Which place is cheaper, Bali or Darjiling?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Darjiling or Bali?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Darjiling or Bali? 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: Darjiling or Bali?
Darjiling
What began as a cluster of villages grew to prominence in the 19th Century when the British first established a hill station here and eventually realized that the climate was well-suited for tea plantations. Darjeeling (or Darjiling) has since become known for its teas in addition to cultural diversity, stunning views, and trekking opportunities.
Bali
Known as the "Island of the Gods," it's not difficult to see why the Gods would want to set up shop in Bali. With a beautifully diverse landscape of hills, mountains, coastlines, beaches, vibrant rice fields and volcanic hillsides, you'll easily go into sensory overload.
Bali is home to 4 million people who all hold true to a deeply spiritual and unique culture. With champion surfing, world class resorts and challenging hiking trails, this Indonesian island accommodates travelers from every walk of life. It's often called, "paradise on earth, " and no one disagrees.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 2-Week Tours in India, The Best Bicycle Tours in India, 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 dayDarjiling $35Bali $76
The average daily cost (per person) in Darjiling is $35, while the average daily cost in Bali is $76. 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 Darjiling and Bali in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personDarjiling $13Bali $43
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomDarjiling $26Bali $86
Compare Hotels in Darjiling and Bali
Looking for a hotel in Darjiling or Bali? 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: Darjiling Hotel Prices and Bali Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Darjiling $7.45Bali $9.42
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Darjiling
Also for Darjiling, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private Transfer from Gangtok to Bagdogra: $55
- Private Transfer Darjeeling Hotels To Bagdogra Airport IXB Drop: $73
- Private Transfers Darjeeling - Gangtok Drop: $122
- Rafting Journey at the Down on Teesta River's White Water with Private Transfer: $182
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Bali
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Bali:
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Motorbike Rental$3.23
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Bali
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Bali:
- Paragliding In Bali With Private Hotel Transfer: $140
- Bali Spiritual: Blessing Ceremony, Pristine Nature and Transfer: $109
- BALI PARAGLIDING Fly, Swing and Soaring above the sea with private transfer: $103
- West Beach Nusa Penida Tour with Speedboat Transfer from Sanur: $99
- Drive Your Own Jet Ski Without Instructor With Private Transfer: $85
- Batur Volcano Jeep Tour Include Private Transfer: $80
- Bali Quad and Buggy Discovery Tour, Including Round-Trip Transfer: $76
- Horse Riding on the Black Sand Beach and Free Hotel Transfers: $74
- Nusa Penida All-Inclusive Full-Day Tour with Transfers: $69
- Bali to/from Gili Gede: Fast Boat (Optional Bali Transfer): $65
- ATV Mason Jungle Buggy Adventure with Lunch & Transfer: $62
- Bali Parasailing Adventure,Banana Boat,Jet Ski and Donut Boat with Transfers: $59
Is it cheaper to fly into Darjiling or Bali?
Prices for flights to both Bali and Darjiling 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 dayDarjiling $14Bali $21
Typical Food Prices in Bali
Some typical examples of dining costs in Bali are as follows:
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Coffee$1.29
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Lunch for Two$14
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Bali Cafe for Two$28
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Lunch for Two$8.41
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Lunch for 2$9.32
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Dinner for 2$10
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Bali
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Bali.
- Best Romantic Seafood Dinner at Jimbaran Beach Sunset : $29
- Romantic Seafood Dinner under sunset jimbaran Beach: $30
- Private Tour Uluwatu Sunset Kecak Dance and Dinner at Jimbaran: $31
- Ubud: Balinese Cooking Class at an Organic Farm: $35
- From Ubud: Authentic Cooking Class in a Local Village: $35
- Romantic Seafood Dinner at Jimbaran: $38
- Spice Garden, Jamu & Cooking Class in Bali Village: $45
- Seminyak: Balinese Cooking Class & Market Tour: $45
- Padang-Padang Beach+ Uluwatu Sunset and Kecak Dance + Dinner: $45
- Bali Street Food Tour: $45
- Bali's Best Sunset: Uluwatu Kecak Dance & Dinner Jimbaran Beach: $50
- South Bali Beach Tour, Uluwatu Sunset Kecak Fire Dance & Seafood Barbeque Dinner: $50
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Darjiling $12Bali $11
Tours and Activities in Darjiling
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Darjiling.
- Discover the Spiritual Trails of Gangtok (2 Hours Guided Walking Tour): $12
- Heritage & Cultural Walk of Gangtok (2 Hours Guided Walking Tour): $13
- Heritage & Cultural Walk of Darjeeling (2 Hours Guided Walking Tour): $13
- Discover the Spiritual Trails of Darjeeling (2 Hours Guided Walking Tour): $13
- Gangtok Food Crawl (2 Hours Guided Local Food Tasting Tour): $24
- Tiger Hill Darjeeling Nature Walk (3 Hours Guided Trekking Experience): $25
- Colonial Heritage Walking Tour in Darjeeling: $31
- Private Morning Excursion Tour To Tiger Hill (3 Points) With Pickup and Drop: $61
- Excursion to Tea Estate Tour With Tea Processing Tour with Transportation: $61
- Gangtok Monastery Tour (Guided Halfday Sightseeing Tour by Car): $81
- Best of Gangtok (Guided Halfday Sightseeing Tour by Car): $84
- The Land Mark Tour (Nautical Day Darjeeling To Mirik crusade): $92
Typical Entertainment Prices in Bali
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Bali are as follows:
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Spa for Two$56
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Snorkelling Trip$13
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Cooking School$29
Tours and Activities in Bali
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Bali are as follows:
- Bali Telaga Waja White Water Rafting Adventure : $47
- Lembongan Snorkeling and Island Tour: $80
- Nusa Penida Snorkeling Adventure (Private & All-Inclusive): $129
- Sightseeing to Ulundanu temple, banyumala waterfall & Tanah lot: $57
- Tanah Lot, Padang Beach, Uluwatu Sunset, & Kecak Dance Tour: $55
- White Water Rafting Adventure at Telaga Waja River : $43
- (BCR Rafting) Rafting Adventure in Telaga Waja River 18km: $55
- 2 Day Tours Ubud Art Village, Dance And Other Tourist Attractions: $186
- 3 Days Full Day Tours Tanah Lot Temple The Gate Of Heaven Temple: $300
- 3-Days Lombok,Gili island Tour Hopping around departure from Bali island: $300
- 30 minutes tandem Paragliding tours in Bali with free photo/video: $185
- 6-Hour White Water Rafting and Kanto Lampo Waterfall Private Tour: $79
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayDarjiling $8.73Bali $3.33
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Darjiling and Bali, we can see that Bali is more expensive. And not only is Darjiling much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Darjiling would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Darjiling 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 Bali would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Bali than you might in Darjiling.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Darjiling Expensive? and Is Bali Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Darjiling or Bali?
Bali has a larger population, and is about 3 times larger than the population of Darjiling. When comparing the sizes of Darjiling and Bali, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.
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.