Which place is cheaper, Gili Trawangan or Sihanoukville?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Sihanoukville or Gili Trawangan?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Sihanoukville 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: Sihanoukville or Gili Trawangan?
Sihanoukville
Sihanoukville, also known by locals as Kompong Som, was named after King Sihanouk. Also Cambodia's youngest city, construction started in 1955 to build Cambodia's first and only deep water port so that ships would no longer have to go through the Mekong Delta in order to trade with Cambodia. Today, many visit Sihanoukville as a hub to visit Cambodia's islands.
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 Bicycle Tours in Cambodia, The Best Adventure Tours to Cambodia, 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 daySihanoukville $51Gili Trawangan $36
The average daily cost (per person) in Sihanoukville is $51, 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 Sihanoukville and Gili Trawangan in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personSihanoukville $23Gili Trawangan $24
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomSihanoukville $46Gili Trawangan $48
Compare Hotels in Sihanoukville and Gili Trawangan
Looking for a hotel in Sihanoukville 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.Sihanoukville $14Gili Trawangan $2.76
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Sihanoukville
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Sihanoukville:
- Private taxi transfer from Sihanoukville to Battambang: $290
- Private Transfer in Sihanoukville to Phnom Penh by Alphard 2010: $180
- Private Transfer From Sihanoukville to Phnom Penh: $24
- Private Taxi transfer from Sihanoukvile to Battambang City: $145
- Private Taxi transfer from Sihanoukvile to Battambang City: $145
- Private Taxi transfer from Sihanoukvile to Battambang City: $145
- Private Taxi Transfer Sihanoukville - Battambang Car - Mini-Van: $107
- Private Shuttle Transfer From Sihanoukville - Phnom Penh: $57
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Gili Trawangan
Also for Gili Trawangan, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Airport private Transfer: $39
- Central Gili Island Bus Transfer Senggigi Mataram Kuta Lombok: $16
- Lombok Transfer From 3 Gilis to Airport or Hotel In Lombok: $45
- Private Transfer Three Gili Island Lombok by Speedboat: $100
Is it cheaper to fly into Sihanoukville or Gili Trawangan?
Prices for flights to both Gili Trawangan and Sihanoukville 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 daySihanoukville $18Gili Trawangan $7.21
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Sihanoukville
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Sihanoukville.
- Cooking class in Kampot: $20
- Cooking Class at La Plantation: $35
- Sihanoukville - Khmer Traditional Cooking Class: $110
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: $29
- Gili Trawangan Sunset BBQ Dinner Cruise with snorkeling: $91
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Sihanoukville $5.37Gili Trawangan $3.98
Tours and Activities in Sihanoukville
Here are a few actual costs in Sihanoukville for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- 4 hours guided tour: Pepper farm, Secret Lake, Salt fields : $17
- Best Sihanoukville Day Tours from Cruise Port or Hotel: $79
- Best of Sihanoukville City Tour from Cruise Port: $79
- Bokor Mountain Adventure - History, Sights and Waterfalls: $29
- Bokor Mountain Hill Station Tour: $75
- Countryside tours by locals: Cave exploration, Salt and Pepper : $45
- Discovery Tour: Caving, Climbing, Via Ferrata and Abseiling in Kampot: $45
- Explore Sihanoukville Dirt Bike Tour: $140
- Exploring Bokor National Park Full-Day Tour from Sihanoukville: $99
- Exploring Kampot: A Memorable Tour from Sihanoukville: $63
- Exploring the Best of Kampot and Kep in a Full-Day Tour: $55
- Full Day Pepper Farm Adventure by Scooter: $45
Tours and Activities in Gili Trawangan
For Gili Trawangan, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Shared Gili Islands Snorkeling Tour: $19
- Private Snorkeling Experience in Gili Trawangan: $22
- Kuta Tour (South Of Lombok Beutiful Tour): $49
- Lombok Private Tour Waterfall And Traditional Village Including Beach: $55
- Gili Hai 3 Islands BBQ Cruise: $72
- Gili Hai 3 Islands BBQ Sunset Cruise: $72
- Gili Nanggu Day Tour: $80
- Lombok Private Customize Tour: $85
- Gili Trawangan 3 Island Half day Cruise with BBQ Lunch and Snorkeling : $91
- 5H All Inclusive Breakfast &Snorkeling Cruise on Utopia Catamaran: $107
- 5H All Inclusive Sunset & Snorkeling Cruise on Utopia Catamaran: $107
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one daySihanoukville $4.42Gili Trawangan $3.67
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Sihanoukville and Gili Trawangan, we can see that Sihanoukville 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 Sihanoukville would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Sihanoukville 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 Sihanoukville 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.