Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money · Updated September 2026
| Item | Boracay | Palawan | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | ₱ 200$3.51 | ₱ 170$2.98 | Palawan −15% |
| Street food1 item | ₱ 90$1.58 | ₱ 77$1.35 | Palawan −14% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | ₱ 680$11.9 | ₱ 570$10 | Palawan −16% |
| Coffeeone cup | ₱ 160$2.81 | ₱ 140$2.46 | Palawan −12% |
| Beerone bottle | ₱ 100$1.75 | ₱ 91$1.6 | Palawan −9% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | ₱ 260$4.56 | ₱ 240$4.21 | Palawan −8% |
| Bottled water | ₱ 24$0.42 | ₱ 21$0.37 | Palawan −12% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | ₱ 60$1.05 | ₱ 53$0.93 | Palawan −12% |
| Taxi5 km in town | ₱ 110$1.93 | ₱ 110$1.93 | similar |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | ₱ 98$1.72 | ₱ 98$1.72 | similar |
| Transitone ride | ₱ 17$0.3 | ₱ 17$0.3 | similar |
| Scooter rentalper day | ₱ 520$9.12 | ₱ 520$9.12 | similar |
| Hotel night3-star | ₱ 3,400$59.6 | ₱ 2,600$45.6 | Palawan −24% |
| Studio rent (month) | ₱ 26,000$456 | ₱ 20,000$351 | Palawan −23% |
| Laundry | ₱ 86$1.51 | ₱ 86$1.51 | similar |
| SIM card1 week data | ₱ 340$5.96 | ₱ 340$5.96 | similar |
| Haircutcut | ₱ 210$3.68 | ₱ 210$3.68 | similar |
| Massage1 hour | ₱ 590$10.4 | ₱ 590$10.4 | similar |
| Half-day tourper person | ₱ 2,300$40.4 | ₱ 2,300$40.4 | similar |
| Entry ticketTourist town | ₱ 340$5.96 | ₱ 340$5.96 | similar |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
Palawan is 20% cheaper than Boracay. Daily budget $94.4 vs $75.7; a month $1,759 vs $1,411.
With a short-term studio and living costs, Boracay is about $1,759 and Palawan about $1,411 per month.
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.