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: language โ Gili Trawangan 2 vs Jakarta 3. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
| Item | Gili Trawangan | Jakarta | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | Rp 40,000$2.45 | Rp 30,000$1.84 | Jakarta โ25% |
| Street food1 item | Rp 25,000$1.53 | Rp 14,000$0.86 | Jakarta โ44% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | Rp 150,000$9.2 | Rp 180,000$11 | Gili Trawangan โ17% |
| Coffeeone cup | Rp 35,000$2.15 | Rp 38,000$2.33 | Gili Trawangan โ8% |
| Beerone bottle | Rp 50,000$3.07 | Rp 45,000$2.76 | Jakarta โ10% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | Rp 100,000$6.13 | Rp 130,000$7.98 | Gili Trawangan โ23% |
| Bottled water | Rp 6,000$0.37 | Rp 4,500$0.28 | Jakarta โ25% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | Rp 10,000$0.61 | Rp 6,000$0.37 | Jakarta โ40% |
| Taxi5 km in town | Rp 150,000$9.2 | Rp 42,000$2.58 | Jakarta โ72% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | Rp 75,000$4.6 | Rp 15,000$0.92 | Jakarta โ80% |
| Transitone ride | Rp 25,000$1.53 | Rp 3,500$0.21 | Jakarta โ86% |
| Scooter rentalper day | Rp 50,000$3.07 | Rp 100,000$6.13 | Gili Trawangan โ50% |
| Hotel night3-star | Rp 800,000$49.1 | Rp 650,000$39.9 | Jakarta โ19% |
| Studio rent (month) | Rp 4,000,000$245 | Rp 5,000,000$307 | Gili Trawangan โ20% |
| Laundry | Rp 30,000$1.84 | Rp 12,000$0.74 | Jakarta โ60% |
| SIM card1 week data | Rp 150,000$9.2 | Rp 97,000$5.95 | Jakarta โ35% |
| Haircutcut | Rp 50,000$3.07 | Rp 50,000$3.07 | similar |
| Massage1 hour | Rp 150,000$9.2 | Rp 170,000$10.4 | Gili Trawangan โ12% |
| Half-day tourper person | Rp 150,000$9.2 | Rp 450,000$27.6 | Gili Trawangan โ67% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | Rp 20,000$1.23 | Rp 97,000$5.95 | Gili Trawangan 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%+.
Jakarta is 20% cheaper than Gili Trawangan. Daily budget $95.2 vs $69.7; a month $1,301 vs $1,138.
About the same: Gili Trawangan 2.8/5, Jakarta 2.8/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
With a short-term studio and living costs, Gili Trawangan is about $1,301 and Jakarta about $1,138 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.