Which place is cheaper, Surfers Paradise 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 Surfers Paradise?
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 Surfers Paradise 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 Surfers Paradise?
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.
Surfers Paradise
A tourist mecca, Surfers Paradise is one of the most popular travel destinations along Australia's famed Gold Coast. The beach stretches for miles and there is an endless supply of almost constant parties. You'll find high rise apartments lined up along the shore and plenty of shopping areas, restaurants, nightclubs, and bars. Travelers from around the world visit the area, and it's a right of passage for Australia's teens to vacation in or near Surfers Paradise. For many travelers, Surfers Paradise comes across as little more than a mass marketed, over commercialized, party destination, but for others it is a vacation dream. Prices are highly inflated so you have to keep your whits about you to avoid being ripped off. Surfers Paradise is a destination of extremes and it conjures up extreme emotions in many travelers, be it positive or negative.
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 Luxury Tours to Australia, and The Best Adventure Tours to Australia.
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Puerto Princesa Prices
Philippines PricesSurfers Paradise Prices
Australia Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPuerto Princesa $86Surfers Paradise $124
The average daily cost (per person) in Puerto Princesa is $86, while the average daily cost in Surfers Paradise is $124. 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 Surfers Paradise in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPuerto Princesa $24Surfers Paradise $67
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPuerto Princesa $48Surfers Paradise $134
Compare Hotels in Puerto Princesa and Surfers Paradise
Looking for a hotel in Puerto Princesa or Surfers Paradise? 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 $51Surfers Paradise $11
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 Surfers Paradise
Also for Surfers Paradise, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Gold Coast Theme Parks: Shared Hotel Transfers: $15
Is it cheaper to fly into Puerto Princesa or Surfers Paradise?
Prices for flights to both Surfers Paradise 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 $34Surfers Paradise $45
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 Surfers Paradise
For Surfers Paradise, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Buffet Dinner Sightseeing Cruise: $85
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Puerto Princesa $6.77Surfers Paradise $24
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
Typical Entertainment Prices in Surfers Paradise
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Surfers Paradise's activities, tours, and tickets:
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Surf Lesson$79
Tours and Activities in Surfers Paradise
For Surfers Paradise, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Catch a Crab Tour with Optional Seafood Lunch: $63
- Evening Rainforest & Glow Worm Tour from Gold Coast: $80
- Glow Worms + Day/Night Rainforest & Waterfalls Experience: $133
- Gold Coast Hop On Hop Off Sightseeing Cruise 1 Day Pass: $30
- Gold Coast Quack'rDuck Amphibious Tour from Surfers Paradise: $37
- Gold Coast: 360-Degree High-Speed Jet Boat Adventure: $39
- Gold Coast: Springbrook 7 Waterfalls and Natural Bridge Day Tour: $120
- HOTA: Gold Coast Home of the Arts Cruise & Dine Experience Pass: $27
- Kangaroos & Koalas in the Wild - Private Nature Experience: $227
- Kangaroos and Mountain Views Day Tour from Gold Coast: $80
- Lamington National Park, O'Reilly's & Vineyard Tour: $86
- Natural Bridge Glow Worm Night Tour from Gold Coast: $60
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPuerto Princesa $14Surfers Paradise $11
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Puerto Princesa and Surfers Paradise, we can see that Surfers Paradise 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 Surfers Paradise 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 Surfers Paradise would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Surfers Paradise 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 Surfers Paradise Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Puerto Princesa or Surfers Paradise?
Puerto Princesa has a larger population, and is about 8 times larger than the population of Surfers Paradise. When comparing the sizes of Puerto Princesa and Surfers Paradise, 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.