Gili Trawangan Budget: Hotel • Food • Activity • Price List

3 min read
by Marlin
November 3, 2023

The internet says you need thousands of dollars to stay on Gili trawangan for just a few days, it’s actually not that much!

I'm a local, and let me give you an idea of how much you'll need to budget for your time on Gili Trawangan.

Tables below show how much you can expect to spend daily on Gili Trawangan in the high season. These do not include the cost of boat and flight tickets.

Note: assuming backpackers stay in hostels and eat at local restaurants.

Solo budget

Prices are in USD
# Item Mid range Backpacker
1 Accommodation $34 $10
2 Food $40 $5
3 Transport $4 $4
4 Total $78 $19

Couple budget

Prices are in USD
# Item Mid range Backpacker
1 Accommodation $34 $20
2 Food $80 $10
3 Transport $8 $8
4 Total $122 $38

I'll give you a breakdown of the costs including the flight cost, boat cost, and activities you might be interested in during your time on Gili Trawangan.

kaleydo villas gili trawangan
T R A W A N G A N
Kaleydo Villas Gili Trawangan
Family rooms
Outdoor swiming pool
Near the main street
See more images
Gili Teak Beach Front Resort
T R A W A N G A N
Gili Teak Beach Front Resort
Fitness center
Outdoor swimming pool
Private beach area
See more images
Senang Private Villa
T R A W A N G A N
Senang Private Villa
Spa
Fitness center
Outdoor swiming pool
See more images
1

Accommodation cost

bungalow on gili trawangan
Le Pirate bungalow

Unless you're going for the fancy ones, hotels on Gili Trawangan are almost always fully booked. So it's better to book your room in advance before heading to the island.

Hotels on Gili Trawangan tend to be more expensive compared to Bali. For a similar price, you might end up with a slightly lower quality room on Gili Trawangan compared to what you could get in Bali.

During the holiday season, the average cost of a hotel room on Gili Trawangan is around $34 USD or IDR 500,000 per night, which will typically give you a decent room with a spacious bed.

Alternatively, if you opt for a hostel, the cost during the high season is around $10 USD or IDR 150,000 per person per night.

underwater sclupture on gili islands
🔥 Very popular
Snorkeling trip to 3 Gili islands
Take you to see underwater statues and adorable sea creatures around the Gili Islands.
Check availability
2

Food cost

risotto on gili trawangan
$10 Risotto

If you find yourself eating three meals a day or even more, food expenses are likely to be the biggest drain on your budget during your holiday in Bali or Gili Trawangan.

When it comes to food prices, Gili Trawangan is pretty much on par with Bali. You can expect a range of prices in restaurants, starting from around $3 and going up to $20 USD.

To save some money while on Gili Trawangan, I recommend trying out local restaurants that serve authentic local cuisine.

You can get a hearty plate of rice with various side dishes for just $1 to $2 USD. They'll fill you up, no doubt!

local food on gili trawangan
$1.35 local food

Warung Dewi and Warung Sasak are two well-known local restaurants on the island, check them out on Google Maps below.

wrapped rice on gili trawangan
Nasi bungkus

For a real budget-friendly option, you can't go wrong with trying the nasi bungkus or wrapped rice from the food stalls near the jetty. It'll cost you less than a dollar.

traditional indonesian dishes
🔥 Popular
Indonesian food cooking class
This is where you're gonna learn to cook authentic Indonesian food!
Check availability
3

Transport cost

parked bicycles on gili trawangan
Bicycles

If you haven't heard yet, the Gili islands don't allow motorized vehicles on the islands. So your choices for getting around are either a bicycle or a horse-cart.

Tourists usually rely on the horse-carts, also called Cidomos, to transport their luggage from the jetty to their hotels because these carts can handle a ton of stuff.

As for getting around Gili Trawangan, most tourists prefer bicycles. Walking is also common but it can be pretty exhausting 😮‍💨 I've tried it myself.

horse-cart on gili trawangan
Cidomo

To get a bicycle, you can simply rent one from your hotel. And if you're looking for a Cidomo, you'll spot them hanging around near the jetty area.

