Information as of August 2026
How much does a trip to Lombok actually cost? In this article we set out a rough daily cost by travel style, then the price level for each kind of expense (accommodation, food, transport, activities and SIM/data), and finally how prices compare with Bali, which people often ask about. It is put together from the point of view of us at Semelar Beach Village, who are based in Sekotong on Lombok. Prices are shown in Indonesian rupiah, with US dollars in brackets (based on US$1 ≈ Rp17,800, as of September 2026); the rupiah figures are rounded.
What you’ll learn in this article
- ✓A rough daily cost by travel style (backpacker / mid-range / luxury)
- ✓Price levels for accommodation, food, transport, activities and SIM/data
- ✓How prices really compare with Bali, which people often compare it with
- ✓Things to watch when budgeting, such as where cards don’t work, tipping and changing money
The short answer
As a rough daily cost, about Rp165,000–385,000 (about US$9–22) for a backpacker, about Rp660,000–1,430,000 (about US$37–80) for mid-range, and from about Rp1,980,000 (about US$111) for luxury. Compared with Bali, the closest way to put it is: “areas that have become tourist destinations are priced close to Bali, and local areas are cheaper.”
Daily cost of a Lombok trip, by travel style
First, here is the big picture: a rough cost per person per day, by travel style. It adds up accommodation, food, transport on the island and activities (flights and travel insurance are not included).
Backpacker
Rp165,000–385,000
about US$9–22 a day in total
Mid-range
Rp660,000–1,430,000
about US$37–80 a day in total
Luxury
From Rp1,980,000
about US$111 and up a day in total
A guide covering accommodation, meals, transport on the island and activities (as of August 2026; US$1 ≈ Rp17,800)
← The table scrolls sideways
| Travel style | Accommodation / day | Food / day | Transport on the island / day | Activities / day | Daily total (guide) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Backpacker | Rp33,000–110,000 | Rp55,000–132,000 | Rp33,000–77,000 | Rp0–110,000 | Rp165,000–385,000 (about US$9–22) |
| Mid-range (typical traveler) | Rp220,000–605,000 | Rp165,000–385,000 | Rp110,000–275,000 | Rp110,000–330,000 | Rp660,000–1,430,000 (about US$37–80) |
| Luxury | From Rp880,000 to several million | From Rp440,000 | From Rp275,000 (chartered car arranged, etc.) | From Rp330,000 | From Rp1,980,000 (about US$111 and up) |
* The above is a rough summary based on general statistics from overseas media on foreign travelers’ spending and on guide figures from travel media, converted into rupiah and rounded. It varies greatly with the actual exchange rate, the season and the grade of accommodation. Please use it only as a reference for getting a feel for your budget.
Price levels by expense in Lombok
Accommodation
Accommodation prices cover a very wide range. You can find a dorm bed or a simple guesthouse from around Rp110,000 (about US$6.20) a night, while in beachside resort areas such as the Gili Trawangan and Sekotong areas there are plenty of villas and boutique hotels from a few hundred thousand to several million rupiah a night. In general travel information, around Rp440,000–550,000 (about US$25–31) a night is often quoted as a guide for a mid-range hotel, but this too varies with the property, the season and when you book.
Prices tend to rise in the dry-season high season (June to August, the year-end holidays and so on), and tend to be more modest in the rainy season. For more on the climate, see our Complete Guide to Lombok: getting there, weather and highlights.
Food
Food is the expense where travelers feel Lombok’s prices most directly. At a local eatery (warung), a standard dish such as nasi goreng or mie goreng is generally quoted at around Rp22,000–33,000 (about US$1.25–1.85) a meal, and tourist-oriented restaurants are reported to cost two to three times that. Local specialties such as ayam taliwang (Lombok’s famous spicy chicken) can be enjoyed at fairly modest prices in local eateries.
On the other hand, popular cafés and beach clubs on the Gili Islands and in Sekotong are often priced for tourists, so it is closer to reality to think of them as being at about the same level as tourist areas in Bali. Things you can buy at supermarkets and convenience stores, such as mineral water and beer, tend to be available at levels close to local prices.
Transport (getting around the island)
Public transport on Lombok is not well developed, so travelers mainly get around the island in one of three ways: “motorbike rental,” “taxis and ride-hailing apps” or “charter (a chartered car with a driver arranged).”
- Motorbike rental: A guide is a few tens of thousands of rupiah a day. It offers a lot of freedom, but you need to check in advance things such as traffic rules, road conditions and whether you need an international driving permit.
- Taxis and ride-hailing apps: Easy to use in urban areas (Mataram and so on), but in rural areas like Sekotong the ride-hailing apps may not work well.
- Charter (chartered by the day): Usually priced per day with a driver, and if you share among several people the burden per person goes down.
For access from Bali to Lombok (a comparison of the fares for flights, fast boats and ferries), we compare them in detail in our guide “How to Get from Bali to Lombok“, so please take a look at that as well.
Activities and experiences
There is a rich variety of activities unique to Lombok, such as snorkeling tours, diving and trekking on Mount Rinjani. Half-day to full-day group tours are said to start from a few hundred thousand rupiah, and experience dives or license courses generally cost more in a lump sum. In some cases it seems to work out cheaper to arrange things together through your accommodation or a local agent than to book individually.
Visiting traditional villages (such as Sade) generally involves a small payment as an entrance fee or donation, but the amount differs from place to place.
