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

Should you visit Sydney or Gili Trawangan?

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

If you're trying to decide where to visit between Sydney 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: Sydney or Gili Trawangan?

Sydney

Sydney, known as the harbour city, is the most famous and frequently visited city in Australia. It is at the economical and cultural heart of the country, and is one of the most beautiful and livable cities in the world. It's situated on the water with stunning views of the famous harbour throughout the city. It's most famous landmarks include the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge. It is also very close wonderful beaches, parks, and nature.

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 Family-Friendly Tours to Australia, The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Australia, The Best Tours for Seniors to Indonesia, and The Best G Adventures Tours to Indonesia.


Which place is cheaper, Gili Trawangan or Sydney?

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

The average daily cost (per person) in Sydney is $273, 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 Sydney and Gili Trawangan in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Sydney $102
    Gili Trawangan $24
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Sydney $204
    Gili Trawangan $48
Compare Hotels in Sydney and Gili Trawangan

Looking for a hotel in Sydney 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 Sydney


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: Sydney Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Sydney $15
    Gili Trawangan $2.76
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Sydney

Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Sydney:


  • Taxi Ride
    $13
  • Taxi to Airport
    $16

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Sydney

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Sydney:

  • Try find your better than us ! Airport transfer service in Sydney HTL-APT (SYD): $62
  • Transfer Between Airport & Hotels or Cruise Terminal: $13
  • Tandem Skydive with Optional Transfers: $248
  • Private Transfer with Meet and Greet: $78
  • Airport Shuttle Transfer to and from CBD Hotels: $36
  • Sydney to Sydney Airport (SYD) - Departure Private Transfer: $39
  • Sydney Port Arrival Transfer: Cruise Port to City Hotel: $23
  • Sydney International Airport to/from Sydney One Way Transfer: $47
  • Sydney Arrival Transfer: Airport to City or Overseas Passenger Terminal: $23
  • Sydney Airport to White Bay Port transfer: $27
  • Sydney Airport to Sydney CBD Private Transfer: $118
  • Sydney Airport Transfers: $172

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 Sydney or Gili Trawangan?

Prices for flights to both Gili Trawangan and Sydney 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
    Sydney $44
    Gili Trawangan $7.21
Typical Food Prices in Sydney

Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Sydney:


  • Tea
    $2.60
  • Lunch Special
    $9.73
  • Food/Drink Coogie Beach
    $9.73
  • Meat Pies
    $3.24

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Sydney

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

  • VIVID Dinner Cruise with Complimentary Drink on Arrival: $36
  • Vivid Sydney Harbor Cruise with Buffet Dinner: $46
  • Sydney's Little Italy Food Tour: $50
  • Christmas in July Dinner Cruise on Sydney Harbour: $56
  • Harbor Sunset Cruise with Dinner: $58
  • Sydney Harbour: Tall Ship Vivid Dinner Cruise: $58
  • Twilight Dinner Cruise on Coral Trekker: $59
  • Small Group Refugee Chef Dinner Banquet at Bohemian Cafe: $63
  • Kids Cooking Classes: $63
  • Sydney Harbour: Latin Fiesta Dinner Cruise: $69
  • Latino Dinner Cruise on Sydney Harbour: $69
  • Latino Dinner Cruise on Sydney Harbour: $69

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.
    Sydney $31
    Gili Trawangan $3.98
Typical Entertainment Prices in Sydney

Here are a few typical costs in Sydney for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:


  • Theatre Show
    $29
  • Sydney Tower Visit (for 2)
    $30
  • Blue Mountain Tour/Featherdale Park (for 2)
    $124
  • Powerhouse Museum
    $9.76

Tours and Activities in Sydney

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

  • Small-Group Sydney's Northern Beaches and Ku-ring-gai National Park Bus Tour: $228
  • 1 Day Thredbo Snow Tour: $99
  • 1 Day Thredbo Snow Tour From Sydney: $99
  • 2 Hours Running Tour in Sydney: $99
  • 2 Hours Sydney Harbour's True Crime Cruise Tour: $30
  • 2-Hour Guided Walking Tour in Sydney Harbour National Park : $36
  • 3 Hours Abba Tribute Cruise on Sydney Harbour: $66
  • 3 Hours Christmas Magic Private Walking Tour in Sydney: $228
  • 3-Hour Private Bike Tour with a Local Sydney Guide: $227
  • 3.5 Hours Explore Bondi Beach and Sydney Sightseeing Tour: $195
  • 30-Minute Sydney Harbour and Olympic Park Helicopter Tour: $215
  • 4-Hour Freediving Taster Experience at Shelly Beach, Manly: $182

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
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Sydney $15
    Gili Trawangan $3.67
Typical Alcohol Prices in Sydney

Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in Sydney:


  • Wine
    $10

Sample the Local Flavors in Sydney

Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Sydney:

  • Haunted Pub Tour with Local Guide: $20
  • Sydney's Haunted Pub Tour with a Licensed Guide: $26
  • Night Out Pub Crawl with Local Guide: $29
  • Sydney Cellar Door - Old Vine Expressions Wine Tasting: $46
  • Urban Winery Wine Tasting Tour with Cheese Platter: $56
  • Private Wine Tour and Tasting: $56
  • The Rocks Pub Walking Tour: $76
  • Balmain Pub Walking Tour: $76
  • Sydney Beer and Brewery Tour: $102
  • Brewery, Winery, and Distillery Tasting Tour: $111
  • Northern Beaches Brewery Tour and Tasting: $121
  • Hunter Valley Wine Tasting + Lunch Guided Day Tour : $132


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Sydney and Gili Trawangan, we can see that Sydney is more expensive. And not only is Gili Trawangan much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Sydney is in Pacific and Gili Trawangan is in Asia, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. 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 Sydney would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Sydney 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 Sydney Expensive? and Is Gili Trawangan Expensive?.