Which place is cheaper, Gili Trawangan or Chengdu?
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 Chengdu or Gili Trawangan?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Chengdu and Gili Trawangan. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.
Where Should I go: Chengdu or Gili Trawangan?
Chengdu
Chengdu is in China's Sichuan Provence and is in what is known as the Red Basin. It is a particularly fertile region in China that is known for its agriculture. For this reason it is sometimes referred to as the "Land of Milk and Honey". The Funan River cuts through the city but has almost no boat traffic anymore. The city itself has a wonderful relaxed vibe compared to the rest of China and is filled with green parks and places to relax. It is considered one of the most livable cities in China.
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 Cultural Tours in China, The Best Luxury Tours to China, The Best Tours for Seniors to Indonesia, and The Best G Adventures Tours to Indonesia.
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Chengdu Prices
China PricesGili Trawangan Prices
Indonesia Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayChengdu $67Gili Trawangan $40
The average daily cost (per person) in Chengdu is $67, while the average daily cost in Gili Trawangan is $40. 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 Chengdu and Gili Trawangan in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personChengdu $21Gili Trawangan $23
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomChengdu $42Gili Trawangan $46
Compare Hotels in Chengdu and Gili Trawangan
Looking for a hotel in Chengdu 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: Gili Trawangan Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Chengdu $6.02Gili Trawangan $2.65
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Chengdu
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Chengdu:
- Sichuan Face Changing Opera With Door to Door Private Transfer: $75
- Round-Trip Private Transfer between Emei Shan and Chengdu City: $113
- Private Transfer from Chengdu to Mount Emei and Stops at Leshan Giant Buddha: $160
- Private Transfer from Chengdu hotel to Chengdu Train Station: $27
- Private Transfer from Chengdu Railway Station to City Hotel: $36
- Private Transfer from Chengdu Hotel to Chengdu Shuangliu Airport: $52
- Private Transfer from Chengdu City Hotels to Airport: $35
- Private Departure Transfer:City Hotel to Any Railway Station in Chengdu : $28
- Private Departure Transfer: Hotel to Chengdu Train Stations: $23
- Private Departure Transfer: Hotel to Chengdu International Airport (CTU): $23
- Private Chengdu International Airport Departure Transfer from City Hotels: $40
- Private Arrival Transfer:Any Chengdu Railway Station to City Hotel: $28
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Gili Trawangan
Also for Gili Trawangan, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Gili Trawangan Luxury Speedboat Transfer to Bali: $24
- Private Speedboat transfer Between Lombok and Gili Islands: $15
Is it cheaper to fly into Chengdu or Gili Trawangan?
Prices for flights to both Gili Trawangan and Chengdu 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 dayChengdu $38Gili Trawangan $12
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Chengdu
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Chengdu.
- Chengdu Night: VIP Seat Opera Show or Back Alley Food Tour: $40
- Discovery more Chengdu evening food tour with locals : $55
- Chengdu Hidden Street Food Tour Spice Trails: $60
- Eat Like a Local! Food Tour in the Hidden Alleys: $67
- Tuktuk Food Tour Through Chengdu's Local Eats: $69
- Half-Day Professional Mapo Tofu Cooking with a Local Market Visit: $69
- Market Tour and Sichuan Cooking Class: $70
- Half-Day Chengdu Cooking Class with a Local Market Visit: $75
- Half day Sichuan Cuisine Cooking Class Tour(Cooking 3 dishes): $75
- Evening Food Tour with Local Guide: $78
- Chengdu Evening Food Tour: $79
- Half-Day Private Hot-Pot Cooking Class with a Local Market Visit: $80
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: $33
- 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.Chengdu $16Gili Trawangan $3.82
Tours and Activities in Chengdu
Here are a few actual costs in Chengdu for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- 3-Hour Private Tour of Antique Furniture and Flea Market : $51
- Chengdu Leshan Buddha and Drop off off Railway Station Day Tour: $226
- Chengdu Private Day Tour to the Leshan Giant Buddha and Huanglongxi Old Town: $248
- Chinese Traditional Massage Experience with Healthy Lunch: $68
- Dujiangyan Irrigation System and Panda Base Day tour: $238
- Private Chengdu Panda Base and Sichuan Cuisine Museum Day Tour: $120
- Private Day Tour Chengdu Panda Base and The Leshan Giant Buddha: $230
- Private Full Day Chengdu Panda Base and Jinsha Site Museum Tour: $136
- Private Leshan Buddha Day Tour with Local Market visiting: $227
- 1 Day Panda Breeding Center Plus Chengdu City Tour: $175
- 1 Day Tea Trip in Mount Mengding with Tea Making Experience: $135
- 1 Day Wolong Panda Nature Reserve Tour: $218
Tours and Activities in Gili Trawangan
For Gili Trawangan, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Experience The Gili Fireshow with Cocktail: $9.75
- From Gili Islands Snorkeling Boat Tour: $15
- Group Snorkeling Tour Gili Islands Including GoPro Documentation: $15
- Gili Islands Snorkel Tour - Explore an Underwater Paradise: $16
- Gili Islands Sunset Boat Tour and Snorkeling: $17
- Cycling Tour with Snorkeling and Viewpoint: $31
- Cycling, Viewpoint & Paddle Boarding Tour: $34
- Gili Meno Horse Riding Adventure on the Beach for 1 Hour: $42
- Gili Air 1 Hour Horseback Beach Adventure: $46
- Kuta Tour (South Of Lombok Beutiful Tour): $49
- Lombok Private Tour Waterfall And Traditional Village Including Beach: $62
- Mushroom Tour with Jungle Breakfast: $75
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayChengdu $3.99Gili Trawangan $3.53
Sample the Local Flavors in Chengdu
Also in Chengdu, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Tipsy Travel: Chengdu Local Food and Bar Crawl Night Tour : $128
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Chengdu and Gili Trawangan, we can see that Chengdu 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 Chengdu would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Chengdu 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 Chengdu 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.