Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
Bintan is easier to travel (2.6 vs 3.4). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Bintan 3 vs Lombok 4. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
| Item | Bintan | Lombok | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | Rp 60,000$3.68 | Rp 30,000$1.84 | Lombok โ50% |
| Street food1 item | Rp 25,000$1.53 | Rp 20,000$1.23 | Lombok โ20% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | Rp 250,000$15.3 | Rp 150,000$9.2 | Lombok โ40% |
| Coffeeone cup | Rp 40,000$2.45 | Rp 35,000$2.15 | Lombok โ12% |
| Beerone bottle | Rp 50,000$3.07 | Rp 50,000$3.07 | similar |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | Rp 150,000$9.2 | Rp 100,000$6.13 | Lombok โ33% |
| Bottled water | Rp 5,000$0.31 | Rp 5,000$0.31 | similar |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | Rp 8,000$0.49 | Rp 6,000$0.37 | Lombok โ25% |
| Taxi5 km in town | Rp 50,000$3.07 | Rp 30,000$1.84 | Lombok โ40% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | Rp 15,000$0.92 | Rp 20,000$1.23 | Bintan โ25% |
| Transitone ride | Rp 7,000$0.43 | Rp 5,000$0.31 | Lombok โ29% |
| Scooter rentalper day | Rp 100,000$6.13 | Rp 75,000$4.6 | Lombok โ25% |
| Hotel night3-star | Rp 700,000$42.9 | Rp 500,000$30.7 | Lombok โ29% |
| Studio rent (month) | Rp 3,300,000$202 | Rp 5,000,000$307 | Bintan โ34% |
| Laundry | Rp 12,000$0.74 | Rp 15,000$0.92 | Bintan โ20% |
| SIM card1 week data | Rp 100,000$6.13 | Rp 80,000$4.91 | Lombok โ20% |
| Haircutcut | Rp 35,000$2.15 | Rp 40,000$2.45 | Bintan โ12% |
| Massage1 hour | Rp 250,000$15.3 | Rp 120,000$7.36 | Lombok โ52% |
| Half-day tourper person | Rp 350,000$21.5 | Rp 300,000$18.4 | Lombok โ14% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | Rp 140,000$8.59 | Rp 30,000$1.84 | Lombok โ79% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
Lombok is 14% cheaper than Bintan. Daily budget $84.5 vs $55.7; a month $1,158 vs $1,218.
Bintan is easier: Bintan 2.6/5 vs Lombok 3.4/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
With a short-term studio and living costs, Bintan is about $1,158 and Lombok about $1,218 per month.
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.