Which place is cheaper, Gili Trawangan or Mandalay?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
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Should you visit Mandalay or Gili Trawangan?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Mandalay or Gili Trawangan, this travel comparison, which includes costs, can help. The overall cost of travel is usually a consideration when deciding where to go next, and the cost comparison down below can help you decide based on the average prices from other travelers along with your own travel budget.
Where Should I go: Mandalay or Gili Trawangan?
Mandalay
Located in Myanmar (formerly known as Burma) on the banks of the Irawaddy River, Mandalay is the nation's second largest city behind Yangon. It is centered on the restored Royal Palace and has a large population of Buddhist monks who frequent the city's many temples and monasteries.
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 Tours for Seniors to Indonesia, and The Best G Adventures Tours to Indonesia.
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Mandalay Prices
Myanmar PricesGili Trawangan Prices
Indonesia Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayMandalay $19Gili Trawangan $37
The average daily cost (per person) in Mandalay is $19, while the average daily cost in Gili Trawangan is $37. 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 Mandalay and Gili Trawangan in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personMandalay $8.65Gili Trawangan $21
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomMandalay $17Gili Trawangan $42
Compare Hotels in Mandalay and Gili Trawangan
Looking for a hotel in Mandalay 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.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Mandalay -Gili Trawangan $2.48
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Mandalay
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Mandalay:
- Private Transfer Of Mandalay To Bagan: $180
- Private Mandalay Airport Transfer: $27
- Private Land Transfer : Mandalay to Bagan: $139
- Mandalay To Bagan Transfer Tour: $180
- Mandalay Airport Private Transfer: $55
- Inle [Heho] Airport Private Transfer : $46
- From Mandalay To Kalaw-NyaungShwe-Inle Lake Private Transfer: $230
- Bagan Land Transfer form Mandalay: $103
- Around Mandalay in 2 Day and Next Day to Transfer Bagan: $200
- Airport Transfer, Paleik Snake Pagoda, a little bit of Bagan and to AVA: $50
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Gili Trawangan
Also for Gili Trawangan, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Bali: Gili Islands and Lombok Fast Boat Transfer: $38
- Convenient Transfers from Gili Islands to Lombok Hotels: $43
- Fast Boat Transfer Between Bali & Lombok with Hotel Transfer: $40
- Fast Boat Transfer Between Sanur and Gili Island: $28
- From Gili Islands: Bali Fast Boat Transfer: $35
- From Lombok: Bangsal to Nusa Penida Fast Boat Transfer: $33
- Gili Island Private Transfer: $14
- Gili Islands: Private Speedboat Transfer Service: $32
- Bali Fast Boat Transfer to Padang Bai: $32
- Bali Fast Boat Transfer to Sanur: $43
- Bangsal Harbor Speed Boat Transfer: $38
- Boat to Nusa Lembongan with Hotel Transfer: $32
Is it cheaper to fly into Mandalay or Gili Trawangan?
Prices for flights to both Gili Trawangan and Mandalay 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 dayMandalay $10Gili Trawangan $11
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Mandalay
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Mandalay.
- Myanmar traditional cooking class with local: $26
- Bamboo Bike Food Tour: $42
- Bicycle Food Tour in Mandalay: $45
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: $39
- Learn to cook Indonesian food at Gili Cooking Classes Trawangan: $39
- Gili Trawangan Sunset Cruise with Snorkeling & Dinner: $120
- Private Sunset Beach Dinner with Wine: $142
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Mandalay -Gili Trawangan $3.57
Tours and Activities in Mandalay
Here are a few actual costs in Mandalay for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Kayah Villages Full Day Tour (Pan Pet & Hta Nee La): $260
- 1-night in Pyin Oo Lwin next day to Gokteik tour: $226
- A Little Adventure Village Explore: $17
- Amarapura,Mingun,Sagaing,Innwa Sightseeing Tour: $110
- Amarapura,Sagaing,Innwa Sightseeing Tour: $95
- Amarapura,Sagging,Innwa/Ava Sightseeing: $75
- Ancient Cities, Pagodas, and Sunset Tour from Mandalay: $194
- Day Trip Tour From Mandalay To Pyin Oo Lwin: $130
- Full Day Adventure: $153
- Full day Adventure Trip in Mandalay & Amarapura: $61
- Full day Adventure Trip to Amarapura, Sagaing & Ava: $89
- Half day to Mandalay city tour: $88
Tours and Activities in Gili Trawangan
For Gili Trawangan, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- 3 Island Snorkeling Tour and Turtle Sanctuary with GoPro: $10
- Shared 3 Gili Islands Snorkeling Tour with Turtles & Reefs: $10
- Gili Islands Snorkeling Tour with Memories: $11
- best 3 island snorkeling tour with GoPro: $12
- Gili Islands Snorkeling Tour with Turtles: $12
- 3-Island Snorkeling Tour with GoPro Photos: $12
- Memories Gili Islands Snorkeling Tour Public: $13
- Gili Islands: Glass-Bottom Boat Snorkeling Tour With Photos: $13
- Gili Snorkeling Tour: Swim with Turtles & Go Pro Documentation: $14
- Group Snorkeling Tour Gili Islands Including GoPro Documentation: $14
- From Gili Islands Snorkeling Boat Tour: $16
- Gili Islands Turtle and Coral Snorkeling Adventure: $16
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayMandalay -Gili Trawangan $3.30
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Mandalay and Gili Trawangan, we can see that Gili Trawangan is more expensive. And not only is Mandalay much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Mandalay would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Mandalay 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 Gili Trawangan would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Gili Trawangan than you might in Mandalay.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Mandalay 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.