Which place is cheaper, Gili Trawangan or Siem Reap?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
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Should you visit Siem Reap or Gili Trawangan?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
If you're trying to decide where to visit between Siem Reap 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: Siem Reap or Gili Trawangan?
Siem Reap
Located in northern Cambodia, Siem Reap is the closest town to Cambodia's famous Angkor Wat. It is a comfortable and laid back town and most visitors use it as a base to explore the country's most visited destination. Although Siem Reap was once a quaint village, it has continued to grow and change to meet the needs of the many tourists who visit every year. Siem Reap has become a very touristy town with easy access to restaurants, hotels, and shops. It also has a large expatriate community and the western influences are unavoidable. Although prices remain quite low, they are higher than you might find elsewhere in Cambodia.
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 from Phnom Penh, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Siem Reap, The Best Tours for Seniors to Indonesia, and The Best G Adventures Tours to Indonesia.
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Siem Reap Prices
Cambodia PricesGili Trawangan Prices
Indonesia Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per daySiem Reap $94Gili Trawangan $40
The average daily cost (per person) in Siem Reap is $94, while the average daily cost in Gili Trawangan is $40. 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 Siem Reap and Gili Trawangan in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personSiem Reap $51Gili Trawangan $23
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomSiem Reap $102Gili Trawangan $46
Compare Hotels in Siem Reap and Gili Trawangan
Looking for a hotel in Siem Reap 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: Siem Reap Hotel Prices and Gili Trawangan Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Siem Reap $8.79Gili Trawangan $2.65
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Siem Reap
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Siem Reap:
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Tuk Tuk Ride$13
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Bike Rentals$1.93
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Siem Reap
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Siem Reap:
- Transfer Siem Reap to Sihanoukville Safe Private Taxi Driver: $224
- Taxi Transfer Siem Reap to Kratie - English Speaking Driver: $360
- Taxi Phnom Penh to Kampot, Safe Transfer Private Car Driver: $90
- Private Transfers Siem Reap City to Airport: $20
- Private Transfer to/from Sihanoukville: $137
- Private Transfer to/from Battambang: $63
- Private Taxi Transfer to/from Poipet: $63
- Private Taxi Transfer to/from Battambang: $190
- Phare, Cambodian Circus with Tuk-Tuk Transfers: $27
- Phare Circus Ticket with Tuk Tuk Transfer: $32
- Kompong Phluk Floating Village with Transfers: $20
- Angkor National Museum Ticket with Transfer: $24
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Gili Trawangan
Also for Gili Trawangan, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Gili Trawangan Luxury Speedboat Transfer to Bali: $24
- Private Speedboat transfer Between Lombok and Gili Islands: $15
Is it cheaper to fly into Siem Reap or Gili Trawangan?
Prices for flights to both Gili Trawangan and Siem Reap 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 daySiem Reap $28Gili Trawangan $12
Typical Food Prices in Siem Reap
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Siem Reap:
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Breakfast for Two$5.59
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Siem Reap
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Siem Reap.
- A Spectacular Show with Optional Dinner: $18
- Apsara Dance Show with Dinner by Tuk-Tuk Roundtrip Transfer: $19
- Apsara Performance with Dinner include Pick up & Drop off: $22
- Apsara Performance Including Buffet Dinner & Hotel Pick up: $22
- Buffet Dinner Apsara Show with hotel transfers: $22
- Apsara Dance Show and Dinner with Hotel Pickup: $22
- Apsara Show Including Dinner & Hotel Pickup: $23
- Dinner and Traditional Show with Hotel Transfer: $24
- Apsara Dance Show with Buffet Dinner & Tuk-Tuk...: $26
- A Night To Remember: Apsara Dance Show with Buffet Dinner: $27
- Dinner Show Apsara Dance, Pickup round trip included: $27
- Apsara Theatre Performance include Dinner & hotel pick up: $29
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:
- Indonesian Food Cooking Class of Gili Air: $33
- Learn to cook authentic Indonesian food at Gili Cooking Classes: $33
- Gili Trawangan Sunset BBQ Dinner Cruise with snorkeling: $91
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Siem Reap $30Gili Trawangan $3.82
Typical Entertainment Prices in Siem Reap
Here are a few typical costs in Siem Reap for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:
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Angkor Tour Guide$8.24
Tours and Activities in Siem Reap
Here are a few actual costs in Siem Reap for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- 03 Hours Countryside tours: $88
- 1 Day Private of Angkor Wat Tour with Tuk Tuk: $15
- 1-Day Angkor Wat Private Tour with Spanish Tour Guide.: $125
- 1-Day private Angkor Temple Tour from Siem Reap: $27
- 2 Day Angkor Wat Private Tour: $245
- 2 Day Cambodia Private Guided Tour in Angkor Temples: $119
- 2-Day Angkor Tour with Sunrise, Sunset & Banteay Srei temple: $160
- 2-Day Angkor Wat With Small, Big Circuit & Banteay Srei Tour: $123
- 2-Days Angkor & Banteay Srei & Kulen Mountian Waterfall Tour: $126
- 2-Days Angkor Sunrise & Banteay Srei Tour: $105
- 2-Days Angkor Wat with Sunrise and Sunset-Siem Reap Tour: $46
- 3 Day Siem Reap Tour Phnom Penh Shooting Experience Video: $128
Tours and Activities in Gili Trawangan
For Gili Trawangan, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Experience The Gili Fireshow with Cocktail: $9.75
- From Gili Islands Snorkeling Boat Tour: $15
- Group Snorkeling Tour Gili Islands Including GoPro Documentation: $15
- Gili Islands Snorkel Tour - Explore an Underwater Paradise: $16
- Gili Islands Sunset Boat Tour and Snorkeling: $17
- Cycling Tour with Snorkeling and Viewpoint: $31
- Cycling, Viewpoint & Paddle Boarding Tour: $34
- Gili Meno Horse Riding Adventure on the Beach for 1 Hour: $42
- Gili Air 1 Hour Horseback Beach Adventure: $46
- Kuta Tour (South Of Lombok Beutiful Tour): $49
- Lombok Private Tour Waterfall And Traditional Village Including Beach: $62
- Mushroom Tour with Jungle Breakfast: $75
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one daySiem Reap $11Gili Trawangan $3.53
Sample the Local Flavors in Siem Reap
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Siem Reap:
- Mad Monkey Siem Reap Pub Crawl: $12
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Siem Reap and Gili Trawangan, we can see that Siem Reap 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 Siem Reap would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Siem Reap 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 Siem Reap 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.