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

Should you visit Vientiane or Gili Trawangan?

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

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

Vientiane

You wouldn't expect the capital city to have such a relaxing environment, but in Vientiane, Laos you can sit back and take in the beautiful scenery without feeling pressure to see every little thing. With Vientiane, what you see is what you get.

While picturesque temples and markets line the streets, the city is still experiencing a successful building boom. Even the Presidential Palace has undergone some hefty renovations.

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 Laos, Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Laos, The Best Tours for Seniors to Indonesia, and The Best G Adventures Tours to Indonesia.


Which place is cheaper, Gili Trawangan or Vientiane?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.

  • Vientiane Prices
    Laos Prices
    Gili Trawangan Prices
    Indonesia Prices
  • Average Daily Cost Per person, per day
    Vientiane $24
    Gili Trawangan $40

The average daily cost (per person) in Vientiane is $24, 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 Vientiane and Gili Trawangan in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Vientiane $8.45
    Gili Trawangan $23
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Vientiane $17
    Gili Trawangan $46
Compare Hotels in Vientiane and Gili Trawangan

Looking for a hotel in Vientiane 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 Vientiane


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: Vientiane Hotel Prices and Gili Trawangan Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Vientiane $2.01
    Gili Trawangan $2.65
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Vientiane

Some typical examples of transportation costs in Vientiane are as follows:


  • Tuk Tuk Ride
    $4.15

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Vientiane

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Vientiane:

  • Wattay Airport (VTE): Private Transfer to/from Vientiane: $20
  • Vientiane Private Transfer: Wattay Airport -Hotel-Railway Station: $9.90
  • Vientiane - Hanoi Sleeping Bus Transfer : $63
  • Vientian Private Airport Transfer - Wattay Airport: $15

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Gili Trawangan

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

  • Private Speedboat transfer Between Lombok and Gili Islands: $15
  • Gili Trawangan Luxury Speedboat Transfer to Bali: $24

Is it cheaper to fly into Vientiane or Gili Trawangan?

Prices for flights to both Gili Trawangan and Vientiane 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
    Vientiane $12
    Gili Trawangan $12

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Vientiane

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

  • Vientiane classic Food tour ( Included Food ): $78
  • Night Market, Dinner, and Nightclub: $90
  • Vientiane Private Lao Cooking Class with Market Tour and Lunch: $95
  • Vientiane Private Lao Cooking Class with Market Tour: $122
  • Cooking Class Garden House: $335

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
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Vientiane $3.80
    Gili Trawangan $3.82

Tours and Activities in Vientiane

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

  • Vientiane Cultural Tour with Private Guide: $110
  • 1-Day Tour to Vang Vieng with Private Guide: $200
  • 1-Day Vientiane City Adventure: Top Sights & Hidden Gems: $110
  • From Plain of Jars Tour & Homestay: $1,650
  • From Vang Vieng 2-Day Tour with Blue Lagoon: $443
  • From Vang Vieng Tour with Cave Kayak & Zipline: $113
  • Guided Vientiane City and Buddha Park Full-Day Tour: $99
  • Half Day Private Tour in City Highlights: $120
  • Half-Day Vientiane City Bike Tour: $90
  • Lao Arts Museum & City Highlights Tour with Lunch: $122
  • Laos Railway Tickets Easily: Avoid Long Queues & Wasted Time: $30
  • Laos Railway Tickets Online: Skip Long Queues, Avoid Missing: $30

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
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Vientiane $2.12
    Gili Trawangan $3.53


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

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


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