🚲 Bicycle: $4 USD per day

🦄 Cidomo: $10 USD to a destination

I have a full article about how to get around the island if you want to check it out.

I didn’t include the horse-cart cost in the tables above because not everyone uses it. Only if your hotel is far away on the north or west and maybe definitely you should use it.

white boat cruising around the clear water of gili trawangan
🔥 Popular
Cruise around the clear water
Enjoy a five-hour cruise and go snorkeling in the clear waters
Check availability
4

Activity cost

glass bottom boat tour on gili trawangan
Glass-bottom boat tour

Gili Trawangan is packed with loads of fun activities to try out, and here's a list of them along with their costs. Note that the prices might change.

  • Swimming gear: $3.5 USD IDR 50,000
  • Surf board: $6.3 USD IDR 100,000
  • Surf lesson: $34 USD IDR 500,000 for 2-hour
  • Kayak: $10 USD IDR 150,000 per hour
  • Stand up paddle board: $10 USD IDR 150,000 per hour
  • Glass bottom boat tour: $34 USD IDR 500,000 for 2-hour
  • Diving with manta: $272 USD IDR 4,050,000
  • Diving with shark: $272 USD IDR 4,050,000
  • Cooking class: $19 USD IDR 290,000
  • Massage: $10 USD IDR 150,000
5

Flight & Taxi & Boat costs

Just talking about the staying costs may not cover everything you need to know. Some of you might be interested in knowing the overall expenses, including flight tickets and boat costs for your travel to and from the destination.

So, here are the taxi, boat and average flight ticket prices during the high season.

Note: prices listed below are for travel and return journeys

Flight cost

  • SydneyBali: $700 USD
  • LondonBali: $1,400 USD
  • Los AngelesBali: $2,500 USD

Taxi cost

  • Bali airportPadang Bai harbor: $60 USD IDR 900,000

Ferry cost

  • Padang Bai harborGili Trawangan: $60 USD IDR 900,000

Prices I mentioned above are for a single person except for taxis, which can accommodate up to four people.

6

Misc

Prices for a couple of other things you might want to know:

  • Juice: $1.2 USD IDR 20,000
  • Smoothie: $2 USD IDR 30,000
  • Beer: $4 USD IDR 60,000
  • Island hopping: $1.5 USD IDR 23,000
  • Souvenir: $3.2 USD IDR 50,000
  • T-shirt: $3.2 USD IDR 50,000
  • Swimming: Free
7

FAQs

Gili Trawangan is a bit pricier compared to Bali, but you won't really notice the difference unless you're extremely budget-conscious.

Gili Trawangan is considered affordable for many Western tourists who earn in dollars, but it's not as cheap as destinations like Thailand or the Philippines.

author
AUTHOR
Marlin
kaleydo villas gili trawangan
Kaleydo Villas
Gili Trawangan
9.7
Gili Teak Beach Front Resort
Gili Teak Resort
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9.2
Senang Private Villa
Senang Private Villa
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9.2
Ponte Villas
Ponte Villas
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9.6
Gili Eco Villas
Gili Eco Villas
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9.0
Kuno Villas
Kuno Villas
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9.3
Pondok Santi Estate
Pondok Santi Estate
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9.4
Nero North Gili Trawangan
Nero North
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9.0
Villa Selamat
Villa Selamat
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9.3
small white cruise boat
Snorkeling cruise with Lunch
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5.0
small white cruise boat during the sunset
Snorkeling sunset and diner cruise
Gili Trawangan
5.0
gili islands view
Private tour hopping 3 Gili islands
Gili islands
5.0
underwater sclupture on gili islands
Private snorkeling trip on 3 Gili islands
Gili islands
5.0
golf course by the beach
Golfing by the beach at Kosaido Lombok
Lombok
5.0
person riding a horse by the beach in a sunny day
Horseback riding by the beach
Gili Trawangan
5.0
spicy indonesian sambal
Sweet and spicy cooking class
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4.5
traditional indonesian dishes
Authentic Indonesian food cooking class
Gili Trawangan
5.0
Did you know ?
Grabbing your seat ahead of time can seriously cut down your costs compared to last-minute bookings.
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