Which place is cheaper, Gili Trawangan or Tauranga?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Tauranga or Gili Trawangan?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Tauranga 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: Tauranga or Gili Trawangan?
Tauranga
Tauranga is a city on the North Island of New Zealand. It is situated on the western side of the Bay of Plenty, which is on the east coast of the island. Its population of 130,000 makes it the fifth largest city in the country. Tauranga is a Maori word translated roughly to 'a sheltered anchorage'. This makes sense as the town is located near a very large harbor and protected by Matakana Island. Mount Maunganui is at the headland of the town and regarded as a suburb of Tauranga. The beach at Mt Maunganui is a surfing hot spot. The climate is mostly warm and dry because of the town's sheltered position.
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 New Zealand, The Best 2-Week Tours in New Zealand, 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 dayTauranga $103Gili Trawangan $36
The average daily cost (per person) in Tauranga is $103, 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 Tauranga and Gili Trawangan in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personTauranga $74Gili Trawangan $24
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomTauranga $148Gili Trawangan $48
Compare Hotels in Tauranga and Gili Trawangan
Looking for a hotel in Tauranga 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.
Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Tauranga Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Tauranga $6.78Gili Trawangan $2.76
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Tauranga
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Tauranga:
- Roundtrip Transfer from Port of Tauranga Omanu Golf Club: $73
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Gili Trawangan
Also for Gili Trawangan, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Central Gili Island Bus Transfer Senggigi Mataram Kuta Lombok: $16
- Airport private Transfer: $39
- 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 Tauranga or Gili Trawangan?
Prices for flights to both Gili Trawangan and Tauranga 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 dayTauranga $22Gili Trawangan $7.21
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
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Tauranga $10Gili Trawangan $3.98
Tours and Activities in Tauranga
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Tauranga are as follows:
- 2-Hour Tauranga & Mount Maunganui City & Scenic Local Tour: $45
- 3hr Tauranga Sun-downer History Tour COMPLIMENTARY Wine or Beer: $54
- 4hr Shore Excursion - History and Tasting Tour FREE Kiwifruit Tasting: $57
- 4hr Tauranga Scenic History and Tasting Tour FREE Kiwifruit Tasting: $57
- 6hr Hobbiton Movie Set Tour - Departs Tauranga: $142
- 6hr Rotorua Geothermal Wonderland Tour - Departs Tauranga: $139
- 7hr Waimangu Geothermal Valley & Lake Rotomahana Tour - Departs Tauranga: $131
- Boutique tour , Mt Maunganui, NZ farm, Rotorua lakes/geothermal : $138
- Evening Glow Worm Kayak Tour in Tauranga: $136
- From Dolphin and Wildlife Cruise: $101
- From Half-Day Swimming with Dolphins Tour: $89
- Half Day Dolphin & Wildlife Cruise - Tauranga: $106
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 dayTauranga $10Gili Trawangan $3.67
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Tauranga and Gili Trawangan, we can see that Tauranga is more expensive. And not only is Gili Trawangan much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Tauranga 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 Tauranga would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Tauranga 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 Tauranga 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.