Which place is cheaper, Gili Trawangan or Ho Chi Minh City?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Ho Chi Minh City 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 Ho Chi Minh City and Gili Trawangan can help you decide which place is right for you.
Where Should I go: Ho Chi Minh City or Gili Trawangan?
Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, is the largest city in Vietnam. It previously served as the capital of the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam). The metropolitan area, including Ho Chi Minh City, Thu Dau Mot, Di An, Bien Hoa, and other surrounding towns, has a population of more than 9 million people and continues to grow.
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 Historical Tours in Vietnam, The Best 10-Day Tours in Vietnam, 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 dayHo Chi Minh City $81Gili Trawangan $36
The average daily cost (per person) in Ho Chi Minh City is $81, 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 Ho Chi Minh City and Gili Trawangan in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personHo Chi Minh City $49Gili Trawangan $24
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomHo Chi Minh City $98Gili Trawangan $48
Compare Hotels in Ho Chi Minh City and Gili Trawangan
Looking for a hotel in Ho Chi Minh City 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: Ho Chi Minh City Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Ho Chi Minh City $15Gili Trawangan $2.76
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Ho Chi Minh City
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Ho Chi Minh City:
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Short Taxi Ride$1.40
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Taxi From Airport$7.99
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Cyclo Ride (One Hour)$1.60
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Ho Chi Minh City
Also for Ho Chi Minh City, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Vinpearl Resort & Spa Long Beach to Nha Trang - Private Transfer: $20
- Try find your better than us! Airport transfer service in Cam Ranh HTL-APT (CXR): $18
- Try find better than us! Airport Transfer in Ho Chi Minh APT-HTL (SGN): $13
- Transfer from Ho Chi Minh to Airport Tan Sơn Nhat: $16
- The Anam Resort to Nha Trang - Private Transfer: $20
- Tan Son Nhat International Airport Transfer: $23
- Tan Son Nhat International Airport Private Transfer: $18
- Tan Son Nhat Airport: Private Transfer to/from Ho Chi Minh: $22
- Swandor Cam Ranh Resort to Nha Trang - Private Transfer: $20
- Saigon Airport to Ho Chi Minh City Center Private Transfer: $21
- Sai Gon Airport Departure Private Transfer: $32
- SGN Airport: the private transfer to Center (District 1 & 3): $16
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Gili Trawangan
Also for Gili Trawangan, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private Transfer Three Gili Island Lombok by Speedboat: $100
- Lombok Transfer From 3 Gilis to Airport or Hotel In Lombok: $45
- Airport private Transfer: $39
- Central Gili Island Bus Transfer Senggigi Mataram Kuta Lombok: $16
Is it cheaper to fly into Ho Chi Minh City or Gili Trawangan?
Prices for flights to both Gili Trawangan and Ho Chi Minh City 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 dayHo Chi Minh City $14Gili Trawangan $7.21
Typical Food Prices in Ho Chi Minh City
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Ho Chi Minh City:
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Street Food Dinner (for Two)$4.27
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Pizza$5.19
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Sweet Rice$1.20
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Pork Sandwich$0.60
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Casual Lunch (for Two)$6.78
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Western Lunch (for Two)$12
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Ho Chi Minh City
For Ho Chi Minh City, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Saigon Unseen & Food Tour By scooter w Student | Saigon Adventure: $19
- Private Walking Food Tour with Local Students : $26
- Ho Chi Minh Street Food Tour By Motorbike (Unique & Authentic): $26
- Saigon: Backstreets Private Walking Food Tour & 10 Tastings: $27
- Food Tour by Scooter with Eleven Tastings: $27
- Super Niche Walking Street Food Tour in Ho Chi Minh City: $28
- Ho Chi Minh Street Food Tour By Motorbike/Car + Sightseeing + Fun: $28
- Private Walking Food Tour with 13 Tastings: $28
- Ho Chi Minh: Original Walking Street Food Tour With Local: $29
- Private Half-Day Ho Chi Minh Food Tour with Local Students: $29
- Ho Chi Minh: Super Niche Walking Street Food Tour With Local: $29
- Ho Chi Minh City Food Tour: $29
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
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Ho Chi Minh City $20Gili Trawangan $3.98
Typical Entertainment Prices in Ho Chi Minh City
For Ho Chi Minh City, here are some examples of average entertainment and activity prices from previous travelers:
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Massage$5.59
Tours and Activities in Ho Chi Minh City
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Ho Chi Minh City.
- From Ho Chi Minh to Mui Ne 3 Days Tour | 4 Star Beach Resort : $170
- Mekong Delta Discovery Day Tour - My Tho - Ben Tre: $46
- Mui Ne,Fairy Spring, Sand dunes, Fishing Village, Private Tour: $290
- Non-Touristy Mekong Delta with Biking in Ben Tre Private Tour: $40
- Private Tour Water Puppet Show And Cruise Tour On Saigon River : $65
- 'Cost-Saving' Cu Chi Tunnels & Mekong Delta 1-Day Tour: $65
- 'Cost-Saving' Cu Chi Tunnels & Mekong Delta 1-Day Tour: $54
- 02 - Days: Experience The Real Mekong Delta By Bike & Boat.: $220
- 02 -Days: Experience Cu Chi Tunnels & Mekong Delta.: $220
- 1 Day Luxury Tour of Mekong Delta and Cu Chi Tunnels by Mini Van: $48
- 1 Round Ho Chi Minh City bus Tour + Saigon Skydeck Pass: $20
- 1-Day Explore Non-Touristy Side Of Mekong Delta Group 10 Max: $131
Tours and Activities in Gili Trawangan
For Gili Trawangan, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- 5H All Inclusive Breakfast &Snorkeling Cruise on Utopia Catamaran: $107
- 5H All Inclusive Sunset & Snorkeling Cruise on Utopia Catamaran: $107
- 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
- Shared Gili Islands Snorkeling Tour: $19
- Kuta Tour (South Of Lombok Beutiful Tour): $49
- Lombok Private Customize Tour: $85
- Lombok Private Tour Waterfall And Traditional Village Including Beach: $55
- Private Snorkeling Experience in Gili Trawangan: $22
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayHo Chi Minh City $7.98Gili Trawangan $3.67
Typical Alcohol Prices in Ho Chi Minh City
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in Ho Chi Minh City:
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Beer$0.40
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Ho Chi Minh City and Gili Trawangan, we can see that Ho Chi Minh City 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 Ho Chi Minh City would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Ho Chi Minh City 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 Ho Chi Minh City 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.