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

Should you visit Palawan or Gili Trawangan?

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

Should I visit Palawan 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: Palawan or Gili Trawangan?

Palawan

Palawan is an archipelagic province of the Philippines, named for its largest island which measures about 450 kilometers (or 280 miles) long. The island is known as an ecological frontier with plenty of beaches and resorts as well as opportunities to see a diverse array of wildlife and their habitats on land and sea.

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 One Week (7-Day) Tours in Philippines, The Best 2-Week Tours in Philippines, The Best Tours for Seniors to Indonesia, and The Best G Adventures Tours to Indonesia.


Which place is cheaper, Gili Trawangan or Palawan?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.

The average daily cost (per person) in Palawan is $36, 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 Palawan and Gili Trawangan in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Palawan $13
    Gili Trawangan $24
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Palawan $26
    Gili Trawangan $48
Compare Hotels in Palawan and Gili Trawangan

Looking for a hotel in Palawan 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 Palawan


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: Palawan Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Palawan $16
    Gili Trawangan $2.81

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Palawan

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

  • Shared Busuanga Airport to Coron Hotel Transfer: $10
  • Puerto Princesa - El Nido | Private Van Transfer: $149
  • Private Van Transfer : From El Nido to Puerto Princesa Palawan: $140
  • Private Transfers Puerto Princesa To Elnido: $260
  • Private Transfer From El Nido Lio Airport To El Nido Hotels: $20
  • Private Puerto Princesa Airport Transfers: $29
  • Private Busuanga Airport to Coron Hotel Transfer: $79
  • El Nido (Lio) Airport Transfers: $50
  • Arrival airport transfer-Private airport to hotel in central area: $20
  • Arrival Airport transfers from Puerto Princesa Airport to Hotels: $7.50
  • Airport Transfers: $20

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
  • Central Gili Island Bus Transfer Senggigi Mataram Kuta Lombok: $16
  • Airport private Transfer: $39

Is it cheaper to fly into Palawan or Gili Trawangan?

Prices for flights to both Gili Trawangan and Palawan 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
    Palawan $12
    Gili Trawangan $7.35

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Palawan

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

  • Puerto Princesa Fireflies Watching with Dinner: $30

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
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Palawan $5.26
    Gili Trawangan $4.05

Tours and Activities in Palawan

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

  • El Nido Full Day Tour C with Buffet Lunch : $43
  • 2in1 City tour and museum with pick up at hotel or cruise port: $15
  • 3 Days Coron Palawan Reefs & Wreck Multi Day Tours: $180
  • 3D2N El Nido Experience: $250
  • 3dayTour Underground river honda bay citytour w/ airport pick up: $125
  • 5D4N Puerto Princesa & El Nido Experience: $299
  • City Tour of Puerto Princesa: $35
  • City tour of Puerto Princesa Palawan Philippines : $19
  • Coron Busuanga Calauit Safari Tour With Black Island (Private): $225
  • Coron Busuanga Calauit Safari Tour With Black Island (Shared Tour): $93
  • Coron Calauit Safari Tour E: $89
  • Coron Culion Island Escapade Private Tour: $132

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: $110
  • 5H All Inclusive Sunset & Snorkeling Cruise on Utopia Catamaran: $110
  • Gili Nanggu Day Tour: $80
  • Gili Trawangan 3 Island Half day Cruise with BBQ Lunch and Snorkeling : $91
  • Shared Gili Islands Snorkeling Tour: $17
  • 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: $23

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Palawan $7.52
    Gili Trawangan $3.74


When comparing the travel costs between Palawan and Gili Trawangan, we can see that Gili Trawangan 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 Palawan Expensive? and Is Gili Trawangan Expensive?.