A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Lombok vs. Zhangye for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Lombok or Zhangye?

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

Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Lombok and Zhangye. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.

Where Should I go: Lombok or Zhangye?

Lombok

Lombok is an island east of the well-tread Bali and west of lesser-developed Sumbawa. While Lombok is not as popular as its neighbor to the west, it is a great place to visit for that very reason. Less popularity means lower prices for accommodations, food, activities, and less-inundated tourist spots. Nonetheless, Lombok is rapidly developing in tourism, and the government is naming it and Sumbawa the number two tourism spots, following Bali.

Zhangye

Zhangye, China is a city in the Gansu Province in the central north part of the country, close to Mongolia. This ancient city has often been used as a military strong hold, having been the headquarters of General Huo among many others. Zhangye is a fabulous day trip city to visit when staying in larger nearby cities.

Zhangye is privy to beautiful summer weather, with lots of sunshine and temperatures in the high 70's Fahrenheit. The best times to visit are between July and September, when temperatures and sunshine are at their highest. Autumn, Winter, and Spring tend to be a little chillier and rainier.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Wildlife Tours to Indonesia, The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Indonesia, The Best Historical Tours in China, and The Best 10-Day Tours in China.


Which place is cheaper, Zhangye or Lombok?

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 Lombok is $59, while the average daily cost in Zhangye is $105. 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 Lombok and Zhangye in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Lombok $28
    Zhangye $39
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Lombok $56
    Zhangye $78
Compare Hotels in Lombok and Zhangye

Looking for a hotel in Lombok or Zhangye? 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 Lombok


Hotels in Zhangye


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: Lombok Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Lombok $11
    Zhangye $39

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Lombok

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

  • Kuta Lombok Transfer: $12
  • Private Transfer International Airport Lombok (LOP) To Hotel: $17
  • Gili Trawangan, Air, or 1-Way Boat Transfer to Bali: $28
  • Private Transfer from Lombok Airport (LOP) to Lombok Cruise Port: $29
  • Private Transfer from Lombok Cruise Port to Lombok island hotels: $29
  • Private Transfer from Lombok Island Hotels to Lombok Cruise Port: $29
  • Private Transfer from Lombok Airport (LOP) to Koeta : $29
  • Private Transfer from Lombok Airport (LOP) to Batu Payung: $30
  • Private Airport Lombok Transfers to or from Gili Islands: $32
  • Private Transfer from Mataram to Lombok Airport (LOP): $35
  • Private Transfer from Lombok Airport (LOP) to Mangsit: $35
  • Private Transfer from Lombok Airport (LOP) to Bintaro: $35

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Zhangye

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Zhangye:

  • Private Airport Transfer: Zhangye Hotel to Zhangye Airport (YZY): $59
  • Private Airport Transfer: Zhangye Airport (YZY) to Zhangye Hotel: $59

Is it cheaper to fly into Lombok or Zhangye?

Prices for flights to both Zhangye and Lombok 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
    Lombok $20
    Zhangye $45

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Lombok

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

  • Anggrek Putih Lombok Cooking Class : $25
  • Kids Cooking Class at Tugu Hotel Lombok: $63
  • Love and Legends: The Ultimate Romantic Dinner on the beach : $65
  • Amazing Lombok BBQ Beach Sunset Dinner: $86
  • Lombok Cooking Class at Tugu Hotel Lombok: $100
  • Royal Dinner Experience in Lombok at Royal Tugudom: $119

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Lombok $9.90
    Zhangye $11

Tours and Activities in Lombok

Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Lombok.

  • Gili T Island: The Thrilling Sunset Snorkeling Adventure: $17
  • Lombok Private Tour-Car Hire With Full day Customize Trip: $33
  • Lombok Customize Tour with Private Driver: $35
  • Lombok Private Custom Tour - Lombok Car Hire with Driver : $36
  • Half-Day Mataram City Tour: $45
  • Lombok Private Customize Tour: $45
  • Lombok Customize Tour: $45
  • Lombok White Water Rafting and Pura Lingsar Private Full Day Tour: $48
  • Gili Nanggu Snorkeling Tour to a Tropical Paradise: $49
  • Mataram Lombok Historical City tour: $49
  • Lombok City Tour combination With Temple Tour : $49
  • Benang Stokel, Benang Kelambu, Culture, & Beach Tour: $49

Tours and Activities in Zhangye

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Zhangye are as follows:

  • Private day tour to Zhangye Danxia Landform the Rainbow Mountain: $150
  • From 6-Day Private Photography Tour to Dunhuang: $1,099
  • Private Day Tour: Horse Hoof Temple Grottoes and Zhangye Danxia Landform: $299
  • Private Hiking Tour: Binggou Danxia and Zhangye Danxia Geopark from Zhangye: $299
  • Private Hiking Tour: Pingshanhu Grand Canyon and the Horse Hoof Temple Grottoes: $235
  • Private day tour to Zhangye Mati temple & Giant Buddha Temple start from Zhangye: $155
  • Zhangye Danxia Half Day tour: $195
  • Zhangye One Day City Tour: $77
  • Zhangye Rainbow Danxia Private Day Tour: $214
  • Danxia Geopark & Giant Buddha Private Day Tour: $246
  • Mati Temple Grottoes & Giant Buddha Temple Tour: $257

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Lombok $7.84
    Zhangye $7.01


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Lombok and Zhangye, we can see that Zhangye is more expensive. And not only is Lombok much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Lombok would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Lombok 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 Zhangye would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Zhangye than you might in Lombok.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Lombok Expensive? and Is Zhangye Expensive?.


Related Articles for Lombok
Related Articles for Zhangye