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

Should you visit Dunedin or Gili Trawangan?

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

Should I visit Dunedin 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: Dunedin or Gili Trawangan?

Dunedin

Dunedin is the second largest city on the South Island of New Zealand. It is situated on the southeast coast and is largely Scottish in its heritage. It is part of the Otago region and has mild temperatures during the spring and summer, but extremely cold temperatures during the end of fall and winter. Dunedin is a university town; The University of Otago is the oldest in New Zealand, established in 1869. The students make up over a tenth of the entire city's population.

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 Adventure Tours to New Zealand, The Best Eco Tours in New Zealand, The Best Tours for Seniors to Indonesia, and The Best G Adventures Tours to Indonesia.


Which place is cheaper, Gili Trawangan or Dunedin?

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

The average daily cost (per person) in Dunedin is $102, 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 Dunedin and Gili Trawangan in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Dunedin $52
    Gili Trawangan $24
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Dunedin $104
    Gili Trawangan $48
Compare Hotels in Dunedin and Gili Trawangan

Looking for a hotel in Dunedin 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 Dunedin


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: Dunedin Hotel Prices.

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

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Dunedin

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Dunedin:

  • Private Transfer from Chalmers Port to Dunedin Airport (DUD): $44
  • Private Transfer from Chalmers Cruise Port to Dunedin City Hotels: $44
  • ONE WAY MOMONA: Transfer from /to Dunedin Airport: $125
  • Momona Airport: One-Way Private Transfer to Momona: $90
  • Dunedin Int Airport(DUD) to Dunedin - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $72

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Gili Trawangan

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

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

Is it cheaper to fly into Dunedin or Gili Trawangan?

Prices for flights to both Gili Trawangan and Dunedin 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
    Dunedin $29
    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.
    Dunedin $17
    Gili Trawangan $3.98

Tours and Activities in Dunedin

Here are a few actual costs in Dunedin for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:

  • Shore Excursion: V8 Trike, Peninsula and City Tour: $48
  • A 2 hour Small Group Dunedin City Highlights Tour: $57
  • Albatross, Wildlife and Harbour Cruise: $97
  • All in Dunedin - Nature & City Tour: $520
  • Brews and Views: Private Tour of Dunedin’s Craft Beer Scene: $1,035
  • Captivating Side of Dunedin Walking Tour for Couples: $273
  • Castle, Coast & City Small Group Tour (8 pax max): $120
  • Clearwater Wildlife - Small Guided Tours (10 max) Otago Peninsula: $106
  • Cruise Dunedin City and Castle Tour: $112
  • Dunedin Adventure: Family Heritage & Nature Walk: $174
  • Dunedin Adventure: Family Heritage & Nature Walk: $339
  • Dunedin City & Coast Views 3-Hour Small-Group Tour: $74

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

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Dunedin $14
    Gili Trawangan $3.67

Sample the Local Flavors in Dunedin

Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Dunedin:

  • Speight Brewery Small Group Guided Tour from Dunedin: $21
  • Emerson's Brewery Tour: $24


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Dunedin and Gili Trawangan, we can see that Dunedin is more expensive. And not only is Gili Trawangan much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Dunedin 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 Dunedin would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Dunedin 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 Dunedin Expensive? and Is Gili Trawangan Expensive?.