Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
Gili Trawangan is easier to travel (2.8 vs 3.2). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Gili Trawangan 3 vs Hanoi 4. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
| Item | Gili Trawangan | Hanoi | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | Rp 40,000$2.45 | โซ 70,000$2.66 | Gili Trawangan โ8% |
| Street food1 item | Rp 25,000$1.53 | โซ 50,000$1.9 | Gili Trawangan โ19% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | Rp 150,000$9.2 | โซ 280,000$10.6 | Gili Trawangan โ14% |
| Coffeeone cup | Rp 35,000$2.15 | โซ 45,000$1.71 | Hanoi โ20% |
| Beerone bottle | Rp 50,000$3.07 | โซ 25,000$0.95 | Hanoi โ69% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | Rp 100,000$6.13 | โซ 120,000$4.56 | Hanoi โ26% |
| Bottled water | Rp 6,000$0.37 | โซ 8,000$0.3 | Hanoi โ17% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | Rp 10,000$0.61 | โซ 12,000$0.46 | Hanoi โ26% |
| Taxi5 km in town | Rp 150,000$9.2 | โซ 75,000$2.85 | Hanoi โ69% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | Rp 75,000$4.6 | โซ 25,000$0.95 | Hanoi โ79% |
| Transitone ride | Rp 25,000$1.53 | โซ 8,000$0.3 | Hanoi โ80% |
| Scooter rentalper day | Rp 50,000$3.07 | โซ 150,000$5.7 | Gili Trawangan โ46% |
| Hotel night3-star | Rp 800,000$49.1 | โซ 800,000$30.4 | Hanoi โ38% |
| Studio rent (month) | Rp 4,000,000$245 | โซ 9,500,000$361 | Gili Trawangan โ32% |
| Laundry | Rp 30,000$1.84 | โซ 30,000$1.14 | Hanoi โ38% |
| SIM card1 week data | Rp 150,000$9.2 | โซ 220,000$8.37 | Hanoi โ9% |
| Haircutcut | Rp 50,000$3.07 | โซ 80,000$3.04 | similar |
| Massage1 hour | Rp 150,000$9.2 | โซ 300,000$11.4 | Gili Trawangan โ19% |
| Half-day tourper person | Rp 150,000$9.2 | โซ 650,000$24.7 | Gili Trawangan โ63% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | Rp 20,000$1.23 | โซ 70,000$2.66 | Gili Trawangan โ54% |
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%+.
Hanoi is 19% cheaper than Gili Trawangan. Daily budget $95.2 vs $61.4; a month $1,301 vs $1,277.
Gili Trawangan is easier: Gili Trawangan 2.8/5 vs Hanoi 3.2/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
With a short-term studio and living costs, Gili Trawangan is about $1,301 and Hanoi about $1,277 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.