How much does a trip to Palawan cost? Budgets and prices for 2026-2027

Last updated: November 3, 2026

A Palawan trip costs less than most beach trips from the US, UK or Australia once you land, but more than the rest of the Philippines: rooms in El Nido and Coron are priced for tourists, and island hopping, fees and domestic flights add up. This guide breaks the Palawan trip cost down into daily budgets, room rates, tours, environmental fees, transport and food, with a sample week and the hidden costs to plan for. Prices are in pesos with US dollar equivalents at roughly ₱57-58 per dollar.

How much does a trip to Palawan cost? Daily budgets

Is Palawan expensive? By Philippine standards, yes: El Nido and Coron are among the priciest destinations in the country, and costs rise further on small islands where everything arrives by boat. By Western standards it is still good value. Excluding international flights, a backpacker sleeping in dorms, eating at local canteens and joining shared tours spends around ₱2,500-3,500 (about $43-61) per person a day. A mid-range traveler in a double room with air conditioning, eating in tourist restaurants and taking a private boat now and then spends around ₱5,000-9,000 (about $87-157) per person a day when two share.

At the top end there is no ceiling. The island resorts of Bacuit Bay and Coron charge tens of thousands of pesos a night, and private boats, speedboat transfers and charter flights push an upscale budget to ₱20,000 (about $350) per person a day and well beyond. Puerto Princesa is the cheapest of the three main bases, El Nido the most expensive for everyday spending and Coron somewhere between, though its island resorts match El Nido's.

Accommodation prices in El Nido, Coron and Puerto Princesa

Rooms are the biggest variable. Booking-site averages put a dorm bed in El Nido at around $10-18 (₱600-1,000) a night, cheaper in October and dearer in February. Simple fan or air-conditioned guesthouse rooms in El Nido town and Coron town are listed from around $20-35 (₱1,150-2,000) a night, and comfortable mid-range hotels with a pool or a sea view mostly run around $50-120 (₱2,900-6,900). Puerto Princesa has the widest choice at each level, including business hotels near the airport.

Luxury is a different scale. El Nido Resorts' 2025 published offers priced a Miniloc garden cottage at about ₱34,400-38,400 (about $600-670) a night and Pangulasian villas at about ₱54,000-66,000 (about $940-1,150), with meals and island trips on some packages. Coron's island resorts sit in a similar bracket. Whatever your level, rates jump from Christmas to New Year, at Chinese New Year and in Holy Week, and drop in the June to October rains. Our where to stay guide explains which areas suit which budget.

Island-hopping tours and diving

Boat days are where most of the money goes after rooms. In El Nido the municipality fixes the four routes, and shared tours are recently quoted at around ₱1,200-1,500 for Tours A and D and up to about ₱1,800 for Tour C (about $21-31), with lunch, water and snorkel gear normally included. A private outrigger is reported at around ₱13,000-14,000 (about $225-245) for two people, with a smaller charge per extra guest, which makes it worthwhile for a group of four to six. Our El Nido island hopping guide explains the routes.

In Coron, shared tours in recent operator listings cost around ₱1,200-2,000 (about $21-35) per person, usually with lunch and site entrance fees included, while private boats leave the site fees to you; compare the stops on our Coron tours page. Divers should budget around ₱4,000-5,000 (about $70-87) for a two-dive day with equipment, the rate several Coron and El Nido shops have listed, plus marine-park and lake fees. Courses cost more, and the famous Coron wrecks need Advanced certification for most dives.

Environmental and entrance fees

Fees are small individually but add up, and nearly all are paid in cash. El Nido's Eco-Tourism Development Fee is reported at ₱400 (about $7) per person, valid for 10 days; on Tour A or Tour D, the Big or Small Lagoon adds ₱200 (about $3.50) per visit, a two-seat kayak around ₱300-400, and optional stops such as Matinloc Shrine charge around ₱200. Coron collects an environmental fee reported at ₱200 on arrival, and its sites charge separately, with Kayangan Lake reported at around ₱300 and other lakes, beaches and reef parks around ₱100-300 each.

For the Underground River, recent sources give a ₱500 (about $9) adult entrance, a ₱150 (about $3) city environmental fee, around ₱85 for the audio guide and a boat from Sabang that the city lists from ₱700 (about $12) for up to six people. Over a week in El Nido and Coron, a traveler joining four or five shared tours typically pays around ₱1,000-2,000 (about $17-35) in fees not covered by the tour price; keep every receipt, as later tours may ask for it.