SIM and data
In Indonesia, prepaid SIMs from the major carriers Telkomsel, Indosat and XL Axiata are widely used. As a guide for typical traveler plans, prices of roughly Rp33,000–165,000 (about US$1.85–9.30) for a few GB to around 30 GB of data (30 days) are often quoted. While the SIM sales booths at the airport are convenient, there is also information suggesting that carrier shops and convenience stores (Indomaret, Alfamart) in town tend to be cheaper.
🏝️ A word from us in Sekotong
In rural areas such as Sekotong, the connection speed can be less stable than in town centers. If you are considering a stay where the internet matters, such as a workation, we recommend choosing a plan with some margin in mind. (As of August 2026, from our local team)
Price comparison: Bali and Lombok
People who have been to Bali often ask, “Is Lombok cheaper than Bali?” Putting general travel information together, the tendencies can be summarized as follows.
← The table scrolls sideways
| Item | Bali tendency | Lombok tendency |
|---|---|---|
| Meals at local eateries | Said to be pricier, as tourism has developed | Said to stay at relatively low prices in many areas |
| Restaurants and cafés for tourists | A great many options, with a wide price range | Tourist areas (the Gili Islands, Kuta Lombok and so on) are at a similar level; elsewhere there are simply few options |
| Mid-range hotels and villas | Fierce competition and a wide price range | Many newly developed areas, and the price range still seems to be forming |
| Transport on the island | Ride-hailing apps and taxis are well developed | In rural areas the apps work poorly, so charters tend to be the main option |
Overall, rather than declaring “Lombok is clearly cheaper,” it is probably closer to reality to understand that areas that have become tourist destinations are priced close to Bali, and local areas away from them are cheaper. An area like Sekotong, still at an early stage of tourism development, is a place where that “local price level” strongly remains.
Things to watch when budgeting: credit cards, tipping and changing money
To be honest, here are some points that are easy to overlook when you set a budget.
Diagram: 4 things to watch when budgeting
Note
- Cards often don’t work: Even where you can use them at large city hotels and shopping malls, local eateries, markets, small guesthouses and motorbike rental are often cash (rupiah) only. Be ready so that you don’t run out of cash.
- Tipping isn’t required: Indonesia does not have a strong tipping culture like many Western countries, and it is said not to be required in most situations. At high-end hotels and restaurants, however, a service charge may already be included in the bill, and some travelers hand over a tip to a private guide or driver as an optional gesture, so you can think of it at that level.
- Tips for changing money: Exchange counters at the airport and in tourist areas can give poor rates, so using a licensed money changer in town is often said to be more favorable. Rupiah amounts have many digits (US$1 ≈ Rp17,800, as of September 2026, and it fluctuates over time), so it helps to work out a quick conversion in advance.
- ATM fees: ATMs that accept foreign cash cards are common in the main cities, but they can be hard to find in rural areas. Fee structures differ by bank, so we recommend checking beforehand.
All of these are commonly said tendencies, and the situation changes with the season, the venue and the exchange rate. Rather than taking them as definitive information, please check the latest information before you travel, and prepare with some margin so that you have both cash and a card.
FAQ
Q. Are prices on Lombok cheaper than on Bali?
Rather than declaring it “clearly cheaper,” it is probably closer to reality to understand that areas that have become tourist destinations (the Gili Islands, Kuta Lombok and so on) are priced close to Bali, and local areas away from them are cheaper.
Q. Can I use a credit card?
You can at large hotels and shopping malls in cities, but local eateries, markets, small guesthouses and motorbike rental are often cash (rupiah) only. Carrying both cash and a card is the safe approach.
Q. Do I need to tip?
Indonesia does not have a strong tipping culture like many Western countries, and it is said not to be required in most situations. At high-end hotels and restaurants a service charge may already be included in the bill, and some travelers hand over a tip to a private guide or driver as an optional gesture, so you can think of it at that level.
Read next
- Complete Guide to Lombok: Getting There, Weather and HighlightsA pillar article covering the climate, safety and the island as a whole.
- SIM Cards, Wi-Fi and Workations on LombokCovers how to buy a local SIM and what the connection is like.
- Is “It’s Cheap Once You’re There” True? The Break-Even Point of a Lombok TripAn article that sets the high cost of getting there against the low cost on the ground, to work out how many nights it takes to break even.
- How Many Nights on Lombok Is Best Value? Cost Simulation for 3, 7 and 14 NightsAn article that works out how the total per day changes for 3, 7 and 14 nights.
Summary: staying in Sekotong is one option
From general travel information, a rough guide to the cost of a Lombok trip is roughly Rp165,000–385,000 (about US$9–22) a day for a backpacker style, and you can plan mid-range travel focused on comfort from around Rp1,100,000 (about US$62) a day. However, as we have repeated in this article, these are reference figures based on general statistics and travel guides, not local measured data from Semelar. In future we plan to reflect real spending data gained through our actual stay program in this article too.
We at Semelar Beach Village run a stay program rooted in the life of the community in Sekotong, in the southwest of Lombok. The local sense of prices and daily life, which can’t be seen just from the “going rate” in developed tourist areas, is something you will understand best by actually staying in Sekotong. For those who have already been to Bali too, please consider Lombok, and a stay in Sekotong, as “one more option,” including on the cost side.
SEMELAR BEACH VILLAGE
Stay in the Sekotong village we call home
About 1 hour 10 minutes by car from Lombok International Airport. A stay program where you sleep in a seaside villa, explore the islands by local boat, and watch the sunset at SAKURA CAFE.
Sources for this article
- General statistics from overseas media compiling spending data from foreign travelers (mentioned in the article)
- Guide figures from travel media (mentioned in the article)
- General travel information (as of August 2026)
