A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Arrowtown vs. Gili Trawangan for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Arrowtown or Gili Trawangan?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Which city is more affordable and which is best for your travel style? If you're trying to figure out where to go next, comparing the travel costs between Arrowtown and Gili Trawangan can help you decide which place is right for you.

Where Should I go: Arrowtown or Gili Trawangan?

Arrowtown

Historically, Arrowtown is an old gold mining town that is located on the South Island of New Zealand. The town was established during the Otago gold rush of 1862. It is very close to Queenstown, which is a very popular destination among travelers, and it is definitely worth visiting if you are in the Otago region of New Zealand. It is a very tiny town, with a population of just over 2,000 people. The town has a lot of character and history and is a perfect place to go if you wish to get out of the touristy areas like Queenstown.

Gili Trawangan

Gili Trawangan, known as Gili T, is the most visited of the three Gili Islands, located on the northeast side of Lombok. These islands are known for world-class diving and snorkeling spots. It's not hard to see why, considering that any direction you step off the shoreline, there's a beautiful underwater world to explore.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Luxury Tours to New Zealand, The Best Budget Tours to New Zealand, The Best Tours for Seniors to Indonesia, and The Best G Adventures Tours to Indonesia.


Which place is cheaper, Gili Trawangan or Arrowtown?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.

The average daily cost (per person) in Arrowtown is $114, while the average daily cost in Gili Trawangan is $36. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Arrowtown and Gili Trawangan in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Arrowtown $67
    Gili Trawangan $24
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Arrowtown $134
    Gili Trawangan $48
Compare Hotels in Arrowtown and Gili Trawangan

Looking for a hotel in Arrowtown or Gili Trawangan? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.

Hotels in Arrowtown


Hotels in Gili Trawangan


Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.


Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Arrowtown Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Arrowtown $27
    Gili Trawangan $2.76

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Gili Trawangan

Also for Gili Trawangan, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Private Transfer Three Gili Island Lombok by Speedboat: $100
  • Lombok Transfer From 3 Gilis to Airport or Hotel In Lombok: $45
  • Central Gili Island Bus Transfer Senggigi Mataram Kuta Lombok: $16
  • Airport private Transfer: $39

Is it cheaper to fly into Arrowtown or Gili Trawangan?

Prices for flights to both Gili Trawangan and Arrowtown change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.





Food
  • Food Meals for one day
    Arrowtown $30
    Gili Trawangan $7.21

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Gili Trawangan

For Gili Trawangan, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • Sweet and Spicy - Indonesian Cooking Class in Gili Trawangan: $28
  • Learn to cook authentic Indonesian food at Gili Cooking Classes: $30
  • Gili Trawangan Sunset BBQ Dinner Cruise with snorkeling: $91

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Arrowtown $15
    Gili Trawangan $3.98

Tours and Activities in Arrowtown

For Arrowtown, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • Queenstown: Arrowtown Mountain Biking Adventure: $53

Tours and Activities in Gili Trawangan

For Gili Trawangan, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • 5H All Inclusive Breakfast &Snorkeling Cruise on Utopia Catamaran: $107
  • 5H All Inclusive Sunset & Snorkeling Cruise on Utopia Catamaran: $107
  • Gili Hai 3 Islands BBQ Cruise: $72
  • Gili Hai 3 Islands BBQ Sunset Cruise: $72
  • Gili Nanggu Day Tour: $80
  • Gili Trawangan 3 Island Half day Cruise with BBQ Lunch and Snorkeling : $91
  • Shared Gili Islands Snorkeling Tour: $19
  • Kuta Tour (South Of Lombok Beutiful Tour): $49
  • Lombok Private Customize Tour: $85
  • Lombok Private Tour Waterfall And Traditional Village Including Beach: $55
  • Private Snorkeling Experience in Gili Trawangan: $22

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Arrowtown $13
    Gili Trawangan $3.67

Sample the Local Flavors in Arrowtown

Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Arrowtown:

  • From Scenic Valley of the Vines Bike & Wine Tour: $89


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Arrowtown and Gili Trawangan, we can see that Arrowtown is more expensive. And not only is Gili Trawangan much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Arrowtown is in Pacific and Gili Trawangan is in Asia, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Gili Trawangan would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Gili Trawangan and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Arrowtown would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Arrowtown than you might in Gili Trawangan.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Arrowtown Expensive? and Is Gili Trawangan Expensive?.


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