Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Biggest gap: getting around โ Ella 4 vs Gili Trawangan 3. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
| Item | Ella | Gili Trawangan | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | Rs 1,000$3.33 | Rp 40,000$2.45 | Gili Trawangan โ26% |
| Street food1 item | Rs 600$2 | Rp 25,000$1.53 | Gili Trawangan โ23% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | Rs 3,000$10 | Rp 150,000$9.2 | Gili Trawangan โ8% |
| Coffeeone cup | Rs 1,000$3.33 | Rp 35,000$2.15 | Gili Trawangan โ36% |
| Beerone bottle | Rs 1,100$3.67 | Rp 50,000$3.07 | Gili Trawangan โ16% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | Rs 2,000$6.67 | Rp 100,000$6.13 | Gili Trawangan โ8% |
| Bottled water | Rs 80$0.27 | Rp 6,000$0.37 | Ella โ28% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | Rs 180$0.6 | Rp 10,000$0.61 | similar |
| Taxi5 km in town | Rs 1,500$5 | Rp 150,000$9.2 | Ella โ46% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | Rs 800$2.67 | Rp 75,000$4.6 | Ella โ42% |
| Transitone ride | Rs 50$0.17 | Rp 25,000$1.53 | Ella โ89% |
| Scooter rentalper day | Rs 4,000$13.3 | Rp 50,000$3.07 | Gili Trawangan โ77% |
| Hotel night3-star | Rs 15,000$50 | Rp 800,000$49.1 | similar |
| Studio rent (month) | Rs 50,000$167 | Rp 4,000,000$245 | Ella โ32% |
| Laundry | Rs 400$1.33 | Rp 30,000$1.84 | Ella โ28% |
| SIM card1 week data | Rs 2,500$8.33 | Rp 150,000$9.2 | Ella โ9% |
| Haircutcut | Rs 800$2.67 | Rp 50,000$3.07 | Ella โ13% |
| Massage1 hour | Rs 5,000$16.7 | Rp 150,000$9.2 | Gili Trawangan โ45% |
| Half-day tourper person | Rs 6,000$20 | Rp 150,000$9.2 | Gili Trawangan โ54% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | Rs 1,000$3.33 | Rp 20,000$1.23 | Gili Trawangan โ63% |
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%+.
Ella is 11% cheaper than Gili Trawangan. Daily budget $90.1 vs $95.2; a month $1,090 vs $1,301.
About the same: Ella 2.8/5, Gili Trawangan 2.8/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
With a short-term studio and living costs, Ella is about $1,090 and Gili Trawangan about $1,301 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.