Which place is cheaper, Queenstown 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 Queenstown?
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 Queenstown 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 Queenstown?
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.
Queenstown
Queenstown is a popular tourist destination on New Zealand's South Island. It is beautifully surrounded by the Southern Alps and sits on the banks of Lake Wakatipu. Across the lake you will find a stunning view of the Remarkables, a dramatic mountain range. The town itself is quite touristy, but prices still remain reasonable. There are options for all travel budgets, whether you're a backpacker hoping to save a few dollars or a family looking for some luxury accommodation. Despite its natural and tranquil setting, Queenstown is actually very much a party town, particularly during the peak seasons. Don't be surprised to find people out enjoying themselves until the early hours of the morning. If you're not into the party scene and are hoping to get a decent night's sleep, consider staying a little outside of town. About an hour outside of Queenstown you'll find Wanaka, which is a much smaller and peaceful town without the party scene.
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 Bicycle Tours in New Zealand, and Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in New Zealand.
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Puerto Princesa Prices
Philippines PricesQueenstown Prices
New Zealand Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPuerto Princesa $86Queenstown $130
The average daily cost (per person) in Puerto Princesa is $86, while the average daily cost in Queenstown is $130. 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 Queenstown in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPuerto Princesa $24Queenstown $55
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPuerto Princesa $48Queenstown $110
Compare Hotels in Puerto Princesa and Queenstown
Looking for a hotel in Puerto Princesa or Queenstown? 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 and Queenstown Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Puerto Princesa $51Queenstown $10
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Puerto Princesa
Also for Puerto Princesa, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Shared Airport Transfers to/from hotel: $7.11
- Transfers to/from Port Barton: $14
- Puerto Princesa:El Nido – Shared Van Transfer: $14
- One-Way Transfer To/From El Nido: $16
- Transfer to/from Puerto Princesa and El Nido: $17
- Shared Transfer Puerto Princesa/Port Barton: $17
- Transfer between Puerto Princesa and El Nido: $18
- Airport Transfers airport to city center hotel and cruise port: $20
- Private Airport Transfers to/from hotel: $21
- Relaxing Massage with optional transfers: $23
- Puerto Princesa City Van Transfers: $23
- Honda Bay Island: Island Tour with Lunch & Transfer: $52
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Queenstown
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Queenstown:
- ZQN Airport to Downtown|Hotels Private Transfer: $27
- Tasman Glacier Helihike with Flight Transfers: $982
- Milford Sound Cruise with Helicopter Transfer: $748
- Queenstown to Mt Cook One Way Scenic Transfer: $115
- Queenstown private transfer: $87
- Queenstown International Airport to City Hotels Transfer : $90
- Queenstown Airport to/from Wanaka Hassle Free Private Transfer : $101
- QUEENSTOWN:Private 1 way Airport transfer to/from CBD Hotels: $52
- Private Transfers from Queenstown Airport to Wanaka : $177
- Private Airport Transfer Vice Versa in Queenstown by SUV: $69
- From Cardrona Ski/Snowboard Rentals & Transfer: $152
Is it cheaper to fly into Puerto Princesa or Queenstown?
Prices for flights to both Queenstown 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 $34Queenstown $62
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
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Queenstown
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Queenstown.
- Bar Crawl with 5 Free Shots and Pizza: $17
- Dinner at Walter Peak High Country Farm and Cruise from Queenstown: $119
- Queenstown Wine & Food Tour: Scenery, Tastings & Delicious Lunch!: $135
- Wine & Food Tour, Scenic Tastings & Paired Lunch: $138
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Puerto Princesa $6.77Queenstown $21
Tours and Activities in Puerto Princesa
For Puerto Princesa, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- PPS CITY TOUR: $13
- Puerto Princesa; Half day City tour: $13
- Cathedral and Baker's Hill Tour: $14
- Puerto Princesa City Tour with Snacks: $14
- Half Day City Tour with Butterfly Garden: $14
- Half-Day City Tour with Optional Massage: $14
- Half-day Puerto Princesa City Tour: $15
- City tour of Puerto Princesa Palawan Philippines : $20
- 2in1 City tour and museum with pick up at hotel or cruise port: $25
- Puerto Princesa Half Day City Tour (shared tour): $27
- Half-Day City Tour from Puerto Princesa: $27
- Shared Half City Tour with SPA: $30
Typical Entertainment Prices in Queenstown
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Queenstown are as follows:
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Skyline Gondola (for 2)$30
Tours and Activities in Queenstown
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Queenstown are as follows:
- 1-Hour Ultimate Jet Boat Adventure on the Kawarau River: $89
- 20-Minute Remarkables Helicopter Tour from Queenstown: $167
- 30-Minute High-Speed Thrill Queenstown Jet Boat Adventure : $65
- Arrowtown and Wanaka Highlights Tour from Queenstown: $125
- Beauties of Queenstown Private Walking Tour: $941
- Boutique Winery Half-Day Tour & Vineyard Platter-Style Lunch: $150
- Cardrona Valley Mountain Quad Experience from Wanaka: $215
- Convertible Picnic Tour Queenstown: $113
- Cruise Milford Small Group Day Tour from Queenstown : $221
- Dart River Canoe and Jet Boat Experience from Queenstown: $264
- Dart River Jet Boat and Wilderness Experience: $184
- Doubtful Sound Wilderness Cruise from Queenstown: $278
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPuerto Princesa $14Queenstown $8.86
Sample the Local Flavors in Queenstown
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Queenstown:
- Ice Bar Crawl: $23
- Queenstown, Arrowtown, Gibbston: Join the Only Flexible Wine Tour: $53
- Bike & Wine Tour: Arrowtown to Valley of the Vines: $69
- Queenstown & Gibbston Valley: Hop-On Hop-Off Wine Tours: $75
- Craft Beer Brewery Tour with Lunch: $107
- Queenstown's Original Wine Tour Celebrating 33 Years: $113
- Classic Wine Tour: $127
- Queenstown Classic Wine Tour: 3 Winery Visits, Cave Tour & Cheese: $131
- Central Otago Wine Tour: $132
- Award Winning Premium Wine Tour Queenstown Tasting at 4 Wineries: $137
- Wine Tasting Tour: $144
- Afternoon Boutique Wine Tour: $149
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Puerto Princesa and Queenstown, we can see that Queenstown 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 Queenstown 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 Queenstown would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Queenstown 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 Queenstown Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Puerto Princesa or Queenstown?
Puerto Princesa has a larger population, and is about 20 times larger than the population of Queenstown. When comparing the sizes of Puerto Princesa and Queenstown, 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.