💰 This page covers the street-level details of spending money in Labuan Bajo: Komodo park fees, day boats and phinisi liveaboards, diving, the night market, cash for the islands and Flores, and which machines to use. For Indonesia-wide ATM tips, DCC warnings, tipping norms, and exchange rate advice:
Read the Indonesia Money Guide →🎧 Order Rupiah Before You Fly
Land with rupiah for the boats, rangers and the night market. Insured delivery, 2–5 days.
Order IDR → CEI Currency ExchangeDo You Need Cash in Labuan Bajo?
Yes, and above all before you leave town. Labuan Bajo, a fishing port on the western tip of Flores, is the base for boat trips into Komodo National Park, and the islands themselves have no cash machines. Hotels, dive shops and most boat operators take cards, though often with a surcharge. Rangers' tips, the village carvings on Komodo, the drinks on a basic day boat, the crew tip and the fish at the night market are cash. Carry Rp 1 million or more before a boat trip, depending on its length. The Indonesia money guide covers ATM limits and money changers.
Where You Will Need Cash
Tips for boat crews, cooks and rangers. Village sellers on Komodo Island. The night market at Kampung Ujung. Warungs and motorbike taxis. Snorkel and fin rental on day boats. Overland Flores.
Where Cards Work Fine
Hotels and resorts. Dive shops, often with a 3 percent surcharge. Boat trip deposits booked online. Restaurants on the main road. Flights into Komodo Airport.
Komodo Park Fees: Why Every Quote Says "Excluding"
The fee is separate. Almost every boat trip from Labuan Bajo is quoted excluding park fees, because the fees are set by the park authority and have changed repeatedly. Foreign visitors pay a daily entrance fee, plus separate charges for some islands, the ranger who walks you past the dragons on Komodo or Rinca, snorkelling or diving, and harbour use. A plan to charge millions of rupiah for Komodo Island itself was announced in 2022 and then dropped.
How it is paid now. The park has moved payment online, through its own booking system, and most operators now collect the fees from you and pay them for the whole boat. Some still collect them in rupiah cash on the day. Before booking, ask for the total park fees per person for your itinerary, how they are paid, and whether the price you see includes them.
Rangers and dragons. On Komodo and Rinca, you walk with a park ranger carrying a forked stick. The ranger fee is part of the park charges; a tip of Rp 50,000 or so for a good walk is appreciated. Villagers in Kampung Komodo sell wooden dragon carvings and pearls at the jetty, for cash, with plenty of room to bargain.
Day Boats, Speedboats and Phinisi Liveaboards
Speedboat day trips. The classic day out, Padar's viewpoint at sunrise, Pink Beach, Komodo or Rinca for the dragons, and Manta Point, is done by shared speedboat. Expect roughly Rp 1.5 to 2.5 million per person, excluding park fees, with lunch and snorkel gear. Private speedboats cost several times more.
Phinisi liveaboards. Two-day and three-day trips on traditional wooden phinisi schooners sleep on board in the park. Prices range from a few hundred dollars per person in a shared cabin on a basic boat to many thousands for a private luxury boat. Operators usually take a deposit of 30 to 50 percent by card or bank transfer and the balance before departure; check the cancellation terms, because trips are cancelled in bad weather.
On board. Soft drinks and beer are usually extra, settled in cash at the end. The crew tip, often collected in an envelope on the last day, is customary: roughly Rp 100,000 to Rp 200,000 per guest per day on a shared trip.
Diving in Komodo
Some of the world's best diving. Strong currents, manta rays and dense reefs bring divers from everywhere. A day trip with two or three dives costs roughly Rp 2 to 3.5 million, more for a liveaboard. Diving carries its own park fee on top of the entrance fee.
Paying. Dive shops on Labuan Bajo's main road take cards, usually with a 2 to 3 percent surcharge, and some give a discount for cash. Ask whether equipment, park fees and the harbour fee are included. Courses are priced in rupiah or dollars; pay in rupiah if you can, and decline any card terminal offer to convert to your home currency.
Eating in Labuan Bajo: The Night Market
Kampung Ujung. In the evening, the waterfront at Kampung Ujung fills with seafood stalls. Fish, squid, lobster and prawns are priced by weight; choose, agree the price, and it is grilled with rice, sambal and vegetables. All cash. Agree the price before it goes on the grill, and check the weight.
Sunset Hill and the bars. Labuan Bajo's sunsets over the islands are part of the deal: Bukit Sylvia or the bars along the main road and Puncak Waringin are the spots. Hotel bars take cards; the hilltop stalls do not.
ATMs in Labuan Bajo
Look for these logos. All four big Indonesian banks have machines in town.
BCA
BNI
BRI
MandiriATM Locations
Machines line Jalan Soekarno-Hatta, the main road along the harbour, with branches of BRI, BNI, Mandiri and BCA. BNI and BCA are reliable for a foreign card. Machines run low before weekends and on public holidays when every boat is going out, so withdraw a day early. Each withdrawal is capped, and Indonesia has no Bank of America Global ATM Alliance partner.
