Which place is cheaper, Gold Coast 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.
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Should you visit Puerto Princesa or Gold Coast?
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 Gold Coast 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 Gold Coast?
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.
Gold Coast
The Gold Coast is one of Australia's premier destinations. Famous for gorgeous beaches, warm weather, watersports, and plenty of activities for all ages, millions of tourists from Australia as well as everywhere in the world flock to this region every year. With beaches, national parks, theme parks, shopping and dining, nice resorts, boating, fishing, diving, theme parks and more, the Gold Coast offers something for everyone.
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 Honeymoon Tours in Australia, and The Best Photography Tours in Australia.
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Puerto Princesa Prices
Philippines PricesGold Coast Prices
Australia Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPuerto Princesa $86Gold Coast $119
The average daily cost (per person) in Puerto Princesa is $86, while the average daily cost in Gold Coast is $119. 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 Gold Coast in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPuerto Princesa $24Gold Coast $55
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPuerto Princesa $48Gold Coast $110
Compare Hotels in Puerto Princesa and Gold Coast
Looking for a hotel in Puerto Princesa or Gold Coast? 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: Puerto Princesa Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Puerto Princesa $51Gold Coast $23
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Puerto Princesa
Also for Puerto Princesa, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private Transfers Puerto Princesa To Elnido: $260
- Astoria Water Park Day Pass & Transfers: $237
- Private Transfer from Puerto Princesa to El Nido: $203
- Private Transfer to El Nido: $174
- Palawan: Private San Vicente Airport Transfers: $164
- 3day van transportation: airport transfer, city sightseeing van, beach transfers: $120
- Van Transfers to/from Sabang or Astoria: $119
- PrivateTransfer from Puerto Princesa Port to Puerto Princesa city: $60
- Honda Bay Island: Island Tour with Lunch & Transfer: $53
- Puerto Princesa City Van Transfers: $24
- Relaxing Massage with optional transfers: $24
- Private Airport Transfers to/from hotel: $22
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Gold Coast
Also for Gold Coast, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport: Shared Transfer Sydney CBD: $22
- Private Transfer from Gold Coast Airport - Surfers Paradise: $50
- Private Transfer Gold Coast Airport OOL to City Centre/Brisbane: $48
- Private Gold Coast Airport Arrival Transfer to Byron Bay: $140
- Mt Tamborine Shuttle Service - Gold Coast Return Transfer: $66
- OOL Airport to City Centre Private Transfer: $42
- Chill Out at Byron Bay Bus Transfer: $72
- Gold Coast to Byron Bay scenic One Way Transfer: $81
- Gold Coast Airport: Shared Transfer to Gold Coast: $21
- Gold Coast Airport Transfer: Gold Coast to Airport OOL in Luxury Car: $139
- Gold Coast Airport Transfer: Gold Coast to Airport OOL in Business Car: $108
- Gold Coast Airport Transfer: Airport OOL to Gold Coast in Business Car: $108
Is it cheaper to fly into Puerto Princesa or Gold Coast?
Prices for flights to both Gold Coast 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
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Food Meals for one dayPuerto Princesa $34Gold Coast $47
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: $33
- Firefly Watching Bay Cruise with Dinner: $35
- Firefly Watching with Dinner: $40
- Firefly Watching Tour with Dinner: $55
- Seafood Lunch or Dinner with transfers: $60
- Underground River with Dinner at Kalui: $82
- Underground River and Firefly Watching with Dinner: $89
- Balayong People's Park with Dinner and Show: $119
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Gold Coast
For Gold Coast, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Australian Outback Spectacular Dinner & Show: $79
- Brisbane/Sunset, Dinner, Stars/Premium Telescope: $79
- Gold Coast Buffet Dinner Sightseeing Cruise: $87
- Gold Coast Private Sunset Sailing Charter w/ dinner & drinks: $309
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Puerto Princesa $6.77Gold Coast $19
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: $82
- From Honda Bay Island Hopping Full-Day Tour: $41
- Full Day Excursion: UNESCO Underground River Tour: $49
- Half Day City Joiners Tour | Puerto Princesa: $35
- Half-Day City Tour from Puerto Princesa: $27
- Half-Day City Tour | Puerto Princesa: $55
- Half-day Puerto Princesa City Tour: $15
Tours and Activities in Gold Coast
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Gold Coast.
- 1 Hour Amore Tour: $235
- 1.5 hr Jet Ski Safari tour to South Stradbroke Island!: $201
- 2 Hour Ultimate Learn to Surf Adventure: $44
- 2 Hours Dolphin Kayaking & Snorkeling Tour on the Broadwater: $58
- 2-Day Dreamworld and SkyPoint Admission Ticket: $87
- 2.5 hr Jet Ski Safaris tour - Ultimate Adventure + island stop: $268
- 30 Minutes Virtual Reality Gaming Experience in Southport: $40
- Aquaduck Gold Coast 1 hour City and River Tour: $39
- Barefoot Luxury Mount Tamborine Winery Tour from Gold Coast: $220
- Best of Private Walking Tour with a Local: $108
- Book Private Tour for Banff-Yoho-Kootenay & Jasper Parks: $682
- Brisbane: Springbrook 7 Waterfalls and Natural Bridge Tour: $125
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPuerto Princesa $14Gold Coast $5.23
Sample the Local Flavors in Gold Coast
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Gold Coast:
- Granddad Jack's Distillery Gin Tasting & Talk: $43
- Queensland Distillery Tour: $76
- Craft Distillery and Brewery Tour on Gold Coast: $77
- Sirromet Wine Tasting and Blending Workshop for 2: $84
- Wine, Distillery & Rainforest Day Tour: $151
- Private Bespoke Hinterland Heritage Wine Tour: $161
- Tamborine Mountain Wine Tour with 2-Course Lunch: $165
- Full-Day Guided Wine Tour in Mt Tamborine From Gold Coast : $167
- Luxury Wine Tour with Gourmet Lunch & Distillery: $197
- Gold Coast and Craft Brewery VIP Tour from Brisbane: $956
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Puerto Princesa and Gold Coast, we can see that Gold Coast 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 Gold Coast 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 Gold Coast would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Gold Coast 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 Gold Coast Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Puerto Princesa or Gold Coast?
Gold Coast has a larger population, and is about 3 times larger than the population of Puerto Princesa. When comparing the sizes of Puerto Princesa and Gold Coast, 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.
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.