What a Palawan Trip Cost Adds Up To for a Week in Pesos

On prices: the figures on this page were gathered in September 2026 and are given as bands rather than current quotes. Rates, fees and timetables change every season - check with the operator before you book.

The Stack of Cash That is Palawan

The first thing you pay for in Palawan is not your hotel or flight. It is the 200 peso environmental fee at the El Nido port, handed over in cash to a man with a receipt book before you can board a boat. A Palawan trip runs on a relentless series of small, mandatory cash outlays that first-timers never tally. Your budget is not one number but a stack of peso notes for van drivers, boat captains, and port officials who do not take cards.

You will need more small bills than feels sensible. Budget for the shared van from Puerto Princesa Airport to El Nido, the island-hopping tour, and the extra eco-fee collected separately. The ATMs in El Nido and Coron run dry by Sunday afternoon, and many establishments operate on generator hours, making cash your only reliable currency outside the provincial capital.

What follows is an itemised accounting of every unavoidable outflow across a week. The real costs that shape your trip, from the beachfront seafood platter in Port Barton to the ferry that eats a whole day moving between Coron and El Nido.

Palawan Budget Breakdown

A practical Palawan budget covers three areas: moving between towns, accessing the natural sights, and daily living expenses. Flights and accommodation are fixed costs you book in advance. The real spending happens on the ground in cash.

Ground Transport Costs

Shared vans are the backbone of Palawan transport. They run on a wait-for-full system, not a schedule. A 9am van from Puerto Princesa to El Nido might not leave until 11am. Budget 600 to 900 pesos for that five to six hour journey. The road from El Nido to Port Barton is partially unpaved and takes four to five hours for 90 kilometres, costing 500 to 700 pesos per seat. Private van rates are steep, from 6,000 to 8,000 pesos for the same route.

The Ferry Consideration

The ferry between El Nido and Coron operates from November to May and costs 1,800 to 2,200 pesos for the four to five hour journey. Rough seas are common. Trying to do both destinations in a single week means sacrificing two days to transit, leaving you with rushed half-stays. Choose one base.

Route	Vehicle Type	Duration	Cost (PHP)	Notes
Puerto Princesa to El Nido	Shared Van	5–6 hours	600–900	Cash paid to driver, departs when full
Puerto Princesa to Sabang	Shared Van	2 hours	300–400	For Underground River access
Puerto Princesa to Port Barton	Shared Van	4–5 hours	500–700	Rough road conditions
El Nido to Port Barton	Shared Van	4–5 hours	500–700	Partially unpaved, bone-jarring ride
El Nido to Coron	Ferry	4–5 hours	1,800–2,200	Operates Nov–May, rough seas common
Coron to Culion	Ferry	45 minutes	300	Each way, for history tours
Coron Town to Airport	Tricycle	30 minutes	150–300	Fixed rate per vehicle, not per person

El Nido Expenses

El Nido town is your chaotic launch point for the Bacuit Bay lagoons. Your largest expense here is the island-hopping tours, paid in cash at tour offices the day before.

Tour A, covering the Big Lagoon and Small Lagoon, costs 1,200 to 1,400 pesos per person. Tour C, to hidden beaches and shrines, runs 1,400 to 1,600 pesos. These are base prices. You must also pay a 200 peso environmental fee and a 200 peso Bacuit Bay entrance fee per person, in cash, at the port on the morning of your tour. Kayak rental at the lagoons costs extra.

Accommodation and Food

Budget accommodation in El Nido town costs 800 to 2,000 pesos per night for a basic guesthouse room, often with intermittent fan power due to brownouts. A midrange room with reliable air conditioning costs 2,500 to 5,000 pesos. Food carries a premium because everything is shipped from Manila; a main course in a midrange restaurant is 250 to 500 pesos. A simple danggit breakfast with rice is 150 pesos.

There are only a handful of ATMs in town, and they run out of cash from Friday evening through Sunday. Make your ATM cash run early in the week.

Coron Expenses

Coron town is a functional dive hub, not a beach destination. Your money here goes toward island tours and first-rate wreck diving.

The standard Coron island-hopping tour to Kayangan Lake and Twin Lagoon costs 1,500 to 1,800 pesos. A separate tour focusing on shipwrecks and Coral Garden is the same price. These are per person rates paid in cash. On top of the tour price, you will pay a 150 peso environmental fee and a 200 peso Coron Island tribal fee to the Tagbanwa community. These are separate cash transactions.

Accommodation and Food

A budget room in Coron town costs 700 to 1,800 pesos per night. Midrange options range from 2,000 to 4,500 pesos. Like El Nido, Coron suffers from ATM reliability issues, with only a few machines that empty by the weekend. Card acceptance is limited to a few larger hotels and dive shops, which add a 3 to 5 percent surcharge.

For food, try danggit lamayo, a marinated sun-dried rabbitfish, for breakfast. A local meal in a carinderia costs 80 to 150 pesos.

Palawan Peso Budget for One Week

This budget assumes a week based in either El Nido or Coron, not both. It is for a solo traveller staying in budget accommodation and doing two island-hopping tours.

Accommodation

Seven nights in a budget guesthouse: 5,600 to 14,000 pesos. This wide range reflects the price difference between a basic fan room in low season and a more comfortable option in peak season.

Tours and Fees

Two island-hopping tours: 2,400 to 3,600 pesos. Environmental and tribal fees for two tours: 700 pesos. Total for activities: 3,100 to 4,300 pesos.

Food and Drink

Three meals per day, mixing carinderia meals and occasional restaurant splurges: 400 to 800 pesos per day. Over seven days: 2,800 to 5,600 pesos.

Local Transport

Tricycle fares around town and one major van transfer: 1,000 to 2,000 pesos.

Total Cash Budget

Total per person for one week: roughly 13,000 to 26,000 pesos. This is the cash you need to withdraw after arriving, excluding flights and pre-booked hotels. Bring more small bills than you think you need.

Managing Your Money in Palawan

Cash dependency is the single biggest financial factor in Palawan. Outside Puerto Princesa, assume every transaction requires peso notes.

Withdraw all the cash you will need for your stay in a town as soon as you arrive. The ATMs in El Nido and Coron are few and run out of money, especially from Friday evening through Sunday afternoon and on Philippine public holidays. Do not plan to withdraw cash on a Saturday.

Carry your cash in a secure money belt or pouch. Break large 1,000 peso bills whenever you can; drivers and small shops may not have change. Budgeting for a Palawan trip means planning for these small, relentless outflows.

Credit cards are not a reliable backup. Acceptance is limited to a handful of larger hotels and dive shops in El Nido and Coron, and they add a 3 to 5 percent surcharge. In places like Port Barton, it is cash only everywhere.

Who Palawan is for and Who Should Skip it

Palawan suits adventure-minded couples and small groups who value raw natural beauty over luxury. It rewards competent scuba divers chasing first-rate reefs and island-hopping purists willing to trade comfort for seclusion. Photographers come for the limestone karst seascapes, and experienced backpackers handle the unpredictable schedules.

Palawan is not for travellers wanting walkable beach towns with nightlife. Families with very young children or mobility issues will struggle with the rough transfers and basic facilities. Anyone on a tight five-day Philippines itinerary should not try to cram Palawan in. Luxury-resort seekers expecting polished service will find the high-end options are isolated, and you are largely stuck where you land without the infrastructure to support constant movement.