⚠ No Machines on the Islands, or Much of Flores
There are no cash machines in Komodo National Park, and few in the towns east along the Trans-Flores highway. Withdraw before you leave, and decline any machine or terminal that offers to charge in dollars. Our DCC explainer shows the cost.
Getting to Labuan Bajo, and Overland Across Flores
Komodo Airport. Flights from Bali take about an hour, and from Jakarta about two. The airport is on the edge of town, a short motorbike or car ride from the harbour hotels; most hotels pick up for free or a small fee.
Overland Flores. Many travellers continue east by car along the Trans-Flores highway: the rice terraces near Ruteng, the traditional village of Wae Rebo, the villages near Bajawa, and the three-coloured crater lakes of Kelimutu above Moni. A car and driver costs roughly Rp 800,000 to Rp 1.2 million a day. Villages charge entrance or donation fees in cash, homestays are cash, and machines become scarce: take enough from Labuan Bajo and top up in Ruteng or Ende.
Tipping in Labuan Bajo
Tips matter here more than in most of Indonesia. Tip boat crews at the end of a trip, roughly Rp 100,000 to Rp 200,000 per guest per day; rangers Rp 50,000 for a good walk; dive guides Rp 50,000 to Rp 100,000 per dive day; and drivers on a Flores road trip Rp 100,000 a day.
Prices in Labuan Bajo
Labuan Bajo is pricier than the rest of Flores because almost everything is geared to Komodo trips.
| Item | Price (IDR) | Price (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Nasi goreng at a warung | Rp 25,000–45,000 | $1.50–2.70 |
| Grilled fish at the night market, per kilo | Rp 150,000–300,000 | $9–18 |
| Shared speedboat day trip | Rp 1.5–2.5 million | $90–150 |
| Two-day phinisi trip, shared cabin | Rp 4–8 million | $240–485 |
| Day of diving, 2–3 dives | Rp 2–3.5 million | $120–210 |
| Ranger tip | Rp 50,000 | $3 |
| Car and driver, overland Flores | Rp 800,000–1.2 million a day | $48–73 |
| Harbour-view hotel night | Rp 700,000–2 million | $42–120 |
USD estimates use approximately Rp 16,500 = $1. Rates fluctuate.
Labuan Bajo Quick Reference
| Destination | Cards? | Cash Needed? | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Park fees | Usually paid online | Quoted separately | Ask for the total |
| Speedboat day trips | ✅ Yes | Rp 1.5–2.5 million | Excludes park fees |
| Phinisi liveaboards | ✅ Deposit by card | 30–50% up front | Check weather terms |
| Crew and ranger tips | ❌ Cash | Envelope on last day | Rupiah |
| Night market | ❌ Cash | By weight | Kampung Ujung |
| ATMs | BRI, BNI, Mandiri, BCA | Town only | None on the islands |
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need cash in Labuan Bajo?
Yes. Park-related fees, the night market, small warungs, motorbike taxis, tips for boat crews and rangers, and anything on the islands are cash or need to be paid in rupiah. Hotels, dive shops and many tour operators take cards, often with a 3 percent surcharge. Withdraw in town before any boat trip.
How much is the Komodo National Park fee?
It has changed several times. Foreign visitors pay a daily park entrance fee plus separate charges for specific islands, rangers, snorkelling or diving, and harbour use. Since 2025 most of these are paid through the park's online system, often by the tour operator on your behalf. Ask your operator for the exact total and whether it is included in the price.
How much is a Komodo boat trip?
A one-day shared speedboat trip to Padar, Komodo or Rinca, Pink Beach and Manta Point costs roughly Rp 1.5 to 2.5 million per person, usually excluding park fees. Two-day and three-day trips on wooden phinisi liveaboards range from a few hundred dollars per person in a shared cabin to several thousand for a private boat.
Are there ATMs on Komodo or Rinca?
No. There are no bank machines on the islands of Komodo National Park. Withdraw rupiah in Labuan Bajo, where BRI, BNI, Mandiri and BCA have machines along the main road, before you leave.
How do I pay for diving in Komodo?
Dive shops in Labuan Bajo take cards, often with a surcharge, and some offer a discount for cash. Day trips with two or three dives cost roughly Rp 2 to 3.5 million, and diving carries its own park fee on top of the entrance fee. Confirm whether park fees and equipment are included.
Do I need cash to travel overland across Flores?
Yes, much more than in Labuan Bajo. Towns such as Ruteng, Bajawa, Ende and Moni near Kelimutu have few bank machines, and homestays, warungs, village entrance fees and drivers are cash. Withdraw enough in Labuan Bajo, and top up in Ruteng or Ende.
Pay Smart in Labuan Bajo
The Wise card converts at the real mid-market rate, pays boat deposits and dive shops without a markup, and withdraws rupiah in Labuan Bajo before you leave for the islands.
Get the Wise Card →Hero photo: the harbour at Labuan Bajo, Flores, by Tiket2, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.