A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Lombok vs. Johor Bahru for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Lombok or Johor Bahru?

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

Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Lombok and Johor Bahru. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.

Where Should I go: Lombok or Johor Bahru?

Lombok

Lombok is an island east of the well-tread Bali and west of lesser-developed Sumbawa. While Lombok is not as popular as its neighbor to the west, it is a great place to visit for that very reason. Less popularity means lower prices for accommodations, food, activities, and less-inundated tourist spots. Nonetheless, Lombok is rapidly developing in tourism, and the government is naming it and Sumbawa the number two tourism spots, following Bali.

Johor Bahru

Johor Bahru is the capital of the state of Johor in Southern Malaysia. Though it is largely industrial and does not typically cater to tourists, especially compared to the grandeur of neighboring Singapore, the city does have some opportunities for shopping, dining, and entertainment.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Wildlife Tours to Indonesia, The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Indonesia, The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Malaysia, and The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Malaysia.


Which place is cheaper, Johor Bahru or Lombok?

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 Lombok is $59, while the average daily cost in Johor Bahru is $64. 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 Lombok and Johor Bahru in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Lombok $28
    Johor Bahru $40
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Lombok $56
    Johor Bahru $80
Compare Hotels in Lombok and Johor Bahru

Looking for a hotel in Lombok or Johor Bahru? 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 Lombok


Hotels in Johor Bahru


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: Lombok Hotel Prices and Johor Bahru Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Lombok $11
    Johor Bahru $13

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Lombok

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

  • Kuta Lombok Transfer: $12
  • Private Transfer International Airport Lombok (LOP) To Hotel: $17
  • Gili Trawangan, Air, or 1-Way Boat Transfer to Bali: $28
  • Private Transfer from Lombok Airport (LOP) to Lombok Cruise Port: $29
  • Private Transfer from Lombok Cruise Port to Lombok island hotels: $29
  • Private Transfer from Lombok Island Hotels to Lombok Cruise Port: $29
  • Private Transfer from Lombok Airport (LOP) to Koeta : $29
  • Private Transfer from Lombok Airport (LOP) to Batu Payung: $30
  • Private Airport Lombok Transfers to or from Gili Islands: $32
  • Private Transfer from Mataram to Lombok Airport (LOP): $35
  • Private Transfer from Lombok Airport (LOP) to Mangsit: $35
  • Private Transfer from Lombok Airport (LOP) to Bintaro: $35

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Johor Bahru

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Johor Bahru:

  • Chauffeur: Johor Bahru to Genting Highlands Transfer [Car]: $249
  • Johor Bharu to KUL Hotel (One Way Transfer): $237
  • Singapore Universal Studio & S.E.A Aquarium-COMBO One-Day Pass(Shared transfer): $208
  • LEGOLAND Malaysia Admission Ticket with Return Transfer from Kuala Lumpur: $182
  • Johor Bahru to Genting Highlands Hotels (Door to Door) Private Transfer: $180
  • Private Transfer from Legoland (Malaysia) to Singapore Changi Airport (SIN): $164
  • Private Transfer : Johor Bharu (JB) to Kuala Lumpur (KL): $131
  • Legoland Johor Bahru to Kuala Lumpur 1-way Transfer: $125
  • Universal Studios Singapore + Roundtrip Transfers: $119
  • LEGOLAND Malaysia to Kuala Lumpur City One-way Transfer: $105
  • Johor Bahru City Hotels to Kuala Lumpur City Hotels One-way Transfer: $105
  • LEGOLAND Malaysia to Kuala Lumpur City Hotels One-way Transfer: $105

Is it cheaper to fly into Lombok or Johor Bahru?

Prices for flights to both Johor Bahru and Lombok 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
    Lombok $20
    Johor Bahru $16

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Lombok

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

  • Anggrek Putih Lombok Cooking Class : $25
  • Kids Cooking Class at Tugu Hotel Lombok: $63
  • Love and Legends: The Ultimate Romantic Dinner on the beach : $65
  • Amazing Lombok BBQ Beach Sunset Dinner: $86
  • Lombok Cooking Class at Tugu Hotel Lombok: $100
  • Royal Dinner Experience in Lombok at Royal Tugudom: $119

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Lombok $9.90
    Johor Bahru $7.81

Tours and Activities in Lombok

Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Lombok.

  • Gili T Island: The Thrilling Sunset Snorkeling Adventure: $17
  • Lombok Private Tour-Car Hire With Full day Customize Trip: $33
  • Lombok Customize Tour with Private Driver: $35
  • Lombok Private Custom Tour - Lombok Car Hire with Driver : $36
  • Half-Day Mataram City Tour: $45
  • Lombok Private Customize Tour: $45
  • Lombok Customize Tour: $45
  • Lombok White Water Rafting and Pura Lingsar Private Full Day Tour: $48
  • Gili Nanggu Snorkeling Tour to a Tropical Paradise: $49
  • Mataram Lombok Historical City tour: $49
  • Lombok City Tour combination With Temple Tour : $49
  • Benang Stokel, Benang Kelambu, Culture, & Beach Tour: $49

Tours and Activities in Johor Bahru

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Johor Bahru are as follows:

  • Adventure Cove Water Park Entry ticket sentosa Island singpore: $50
  • Sentosa 4D Adventureland Admission Ticket in Singapore: $29
  • #11Hrs Singapore Escorted Van Tour from Johor Bahru w' Tour Guide: $113
  • *15Hrs Kuala Lumpur Van Tour from Johor Bahru w' Tour Guide: $132
  • Adventure Waterpark Desaru Coast Johor Admission Ticket: $35
  • Adventure Waterpark Desaru Coast Ticket: $40
  • Brooklyn Cruise at Puteri Harbour, Johor Bahru (Direct Entry): $25
  • Desaru Coast Adventure Waterpark Admission Ticket: $22
  • Experience Brooklyn Cruise at Puteri Harbour: $21
  • Firefly Tour Johor Bahru@Kota Tinggi Firefly Park: $6.32
  • HydroDash Singapore Ticket: $45
  • Johor Bahru : Seadoo JetSki 30mins Self Ride Tour (Double): $86

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Lombok $7.84
    Johor Bahru $5.09


When comparing the travel costs between Lombok and Johor Bahru, we can see that Johor Bahru is more expensive. However, the two cities are actually relatively comparable in price, as the difference is somewhat minimal. Generally, this means that you could travel with generally the same travel style and level of luxury in each place. Since both cities are in Asia, it's no surprise that their costs are relatively close, as many destinations here have somewhat similar travel prices overall.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Lombok Expensive? and Is Johor Bahru Expensive?.