Transport: flights, vans, ferries and tricycles

Domestic flights are usually the largest transport cost. Booking sites show promotional one-way jet fares from Manila to Puerto Princesa from around $35-55, while turboprop flights from Clark or Cebu to El Nido are reported at around ₱3,500-8,000 (about $61-139) one way, and more close to holidays. Since March 2026 there are no nonstop flights from Manila to El Nido or Coron, so add the bus or car to Clark if you start in the capital; our getting around guide compares the airports.

On the ground, a shared van from Puerto Princesa to El Nido costs around ₱720-790 (about $13-14) per seat, an air-conditioned bus slightly more, and a private van for the whole group roughly ₱7,300-8,800 (about $127-153). The fast El Nido to Coron ferry is quoted at roughly ₱1,800-3,250 (about $31-57) one way depending on operator, plus small port fees. Tricycles are cheap for short hops, around ₱100 from El Nido's van terminal into town, but longer runs add up: Lio airport to town is reported at ₱150-400 and a round trip to Nacpan with waiting time at ₱700-1,500. A rented scooter costs around ₱350-600 (about $6-10) a day.

Food and drink

Eating is where a Palawan budget can stay low. A rice plate with meat or fish at a carinderia (local canteen) costs around ₱100-200 (about $2-3.50), a main course in a tourist restaurant around ₱300-600, and dinner with a drink roughly ₱400-800 (about $7-14) per person in El Nido, with Puerto Princesa cheaper. Cocktails run around ₱250-400, while local beer and happy hours are much cheaper. Our El Nido restaurants guide names places at each price level.

Island-hopping tours include lunch, so on boat days you only pay for breakfast and dinner. Allow around ₱500-800 a day for food on a tight budget and ₱1,200-2,000 (about $21-35) for restaurant meals at mid-range level. Buy refill water rather than single bottles, and budget a little more on small islands and in resort restaurants, where prices are higher.

Sample budget for 7 to 10 days in Palawan

A 7-day mid-range trip for two people, flying into El Nido and out of Coron as on our Palawan itineraries, looks roughly like this per person: six nights in double rooms at around ₱4,000 a night, about ₱12,000; food at ₱1,500 a day, about ₱10,500; two El Nido and two Coron shared tours with fees and kayak, about ₱7,000-8,000; the ferry, about ₱2,800; and transfers and tricycles, about ₱1,500. That totals roughly ₱34,000-36,000 (about $590-625) per person, before the two domestic flights, which typically add ₱7,000-16,000 (about $120-280).

A 10-day backpacker loop from Puerto Princesa through Port Barton and El Nido to Coron, sleeping in dorms, eating at canteens and joining shared tours, comes to roughly ₱25,000-32,000 (about $435-555) per person, plus the flights in and out. A trip based on island resorts can easily cost that per night for two.

Hidden costs and money-saving tips

Cash is the main trap. ATMs in El Nido and Coron can run dry on busy weekends and are unreliable in Port Barton, and Philippine banks charge a fee per withdrawal on foreign cards, around ₱250 (about $4) at BDO according to its fee list, on top of your own bank's charges, so withdraw larger amounts less often. Hotels, dive shops and tour desks increasingly accept cards, yet some still add a card fee even though a 2006 trade department order bans card surcharges; ask before paying. Upscale hotels and restaurants may quote prices before a 10% service charge and 12% VAT.

To save, travel in the shoulder months of May or November, when rates fall but seas are often still workable, book flights early for holiday periods, and fly into one end of Palawan and out of the other instead of doubling back. Share a private boat with friends from your hostel, eat lunch on tour days and dinner at canteens, and carry small bills for tricycles and fees. Our guide to money in Palawan covers ATMs, cards and tipping in more detail.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a trip to Palawan cost?

Excluding international flights, budget around ₱2,500-3,500 (about $43-61) per person a day as a backpacker and ₱5,000-9,000 (about $87-157) mid-range, sharing a room. A 7-day mid-range trip to El Nido and Coron comes to roughly $590-625 per person plus domestic flights.

Is Palawan expensive?

It is one of the pricier parts of the Philippines, especially El Nido, but still cheap by US or European standards. Food and shared tours are affordable; rooms in peak season, private boats and island resorts are not.

How much cash should I bring to El Nido?

Enough for fees, tricycles, canteens and tours booked with small agencies, as many places take cash only and ATMs can run out. Around ₱2,000-3,000 a day per person is a safe float, topped up from town ATMs.

How much is island hopping in El Nido?

Shared tours are recently quoted at around ₱1,200-1,800 (about $21-31) per person with lunch. The ₱400 eco fee, ₱200 lagoon fees and kayak rental are paid on top.

How much is the Underground River tour in Puerto Princesa?

Recent sources give a ₱500 adult entrance plus a ₱150 environmental fee, an audio guide and a shared boat from Sabang. Day tours from the city bundle these with transport and the permit.