Which place is cheaper, Shangri-La or Gili Trawangan?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Gili Trawangan or Shangri-La?
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 Gili Trawangan and Shangri-La can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Gili Trawangan or Shangri-La?
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.
Shangri-La
The original Shangri-La existed in the fictional world of James Hilton's novel "The Lost Horizon." It was a hidden paradise, a place so beautiful that it couldn't possibly exist on earth. The Shangri-La that exists in Yunnan, China today was renamed from its former title Zhongdian in 2001 in order to associate the place with the mystical allure created in Hilton's novel. Visitors come to admire the traditional monasteries and temples set against a backdrop of mountain preserves and pristine lakes.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Tours for Seniors to Indonesia, The Best G Adventures Tours to Indonesia, The Best 2-Week Tours from Beijing, and The Best Family-Friendly Tours to China.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayGili Trawangan $37Shangri-La $48
The average daily cost (per person) in Gili Trawangan is $37, while the average daily cost in Shangri-La is $48. 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 Gili Trawangan and Shangri-La in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personGili Trawangan $25Shangri-La $19
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomGili Trawangan $50Shangri-La $38
Compare Hotels in Gili Trawangan and Shangri-La
Looking for a hotel in Gili Trawangan or Shangri-La? 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.Gili Trawangan $2.87Shangri-La $11
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: $19
- Airport private Transfer: $39
- Lombok Transfer From 3 Gilis to Airport or Hotel In Lombok: $45
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Shangri-La
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Shangri-La:
- Private Transfer from Shangri-la(Diqing) hotel to Lijiang/Shuhe hotel : $149
- Private Transfer from Shangri-La to Lijiang and Stops at Tiger Leaping Gorge: $160
Is it cheaper to fly into Gili Trawangan or Shangri-La?
Prices for flights to both Shangri-La and Gili Trawangan 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 dayGili Trawangan $7.51Shangri-La $19
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.Gili Trawangan $4.14Shangri-La $16
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
- Gili Air 1 Hour Horseback Beach Adventure: $42
- Kuta Tour (South Of Lombok Beutiful Tour): $49
- Private 2 Hours Snorkeling Experience with Baby Turtles Visit: $59
- 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: $111
- 5H Snorkeling & Sunset Cruise on Utopia Catamaran: $111
Tours and Activities in Shangri-La
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Shangri-La are as follows:
- 1 Day Shangri-la City Tour with Pudacuo National Park: $209
- 1-Day Shangri-La Private Tour: Potatso National Park and Baiji Temple: $169
- 1-Day Shangri-La Tour to Ganden Monastery, Nixi Pottery Village and Tibetan Town: $185
- 1-Day Shangri-La tour with Ganden Monastery, Napahai Lake and Tibetan Town: $190
- Private tour Songzanlin Monastry & Tibetan lunch from Zhongdian: $199
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayGili Trawangan $3.82Shangri-La $13
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Gili Trawangan and Shangri-La, we can see that Shangri-La 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 Shangri-La would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Shangri-La 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 Gili Trawangan Expensive? and Is Shangri-La 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.