Budget in Lombok and the Gili Islands

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Lombok is meaningfully cheaper than Bali for the same standard — accommodation, food and transport all run twenty to thirty per cent below, and further outside the tourist pockets. The exceptions are the Gili Islands, where everything arrives by boat and prices reflect it, and the fixed costs of getting there: a fast boat from Bali or a flight. A backpacker manages on 350,000–500,000 rupiah a day; a comfortable trip runs 1–2.5 million.

Accommodation and food

Hostel beds 100,000–250,000 rupiah; guesthouses 250,000–600,000; boutique hotels 800,000–2 million; villas and resorts above that. Gili prices run twenty to forty per cent higher than the mainland for the same standard. Food: a Sasak warung meal is 20,000–50,000, a Kuta Lombok cafe main 70,000–180,000, and a Gili restaurant main 80,000–200,000. Eating at warungs on the main island costs 60,000–120,000 for a whole day.

Getting there and around

A flight from Denpasar is 400,000–1,200,000 rupiah; a fast boat 400,000–800,000 return including transfers. Public boats from Bangsal to the Gilis are 20,000–40,000. A scooter is 70,000–120,000 a day and a car with driver 600,000–900,000. Bicycles on the Gilis are 50,000–100,000. Airport transfers are 150,000–350,000. Transport on the main island is cheap; the crossing from Bali is the single largest fixed cost of a Lombok trip.

Activities

This is where the money goes. A three-day Rinjani trek is 2–4 million rupiah per person all in. An open-water dive course on the Gilis is 4–6 million. A two-tank dive is 900,000–1,400,000. A snorkel boat trip is 120,000–250,000. A surf lesson is 250,000–400,000. Waterfall entry and guides are 60,000–130,000. A day with a driver to the south-east beaches is 700,000–900,000. One big activity plus a few small ones is a realistic week.

Where to save

Eat at Sasak warungs on the main island rather than at Gili restaurants. Take the public boat from Bangsal rather than a charter. Rent a scooter rather than hiring a driver, if you are licensed. Stay on Gili Air or Meno rather than Trawangan. Book Rinjani through a Senaru or Sembalun operator rather than a Bali agent. And bring cash: ATMs on the Gilis are limited, frequently empty and charge heavily, and much of the island is cash-only.

Budget at a glance

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