A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Puerto Princesa vs. Canberra for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Puerto Princesa or Canberra?

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

Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Puerto Princesa and Canberra can help. It includes a travel cost comparison in addition to other factors. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.

Where Should I go: Puerto Princesa or Canberra?

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.

Canberra

There is something special about the capital city of Australia. Canberra's not just a wonderful spot for outdoor adventures. It's a city completely designed and built up around the coast of an artificial lake. When architects Walter Burley and Marion Mahony Griffin proposed their plans for Canberra it was met with a lot of criticism. Many people thought it would be a "waste of a good sheep pasture."

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 One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Melbourne, and The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Australia.


Which place is cheaper, Canberra or Puerto Princesa?

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 Puerto Princesa is $86, while the average daily cost in Canberra is $159. 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 Puerto Princesa and Canberra in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Puerto Princesa $24
    Canberra $83
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Puerto Princesa $48
    Canberra $166
Compare Hotels in Puerto Princesa and Canberra

Looking for a hotel in Puerto Princesa or Canberra? 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 Puerto Princesa


Hotels in Canberra


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: Puerto Princesa Hotel Prices and Canberra Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Puerto Princesa $51
    Canberra $24

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Puerto Princesa

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

  • Transfer to/from Puerto Princesa and El Nido: $17
  • Transfer between Puerto Princesa and El Nido: $18
  • Shared Transfer Puerto Princesa/Port Barton: $17
  • Puerto Princesa:El Nido – Shared Van Transfer: $14
  • Van Transfers to/from Sabang or Astoria: $116
  • Transfers to/from Port Barton: $14
  • Shared Airport Transfers to/from hotel: $7.11
  • Relaxing Massage with optional transfers: $23
  • Private Airport Transfers to/from hotel: $21
  • One-Way Transfer To/From El Nido: $16
  • Astoria Water Park Day Pass & Transfers: $232
  • Puerto Princesa City Van Transfers: $23

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Canberra

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

  • Guided Tour of Floriade Festival with Transfers: $125
  • Canberra to Canberra Airport (CBR) - Departure Private Transfer: $67
  • Canberra Int'l Airport (CBR) to Canberra Arrival Private Transfer: $67
  • Canberra Airport (CBR) to Canberra - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $134

Is it cheaper to fly into Puerto Princesa or Canberra?

Prices for flights to both Canberra and Puerto Princesa 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
    Puerto Princesa $34
    Canberra $60

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

Typical Food Prices in Canberra

For Canberra, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:


  • Lunch
    $16

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Puerto Princesa $6.77
    Canberra $17

Tours and Activities in Puerto Princesa

For Puerto Princesa, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • 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
  • City Tour of Puerto Princesa sightseeing excursion: $35
  • City tour of Puerto Princesa Palawan Philippines : $20
  • El Nido Day Tour: $80
  • From Honda Bay Island Hopping Full-Day Tour: $40
  • Full Day Excursion: UNESCO Underground River Tour: $48
  • Half Day City Joiners Tour | Puerto Princesa: $34
  • Half-Day City Tour from Puerto Princesa: $27
  • Half-Day City Tour | Puerto Princesa: $53
  • Half-day Puerto Princesa City Tour: $15

Tours and Activities in Canberra

For Canberra, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • Personalised Hop-on Hop-off Sightseeing in Canberra, with John: $40
  • Australian Institute of Sport: The AIS Tour: $14
  • Building + Architecture Tour | 10am Daily: $13
  • Canberra Floriade Tour: $127
  • Canberra Glassblowing Experience: Make Your Own Bird: $79
  • Canberra One Day Tour: $244
  • Canberra Small Group Winery Tour: $151
  • Beer, Wine, and Spirits Tasting Tour: $112
  • City Highlights Day Tour with Entrance Fees: $125
  • Kangaroos and Koala Experience Tour: $89
  • National Portrait Gallery Guided Tour: $9.92
  • Private Wine Discovery Tour with Lunch: $397

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Puerto Princesa $14
    Canberra $16

Typical Alcohol Prices in Canberra

Here are a few samples of the prices for alcohol and nightlife in Canberra from other travelers:


  • Drinks at a Bar
    $9.16

Sample the Local Flavors in Canberra

Also in Canberra, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:

  • Canberra Bar Crawl Can I Get a Drink Canberra: $15
  • Wine Tour From Canberra to Murrumbateman - Hop on Hop Off: $60
  • 2 People - Indulgence Wine Tasting with Matched Elements Canberra: $87
  • Canberra Brewery Winery and Distillery Tour: $114
  • From Winery, Distillery, & Tasting Tour with Lunch: $149
  • Canberra Wine Tour: $161
  • Full-Day Canberra Brewery, Wineries & Distillery tour /w lunch: $174
  • 2 People - Premium Wine Tasting Experience and 2-Course Lunch: $181


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

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


Which is Bigger, Puerto Princesa or Canberra?

Canberra has a larger population, and is about 2 times larger than the population of Puerto Princesa. When comparing the sizes of Puerto Princesa and Canberra, 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.