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

Should you visit Nanjing or Gili Trawangan?

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

Should I visit Nanjing or Gili Trawangan? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.

Where Should I go: Nanjing or Gili Trawangan?

Nanjing

Nanjing is the capital city of the Jiangsu Province on the central eastern coast of China, just north of Shanghai. This historically and culturally rich city lies at the lower end of the Yangtze river, resulting in lush and scenic landscapes. Nanjing is well-known for having many popular historical sites, some of which have been listed as UNESCO World Heritage sites.

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 China, The Best 10-Day Tours in China, The Best Tours for Seniors to Indonesia, and The Best G Adventures Tours to Indonesia.


Which place is cheaper, Gili Trawangan or Nanjing?

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 Nanjing is $118, 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 Nanjing and Gili Trawangan in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Nanjing $47
    Gili Trawangan $23
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Nanjing $94
    Gili Trawangan $46
Compare Hotels in Nanjing and Gili Trawangan

Looking for a hotel in Nanjing 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 Nanjing


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.
    Nanjing $39
    Gili Trawangan $2.65

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Nanjing

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Nanjing:

  • [Airport transfer] Nanjing Lukou International Airport ⇔ Nanjing city transfer ☆ High reputation for service! <Charter charter>: $27
  • Zhenjiang Private Transfer Service from Nanjing City or Lukou Airport : $78
  • Yangzhou Private Transfer Service from Nanjing City or Lukou Airport : $80
  • Tangshan Hot Spring Spa Resorts Private Transfer from Nanjing City : $44
  • Private Transfer to Zhenjiang from Nanjing City Center: $94
  • Private Transfer to Yangzhou from Nanjing City Center: $89
  • Private Transfer to Yangzhou City from Nanjing Lukou Airport : $109
  • Private Transfer to Nanjing Railway Station from Lukou Airport : $45
  • Private Transfer between Nanjing Jinniuhu Wild Animal Park and City Hotels: $62
  • Private Transfer Between Tangshan Hot Spring Resort and Nanjing Lukou Airport: $49
  • Private Round Trip Transfer to Yangzhou Attractions from Nanjing: $89
  • Private Nanjing Airport Transfer to Zhenjiang City: $110

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Gili Trawangan

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

  • Gili Trawangan Luxury Speedboat Transfer to Bali: $24
  • Private Speedboat transfer Between Lombok and Gili Islands: $15

Is it cheaper to fly into Nanjing or Gili Trawangan?

Prices for flights to both Gili Trawangan and Nanjing 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
    Nanjing $49
    Gili Trawangan $12

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Nanjing

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Nanjing.

  • 3-Hour Nanjing Authentic Local Food Tour by Public Transportation: $93
  • Flexible Private Nanjing City Night Tour with Dinner Option : $112
  • Private Amazing Nanjing Airport Layover Tour with Lunch or Dinner: $181

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.
    Nanjing $9.41
    Gili Trawangan $3.82

Tours and Activities in Nanjing

Here are a few actual costs in Nanjing for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:

  • Half-Day Nanjing City Private Flexible Tour : $109
  • 2-Day Unlimited Nanjing Private Flexible Tour with Lunch Option : $295
  • 4-Hour Nanjing City Private Tailor-Made Tour in Your Way : $109
  • 4-Hour Nanjing Private Tour with Xiaoling Tomb and Sun Yatsen Mausoleum : $124
  • 6-Hour Private Tour of Xiaoling Tomb,City Wall & Memorial Hall : $115
  • All Inclusive Nanjing City Private Day Tour with Tailor-Made Highlights: $213
  • Flexible Private Nanjing City Highlights Day Tour: $160
  • Flexible Private Nanjing City Highlights Day Tour: $168
  • Flexible Private Nanjing Independent Tour : $63
  • Flexible Private Nanjing Layover Tour: $171
  • Flexible Yangzhou Private Day Tour from Nanjing: $212
  • Half Day Nanjing City Private Flexible Tour with Night River Cruise: $206

Tours and Activities in Gili Trawangan

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

  • Experience The Gili Fireshow with Cocktail: $9.75
  • From Gili Islands Snorkeling Boat Tour: $15
  • Group Snorkeling Tour Gili Islands Including GoPro Documentation: $15
  • Gili Islands Snorkel Tour - Explore an Underwater Paradise: $16
  • Gili Islands Sunset Boat Tour and Snorkeling: $17
  • Cycling Tour with Snorkeling and Viewpoint: $31
  • Cycling, Viewpoint & Paddle Boarding Tour: $34
  • Gili Meno Horse Riding Adventure on the Beach for 1 Hour: $42
  • Gili Air 1 Hour Horseback Beach Adventure: $46
  • Kuta Tour (South Of Lombok Beutiful Tour): $49
  • Lombok Private Tour Waterfall And Traditional Village Including Beach: $62
  • Mushroom Tour with Jungle Breakfast: $75

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Nanjing $9.61
    Gili Trawangan $3.53


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