $35
- Mount Maunganui: Hot Ocean Water Pools Entry Ticket: $16
- New Zealand Tauranga Tour with Transportation and Snacks: $75
- Ports of Tauranga/Rotorua/Tga - 6 Hours Rotorua Highlights Tour: $119
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPalawan $7.44Tauranga $10
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Palawan and Tauranga, we can see that Tauranga 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 Tauranga 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 Tauranga would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Tauranga 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 Tauranga 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.