How much should you set aside for a Komodo trip budget? The honest answer is that it depends most on one choice: the boat. Flights, a night in Labuan Bajo and a few extras add to it, but the liveaboard is the biggest line on almost every budget. This guide breaks down the real costs, using the live prices on this site where we have them, shows a sample budget for one person and for a group, and ends with ten ways to make your money go further.
In short
- On this site, a place on a sharing trip starts from about IDR 3 million per person on the simplest boats and about IDR 13.5 million on the most comfortable.
- Half of the boats start at IDR 6.5 million or less per person.
- The park fee is added to your invoice, IDR 650.000 for foreign guests on most boats.
- Flights, hotels, insurance, alcoholic drinks and tips are paid separately.
What goes into a Komodo trip budget
A typical Komodo trip budget has six parts: the liveaboard, the Komodo National Park fee, flights to and from Labuan Bajo, at least one night in town, travel insurance and the small extras on the way, such as tips, drinks and souvenirs. The first two are fixed when you book. The others depend on where you come from, when you travel and how you like to travel.
The good news is that a liveaboard includes most of what you need during the trip itself. On most boats, the price covers your cabin, three meals a day and an afternoon snack, drinking water, coffee and tea, snorkelling equipment and life jackets, a guide, the stops on the route and the transfers in Labuan Bajo. Once you are on board, there is very little left to pay for.
The liveaboard: the biggest cost
On a sharing trip, you pay per person for a place in a cabin on a scheduled departure. Across the 31 boats on this site, the lowest price per person on a sharing trip ranges from about IDR 3 million on the simplest boats to about IDR 13.5 million on the most comfortable, and half of the boats start at IDR 6.5 million or less. These are starting prices for the smallest or simplest cabin; larger cabins on the same boat cost more.
Most of the difference comes from the boat and the cabin, not the route, because every boat visits the same national park. Simpler boats keep the price low with smaller cabins and simpler finishes. Higher up the range, the cabins and the decks are larger and the finish is more refined. Many boats, at every level, also have a shared cabin that is booked per person, which is often the lowest price on board.
Each boat page lists its cabin types with the price per person, how many guests each cabin sleeps and whether one guest can book it alone. Prices are in Indonesian rupiah, with an approximate amount in US dollars beside them. Our guide to Komodo liveaboard prices explains what changes the price.
How trip length changes the cost
Most sharing trips on this site last 3 days and 2 nights, and that is the length with the most departures. A few boats, such as Le Costa, Lady Grace and the two Sukha Sail boats, sail for 4 days and 3 nights instead. A longer trip costs more in total, but it also adds stops that a short trip often skips, such as Gili Lawa, Siaba and Kanawa.
When you compare two boats with different trip lengths, divide the price by the number of nights. A longer trip can be better value per day, and it leaves more time to rest between the stops. If your budget is tight, a trip of 3 days and 2 nights still covers the highlights: the dragons, the view from Padar, a pink beach and the best snorkelling spots on the route.
Private charters: price per boat
On a private charter, you pay one price for the whole boat and crew, for the dates and the trip length you choose, and share it within your group. For 3 days and 2 nights, the charter rates on this site range from about IDR 36.5 million on a small boat for up to four guests to about IDR 316 million on a large boat for up to 18 guests.
Many boats set the charter price by group size, so a larger group pays a little more for the boat but much less per person. For example, a charter of 3 days and 2 nights on Arham Jaya II costs IDR 36.5 million for up to four guests and IDR 41.5 million for 8 to 10 guests. For a group of eight, that is about IDR 5.2 million per person, close to the price of a cabin on a sharing trip.
On a few boats, the charter price is higher in the high season. A charter also gives you things that a sharing trip cannot: your own timing, your own pace and a boat with no strangers on it, which many families and groups of friends value as much as the price.
The Komodo National Park fee
Every visitor to the park pays the Komodo National Park entrance fee. When you book a liveaboard with us, it is added to your invoice per person, per trip, so you carry no cash for it. On most boats, it is IDR 650.000 for foreign guests and IDR 400.000 for Indonesian citizens. A few boats list a higher fee, from IDR 700.000 to IDR 1.200.000 for foreign guests, and some routes to or from Lombok have their own fee.
Children under 2 do not pay, and children aged 2 and older pay the same fee as adults. The fee is set by the park authority and can change, and the amount on your invoice is the one that applies when we issue it. Our park fees guide lists the fee for every boat.
Flights to Labuan Bajo
Komodo Airport in Labuan Bajo has direct flights from Bali and Jakarta, and the flight from Bali takes a little over an hour. Fares change with the season, the day of the week and how early you book, so we do not quote them here; check the airlines close to your dates. In July and August, the best times fill up early, so book as soon as your liveaboard is confirmed.
Domestic flights often allow less checked baggage than an international flight, so a soft, light bag can save you an extra baggage fee. If you connect from an international flight, leave plenty of time between the two, and plan to arrive in Labuan Bajo the day before your boat leaves. Our guide on how to get from Bali to Komodo covers the options.
A night or two in Labuan Bajo
Because pick-ups start in the morning, most guests spend a night in Labuan Bajo before the boat. The town has places to stay for every budget, from simple guesthouses to hotels on the hills above the harbour, and restaurants and cafés from local warungs to places with a sunset view. Komodo Airport sits on the edge of town, a short drive from the harbour.
On the last day, the boat is back around midday and the transfer reaches the airport at about 13:00, so many guests fly out the same afternoon and need no second night. If you plan an extra day in town, or want a buffer before an international flight, add a second night to your budget.
Extras: tips, drinks, insurance and more
A few costs are easy to forget. Travel insurance is not included in the trip price, and you want a policy that covers a liveaboard trip and the water activities you plan to do. Tips for the crew and guide are not included either: tipping is a personal choice, and many guests leave a tip for the crew at the end of the trip, in rupiah cash.
