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Palawan vs Siargao cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ต๐ญ Palawan
๐ต๐ญ Siargao
At a glance
- Where Siargao is clearly cheaper: Entry ticket (80%โ), Scooter rental (27%โ), Hotel night (17%โ)
- Where Palawan is clearly cheaper: Transit (50%โ), Street food (40%โ), Tuk-tuk / moto taxi (40%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Palawan is easier to travel (2.8 vs 3.2). Biggest gap: payments โ Palawan 3 vs Siargao 4. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Palawan | Siargao | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โฑ 150$2.63 | โฑ 200$3.51 | Palawan โ25% |
| Street food1 item | โฑ 60$1.05 | โฑ 100$1.75 | Palawan โ40% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | โฑ 500$8.77 | โฑ 600$10.5 | Palawan โ17% |
| Coffeeone cup | โฑ 130$2.28 | โฑ 150$2.63 | Palawan โ13% |
| Beerone bottle | โฑ 90$1.58 | โฑ 100$1.75 | Palawan โ10% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | โฑ 250$4.39 | โฑ 250$4.39 | similar |
| Bottled water | โฑ 25$0.44 | โฑ 25$0.44 | similar |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | โฑ 40$0.7 | โฑ 50$0.88 | Palawan โ20% |
| Taxi5 km in town | โฑ 150$2.63 | โฑ 200$3.51 | Palawan โ25% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โฑ 60$1.05 | โฑ 100$1.75 | Palawan โ40% |
| Transitone ride | โฑ 15$0.26 | โฑ 30$0.53 | Palawan โ50% |
| Scooter rentalper day | โฑ 550$9.65 | โฑ 400$7.02 | Siargao โ27% |
| Hotel night3-star | โฑ 3,000$52.6 | โฑ 2,500$43.9 | Siargao โ17% |
| Studio rent (month) | โฑ 14,000$246 | โฑ 20,000$351 | Palawan โ30% |
| Laundry | โฑ 60$1.05 | โฑ 70$1.23 | Palawan โ14% |
| SIM card1 week data | โฑ 400$7.02 | โฑ 500$8.77 | Palawan โ20% |
| Haircutcut | โฑ 150$2.63 | โฑ 150$2.63 | similar |
| Massage1 hour | โฑ 500$8.77 | โฑ 500$8.77 | similar |
| Half-day tourper person | โฑ 1,500$26.3 | โฑ 1,500$26.3 | similar |
| Entry ticketTourist town | โฑ 500$8.77 | โฑ 100$1.75 | Siargao โ80% |
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%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Palawan or Siargao?
Palawan is 14% cheaper than Siargao. Daily budget $82 vs $80.2; a month $1,113 vs $1,511.
Which is easier to travel, Palawan or Siargao?
Palawan is easier: Palawan 2.8/5 vs Siargao 3.2/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Palawan and Siargao?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Palawan is about $1,113 and Siargao about $1,511 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
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.