Which place is cheaper, Gili Trawangan or Bagan?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
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Should you visit Bagan 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 Bagan and Gili Trawangan can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Bagan or Gili Trawangan?
Bagan
Located in central Myanmar (formerly Burma), Bagan is an ancient city best known as the home to the largest and densest concentration of Buddhist temples, pagodas, stupas, and ruins in the world with many dating from the 11th and 12th centuries.
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 Tours for Seniors to Indonesia, and The Best G Adventures Tours to Indonesia.
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Bagan Prices
Myanmar PricesGili Trawangan Prices
Indonesia Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayBagan $34Gili Trawangan $37
The average daily cost (per person) in Bagan is $34, while the average daily cost in Gili Trawangan is $37. 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 Bagan and Gili Trawangan in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personBagan $7.36Gili Trawangan $21
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomBagan $15Gili Trawangan $42
Compare Hotels in Bagan and Gili Trawangan
Looking for a hotel in Bagan 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.
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.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Bagan $3.57Gili Trawangan $2.48
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Bagan
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Bagan:
- Private Departure Transfer: Hotel to Bagan Nyaung-U Airport (NYU): $14
- From Bagan City To Mandalay Private Transfer: $180
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Gili Trawangan
Also for Gili Trawangan, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Bali: Gili Islands and Lombok Fast Boat Transfer: $38
- Convenient Transfers from Gili Islands to Lombok Hotels: $43
- Fast Boat Transfer Between Bali & Lombok with Hotel Transfer: $40
- Fast Boat Transfer Between Sanur and Gili Island: $28
- From Gili Islands: Bali Fast Boat Transfer: $35
- From Lombok: Bangsal to Nusa Penida Fast Boat Transfer: $33
- Gili Island Private Transfer: $14
- Gili Islands: Private Speedboat Transfer Service: $32
- Bali Fast Boat Transfer to Padang Bai: $32
- Bali Fast Boat Transfer to Sanur: $43
- Bangsal Harbor Speed Boat Transfer: $38
- Boat to Nusa Lembongan with Hotel Transfer: $32
Is it cheaper to fly into Bagan or Gili Trawangan?
Prices for flights to both Gili Trawangan and Bagan 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
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Food Meals for one dayBagan $10Gili Trawangan $11
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Bagan
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Bagan.
- Romantic Sunset Dinner At Bagan Viewing Tower: $91
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:
- Indonesian Food Cooking Class of Gili Air: $39
- Learn to cook Indonesian food at Gili Cooking Classes Trawangan: $39
- Gili Trawangan Sunset Cruise with Snorkeling & Dinner: $120
- Private Sunset Beach Dinner with Wine: $142
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Bagan $57Gili Trawangan $3.57
Tours and Activities in Bagan
Here are a few actual costs in Bagan for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Amazing Bagan, full day tour by car and guide: $90
- BAGAN TEMPLES FULL DAY GUIDED BY ELECTRIC BIKE ( Private Tour ): $64
- Bagan Antique Day Tour in Bagan: $86
- Bagan Classics Private Temples Tour: $159
- Bagan Cycling Tour ( Villages & Temples Cycling Explorer): $129
- Bagan Horse Cart Ride Tour with Puppet Show: $170
- Full Day Bagan Tour: $295
- Best Bagan One Day Tour With Tour Guide: $48
- Day Cruise Bagan to Mandalay: $31
- Faces of Bagan Private Photography Tour: $199
- Full Day tour In Bagan UNESCO World Heritage: $50
- Full day Adventure Trip in Bagan with Tuk Tuk: $72
Tours and Activities in Gili Trawangan
For Gili Trawangan, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- 3 Island Snorkeling Tour and Turtle Sanctuary with GoPro: $10
- Shared 3 Gili Islands Snorkeling Tour with Turtles & Reefs: $10
- Gili Islands Snorkeling Tour with Memories: $11
- best 3 island snorkeling tour with GoPro: $12
- Gili Islands Snorkeling Tour with Turtles: $12
- 3-Island Snorkeling Tour with GoPro Photos: $12
- Memories Gili Islands Snorkeling Tour Public: $13
- Gili Islands: Glass-Bottom Boat Snorkeling Tour With Photos: $13
- Gili Snorkeling Tour: Swim with Turtles & Go Pro Documentation: $14
- Group Snorkeling Tour Gili Islands Including GoPro Documentation: $14
- From Gili Islands Snorkeling Boat Tour: $16
- Gili Islands Turtle and Coral Snorkeling Adventure: $16
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayBagan -Gili Trawangan $3.30
When comparing the travel costs between Bagan and Gili Trawangan, we can see that Gili Trawangan is more expensive. However, the two cities are actually relatively comparable in price, as the difference is somewhat minimal. Generally, this means that you could travel with generally the same travel style and level of luxury in each place. Since both cities are in Asia, it's no surprise that their costs are relatively close, as many destinations here have somewhat similar travel prices overall.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Bagan Expensive? and Is Gili Trawangan Expensive?.
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.