Which place is cheaper, Gili Trawangan or Cebu?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Cebu or Gili Trawangan?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Cebu or Gili Trawangan? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.
Where Should I go: Cebu or Gili Trawangan?
Cebu
Cebu Island is an important island in the Visayas region of the Philippines, characterized by its main port at Cebu City as well as many natural features. The most-visited areas include islands of Mactan, Bantayan, Badian, Malapascua and Camotes, all which have resorts and hotels. Scuba diving and snorkeling are common activities along the shoreline, while hiking the mountainous spine of the island is popular inland.
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 Romantic Tours for Couples in Philippines, The Best Honeymoon Tours in Philippines, The Best Tours for Seniors to Indonesia, and The Best G Adventures Tours to Indonesia.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayCebu $66Gili Trawangan $37
The average daily cost (per person) in Cebu is $66, 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 Cebu and Gili Trawangan in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personCebu $25Gili Trawangan $25
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomCebu $50Gili Trawangan $50
Compare Hotels in Cebu and Gili Trawangan
Looking for a hotel in Cebu 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.
Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Cebu Hotel Prices and Gili Trawangan Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Cebu $26Gili Trawangan $2.87
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cebu
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Cebu:
- Trusted Airport transfer to Mactan Resorts or Cebu Hotels: $80
- Private Departure Transfer: Hotel to Mactan-Cebu International Airport: $35
- Oslob Private Van Transfer between Cebu, Mactan or Mandaue City: $175
- Oslob Car Hire and Transfers: $150
- Malapascua: Advance Divers Shark Dive & Optional Transfer: $112
- Mactan Cebu Airport Transfer to City Hotels: $35
- Kawasan Falls Canyoneering w/ Lunch & Transfers from Cebu City: $122
- Hotel Private Transfer Airport to Cebu, Mandaue, LapuLapu: $26
- Danasan Eco Adventure Park Including Round-Trip Hotel Transfer: $161
- Private One-Way Airport Transfer: $26
- Mactan-Cebu International Airport Private Transfer: $24
- Cebu Seaport - Mactan Hotel (Any Hotel) - One Way Transfer: $22
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Gili Trawangan
Also for Gili Trawangan, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private Speedboat transfer Between Lombok and Gili Islands: $25
- Gili Trawangan Gili Air Lombok Speedboat Transfer to Bali: $27
- Airport private Transfer: $39
- Lombok Transfer From 3 Gilis to Airport or Hotel In Lombok: $45
Is it cheaper to fly into Cebu or Gili Trawangan?
Prices for flights to both Gili Trawangan and Cebu 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 dayCebu $22Gili Trawangan $7.52
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Cebu
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Cebu.
- Cebu city: Walking Historical and Street Food Tour: $33
- Private Half Day Ultimate Food Tour in Cebu: $66
- The Original Cebu Historical Street and Food Tour: $74
- The Original Cebu City Historical Street and Food Tour: $75
- Street Food Tour and Historical Sites Adventure: $77
- Panoramic View of Cebu and Dinner with Night View: $97
- Traditional Filipino Bamboo Cooking Class: $112
- Private Panoramic Tour with Dinner: $131
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:
- Learn to cook authentic Indonesian food at Gili Cooking Classes: $33
- Gili Trawangan Sunset BBQ Dinner Cruise with snorkeling: $91
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Cebu $17Gili Trawangan $4.15
Tours and Activities in Cebu
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Cebu are as follows:
- Cebu City with Hillyland Joiners Tour: $66
- Cebu Steet food, historical and mountain tour: $110
- 3-Hour Small Group Cebu City Tour: $38
- A snorkelling tour to Cebu’s Hilutungan: $130
- Active Taal Volcano & Beach Swimming w/ Floating Cottage Tour: $160
- Balamban Uphill Adventure Tour in Cebu: $100
- Bantayan Island Hopping Joiner Tour: Virgin Island, Baigad Lagoon: $58
- Bohol Countryside Day Tour From Cebu City | Lunch at Loboc River Cruise: $145
- Bohol Countryside Day Tour from Cebu City or Mactan - Best Seller: $155
- Bohol Countryside Day Tour w Lunch at Loboc River From Cebu: $148
- Bohol Countryside Private Tour From Cebu City: $219
- CEBU Caubian Island Hopping Tour: $185
Tours and Activities in Gili Trawangan
For Gili Trawangan, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Shared Gili Islands Snorkeling Tour: $23
- Lombok Private Sightseeing Custom Tour: $35
- Kuta Tour (South Of Lombok Beutiful Tour): $49
- Private 2 Hours Snorkeling Experience with Baby Turtles Visit: $60
- Lombok Private Tour Waterfall And Traditional Village Including Beach: $62
- 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
- 5H Snorkeling & Breakfast Cruise on Utopia Catamaran: $114
- 5H Snorkeling & Sunset Cruise on Utopia Catamaran: $114
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayCebu $14Gili Trawangan $3.83
Sample the Local Flavors in Cebu
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Cebu:
- Private Guided Street Food and Nightlife Pub Crawl Tour in Cebu: $200
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Cebu and Gili Trawangan, we can see that Cebu is more expensive. And not only is Gili Trawangan much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. 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 Cebu would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Cebu 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 Cebu 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.