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

Should you visit Harbin or Gili Trawangan?

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 Harbin and Gili Trawangan can help you decide which place is right for you.

Where Should I go: Harbin or Gili Trawangan?

Harbin

Harbin, China is the northernmost major city in the country, with a population of over 10 million. Harbin was founded in 1897 by Russia, which has resulted in a lot of Russian influence throughout the city and many Russian citizens. The city is most famous for their annual International Snow and Ice Festival, a two-month-long festival running from January through February of each year.

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 2-Week Tours in China, Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in China, The Best Tours for Seniors to Indonesia, and The Best G Adventures Tours to Indonesia.


Which place is cheaper, Gili Trawangan or Harbin?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.

The average daily cost (per person) in Harbin is $66, 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 Harbin and Gili Trawangan in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Harbin $21
    Gili Trawangan $23
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Harbin $42
    Gili Trawangan $46
Compare Hotels in Harbin and Gili Trawangan

Looking for a hotel in Harbin 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 Harbin


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: Gili Trawangan Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Harbin $1.52
    Gili Trawangan $2.65

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Harbin

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

  • Shared Transfer Service to Ice and Snow World, Sun Island Snow Festival: $250
  • Private HRB Airport Departure Transfer from Harbin City Hotel: $70
  • Private HRB Airport Arrival Transfer to Harbin City Hotel: $70
  • Private Full Day Transfer Service to Harbin Top Winter Attractions: $198
  • Private Departure Transfer to Harbin North Railway Station from Harbin City: $100
  • Private Arrival Transfer from Harbin West Railway Station to Harbin City Hotel: $65
  • Harbin Volga Manor Private Transfer Service with Entry Tickets: $300
  • Harbin Taiping Airport Chauffeur Service, Harbin Airport Transfer, Pick up.: $59
  • Harbin Ice Festival Tickets and Transfer Service : $148
  • Harbin Catholic Church Car Transfer Service: $80
  • Harbin Airport (HRB) : Private Arrival Transfer with Meet & Greet Service: $32
  • 4 Hour Private Transfer to Sun Island Snow Sculptures: $100

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: $15
  • Gili Trawangan Luxury Speedboat Transfer to Bali: $24

Is it cheaper to fly into Harbin or Gili Trawangan?

Prices for flights to both Gili Trawangan and Harbin 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
    Harbin $24
    Gili Trawangan $12

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Harbin

For Harbin, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • Dinner Show with Costumes and Performances: $29
  • Harbin Cultural Tour at Zhongyang Dajie to Baluoke with Dinner: $80
  • Central Street, Baluoke Village, and Dinner Tour: $90
  • Harbin Dumpling Cooking Class: $154
  • Hot Spring Experience with Hot Pot Dinner in Harbin: $300

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
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Harbin $53
    Gili Trawangan $3.82

Tours and Activities in Harbin

For Harbin, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • Harbin Igloos Hot Pot Private Tour: $300
  • Private Night Tour to Harbin Ice Festival: $261
  • 1-Day Harbin Private Tour: $168
  • 2-Day Harbin City Private Tour in Your Way in Winter Season: $280
  • All-Inclusive Harbin City History and Local Culture Private Day Tour: $300
  • Group Tour to Harbin Ice and Snow World plus Sun Island Snow Sculpture Festival: $298
  • Half Day Tour for Harbin Guandong Ancient Lane and Wood Sculpture Museum: $104
  • Half-Day Private Old Harbin Street Walking Tour with Meal: $300
  • Harbin City Guided Tour to Zhongyang Street and Sophia Church: $180
  • Harbin City Private Day Tour in Your Way in Winter Season: $200
  • Harbin Ice Festival New Year Eve Countdown Group Tour on December 31: $200
  • Harbin Ice Lantern Show and Center Street Tour: $150

Tours and Activities in Gili Trawangan

For Gili Trawangan, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • 4-in-1 • Gili Islands Half-day Snorkel & Lunch Catamaran Tour: $104
  • 4-in-1 • Gili Islands Snorkel & Sunset Half-day Catamaran Cruise: $104
  • From Gili Islands Snorkeling Boat Tour: $15
  • From Lombok Beaches and Culture Tour: $84
  • Gili Air 1 Hour Horseback Beach Adventure: $46
  • Gili Hai 3 Islands BBQ Cruise: $83
  • Gili Hai 3 Islands BBQ Sunset Cruise: $83
  • Gili Islands Day Tour and Snorkeling at Turtle Points: $76
  • Gili Islands Snorkel Tour - Explore an Underwater Paradise: $16
  • Gili Islands: 4-in-1 Catamaran Snorkeling Experience: $106
  • Gili Meno Horse Riding Adventure on the Beach for 1 Hour: $42
  • Gili Trawangan 3 Island Half day Cruise with BBQ Lunch and Snorkeling : $91

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Harbin $7.96
    Gili Trawangan $3.53

Sample the Local Flavors in Harbin

Also in Harbin, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:

  • Half-Day Private Harbin Beer Museum and Brewery Tour: $250


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Harbin and Gili Trawangan, we can see that Harbin 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 Harbin would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Harbin 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 Harbin Expensive? and Is Gili Trawangan Expensive?.


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