Budget in Komodo Island
Part of the Komodo Island travel guide — see every topic in All Komodo Island Guides.
Komodo is one of the more expensive places in Indonesia, and almost all of that expense sits in two lines: the boat and the national park fees. Accommodation and food in Labuan Bajo are ordinary Indonesian prices, slightly inflated. But an open-trip boat and a liveaboard cabin differ by a factor of five for the same itinerary, and the park charges layer up faster than people expect. Working out the total before you commit is the whole exercise.
The boat
A one-day shared trip covering Padar, Pink Beach, Rinca and Manta Point is 800,000–1,500,000 rupiah per person. A two-night open trip with shared or deck sleeping is 1.5–3 million. A two-night boat with private air-conditioned cabins is 4–8 million. A dive liveaboard is 3–8 million per person per night. A private charter for a small group is 3.5–8 million a day for the whole boat, which for four to six people is often better value than individual seats on a mid-range trip and gives you control of the timing.
Park fees
Charged separately in several components — entrance, ranger, per-activity conservation charges — with a higher rate on Sundays and public holidays, and foreign rates several times the domestic ones. They are paid in cash at the ranger post, there is no ATM inside the park, and cards are not accepted. Budget boats routinely exclude them from the headline price. Confirm in writing what is included, then carry the cash anyway. The rates have been revised more than once since 2022, so check current official figures rather than an older source.
Everything else
A hostel bed in Labuan Bajo is 150,000–250,000 rupiah; a mid-range hotel room 300,000–900,000. A meal at the waterfront night market is 50,000–100,000 for grilled fish; a restaurant main is 80,000–200,000. Flights from Denpasar are 700,000–2,000,000 rupiah depending on how far ahead you book, and they rise steeply in peak season. A scooter in town is 80,000–120,000 a day. Two or three days in town outside the boat costs very little compared with the boat itself.
Where to save and where not to
Save by travelling in the shoulder months, booking the boat in Labuan Bajo rather than online, filling a private charter with a group, and eating at the night market. Do not save on the boat's safety standard: the cheapest end of the Komodo fleet has a poor record, and the difference between a 1.5-million and a 3-million two-night trip is often life rafts, crew and engine maintenance. Also do not skimp on cash reserves — the park has no ATM, and being short at the ranger post is a genuinely awkward place to be.
Budget at a glance
| One-day shared trip | IDR 800,000–1,500,000 per person |
|---|---|
| Two-night open trip | IDR 1.5m–3m per person |
| Two-night cabin boat | IDR 4m–8m per person |
| Private charter | IDR 3.5m–8m per day for the boat |
| Park fees | Layered, cash only, often excluded from tour prices |
| Flight from Denpasar | IDR 700,000–2,000,000 |