Alcoholic drinks are paid separately, as are personal expenses such as souvenirs, meals in town and taxis. There are ATMs in Labuan Bajo, and it is easiest to take out the cash you need before the boat leaves, because there is nowhere to withdraw money once you are out among the islands.
Some things you might expect to pay for are already in the price. Snorkelling equipment is on board, so there is no need to rent it in town. On most sharing trips, photo and drone documentation of the trip is included too, which saves you the cost of hiring a photographer and leaves you free to enjoy the moment.
A sample Komodo trip budget
Here is a simple way to build your own budget for one person on a sharing trip, using the median starting price on this site and the standard park fee. Fill in the lines that depend on you.
| Item | For one person |
|---|---|
| Sharing trip (most are 3 days and 2 nights) | From about IDR 3 to 13.5 million; median start IDR 6.5 million |
| Park fee (foreign guest, most boats) | IDR 650.000, on your invoice |
| Return flight to Labuan Bajo | Depends on where you fly from and when |
| One night in Labuan Bajo | Depends on your choice of hotel |
| Travel insurance | Depends on your policy |
| Tips, drinks and extras | Your choice, in rupiah cash |
With the median starting price, the boat and the park fee come to about IDR 7.15 million per person before flights and extras. A couple sharing a double cabin pays the per-person price twice, and a third guest on an extra bed pays the lower extra bed price where the boat offers one.
For a group of eight on a private charter, the same budget works per person: divide the charter price by the number of guests, then add each person’s park fee, flights and extras. On the Arham Jaya II example above, the boat comes to about IDR 5.2 million per person, before the park fee.
Budget for solo travellers, couples, families and groups
A solo traveller has two good options: a cabin marked “Solo OK”, which one guest can book for the price of one person, or a place in a shared cabin, booked per person, on the boats that have one. Many cabins need at least two guests, so look for these two labels first.
For a couple, any double cabin works, and the budget is simply twice the per-person price. For a family, cabins that take three or four guests, family cabins and extra beds keep the cost down, and children under 2 pay no park fee. For a group of friends or colleagues, compare a private charter with booking several cabins: the charter often wins once the group fills most of the boat.
When and how you pay
Spreading the cost is part of planning a budget. For a sharing trip, you pay a 50% deposit within 72 hours of receiving the invoice and the balance at least 60 days before the trip, or the full amount at once if the trip is less than 60 days away. You can pay by bank transfer, Wise or Revolut, and the invoice is in rupiah.
When you book a sharing trip online, your cabins are held for 15 minutes while you finish the booking, so you can check the total before you commit. For a private charter, you send a request with your dates and group size, and we confirm the boat within 24 hours.
Read the cancellation terms before you pay. For sharing trips, you can reschedule up to 65 days before departure; a cancellation 60 days or more before departure gets a 40% refund of what you paid, and there is no refund after that. If the boat cannot sail because of bad weather or government rules, you can reschedule or take a 70% refund. Our guide on how to book a Komodo liveaboard has the details.
10 ways to make your budget go further
- Choose the boat for the trip length. On a short trip, the cabin matters less, because most of the day is spent on deck and in the water.
- Start with 3 days and 2 nights, the most common length with the most departures.
- Share a cabin, or take the extra bed, which costs less than a regular bed.
- Travelling alone? Look for “Solo OK” cabins or a bed in a shared cabin.
- Price a private charter if you are a group that would fill most of the cabins.
- Avoid the high season for charters. On a few boats, charter rates are higher in the busy months.
- Book flights early, especially for July and August.
- Pack light to avoid extra baggage fees on domestic flights.
- Fly out on the last afternoon to save a night in town, if your connections allow it.
- Use what is included: snorkelling gear, meals, water, coffee and tea are already in the price on most boats.
One more tip: set your budget before you look at boats, not after. It is easy to fall for a larger cabin once you see the photos. Decide what you want to spend first, then choose the best boat within that budget.
Our view
A Komodo trip budget is easier to plan than it first looks, because the liveaboard includes so much. Decide first how much comfort you want on the boat, then add the park fee, your flights and a night in Labuan Bajo, and keep a little cash for tips and drinks. Komodo National Park has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1991, and the same sunrise on Padar and the same dragons are waiting at every price level.
The views, the dragons and the reefs are the same for everyone. What you choose is the size of your cabin.
Ready to compare? Browse the sharing trips with live prices and cabin availability, or price a private charter for your group.
Questions
How much does a Komodo trip cost?
The boat is the biggest part. On this site, a sharing trip starts from about IDR 3 million per person, and half of the boats start at IDR 6.5 million or less. Add the park fee, flights, a night in town and extras.
Is the park fee included in the price?
It is not part of the trip price, but it is added to your invoice, so you pay one total and carry no cash for it.
What is not included in a liveaboard price?
Flights, hotels in Labuan Bajo, travel insurance, alcoholic drinks, personal expenses and tips for the crew and guide.
Is a private charter more expensive?
For one or two people, yes. For a group that would fill most of the cabins, the price per person can come close to the price of separate cabins.
Do prices change by season?
On a few boats, private charter rates are higher in the high season. Flights also cost more at busy times, so book early for July and August.
How much cash should I bring?
Enough for tips, drinks and small purchases. The park fee is on your invoice, and there are ATMs in Labuan Bajo before the boat leaves.
Can I pay in instalments?
Yes, in two parts for a sharing trip: a 50% deposit within 72 hours and the balance at least 60 days before departure.
Are prices shown in US dollars?
Prices are in Indonesian rupiah, and the boat pages show an approximate amount in US dollars beside them. Your invoice is in rupiah.
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