💰 This page covers the street-level details of spending money in Lombok: cash for the Gili Islands, boats from Bali and Bangsal, Kuta surf costs, Rinjani trek packages, 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, warungs and surf breaks. Insured delivery, 2–5 days.
Order IDR → CEI Currency ExchangeDo You Need Cash in Lombok?
Yes, more than in Bali next door. Lombok is less developed for tourism, and outside the villas, dive shops and the newer resorts around Mandalika, it runs on rupiah notes. The surf boat at Gerupuk, the board rental at Selong Belanak, the warung lunch, the horse cart on Gili Trawangan and the public boat from Bangsal all want cash. Carry Rp 500,000 to 1,000,000 a day, and more before you cross to the Gili Islands, where machines are scarce. The Indonesia money guide covers the national ATM limits and money changers.
Where You Will Need Cash
Warungs and beach shacks. Surf boats and board rental. Scooter rental. The public boat from Bangsal. Cidomo horse carts on the Gilis. Small homestays. Tips for Rinjani porters and guides.
Where Cards Work Fine
Villas and resorts in Kuta Mandalika and Senggigi. Dive shops on the Gilis, often with a 2 to 3 percent surcharge. Fast boats from Bali booked online. Rinjani trek packages booked in advance. Grab, in and around Mataram.
The Gili Islands: Withdraw Before You Cross
Three islands, few machines. The Gilis, three small coral islands off Lombok's north-west coast, have no cars or motorbikes: you walk, cycle, or take a cidomo, a horse-drawn cart. Gili Trawangan, the busiest, has several cash machines; Gili Air has a few; Gili Meno, the quietest, has very few. They run out of cash at weekends and in July and August, and the standalone machines charge high fees.
So bring it with you. Withdraw enough rupiah for your whole stay on Lombok, at the airport, in Mataram or in Senggigi, or in Bali before the fast boat. Dive shops and the bigger hotels take cards, often with a surcharge, but the warungs, bike rental, cidomo, snorkel trips and night market do not.
Cidomo fares. Horse carts charge per trip, not per person, and quote high from the harbour. A ride across Trawangan costs roughly Rp 100,000 to Rp 200,000. Agree the price before you get in.
Getting There: Fast Boats, the Public Boat and the Airport
From Bali. Fast boats run from Padang Bai, Sanur and Serangan to the Gilis and to Teluk Kode or Bangsal on Lombok, taking 1.5 to 3 hours. Fares range from roughly Rp 250,000 to Rp 700,000 one way, depending on the company and whether hotel pick-up is included. Book online by card; the sea in the Lombok Strait gets rough, and the more established operators cancel when it does.
From Lombok to the Gilis. The public boat from Bangsal harbour costs a small cash fare, bought at the official ticket office, and leaves when full. Ignore the touts on the road to Bangsal who insist you need a private boat or a horse cart for the last kilometre; you can walk. Private boats from Teluk Nara and Teluk Kode cost more.
Lombok airport. Lombok International Airport is in the south, near Praya, about 30 minutes from Kuta Mandalika and 1.5 hours from Senggigi and Bangsal. An official airport taxi to Kuta costs roughly Rp 150,000 to Rp 250,000. The airport has BNI, BRI, Mandiri and BCA machines in arrivals: use one, because the south coast has fewer than you would expect.
Kuta Mandalika and the Surf Coast
Not that Kuta. Lombok's Kuta, in the south, shares a name with Bali's party town but little else. It is a surf town that has grown fast since the Mandalika resort zone and its MotoGP circuit opened. During the Indonesian MotoGP weekend, hotel prices in the area jump several times over; book early or avoid it.
Surf costs. Board rental at Selong Belanak, a beginner beach, costs roughly Rp 50,000 to Rp 100,000 for a few hours, and lessons a few hundred thousand. At Gerupuk, boatmen take surfers out to the reef breaks for roughly Rp 200,000 to Rp 300,000 per boat for the session. All cash.
Beach parking and kids selling bracelets. Most beaches charge a small parking fee for a scooter, collected by a local attendant: Rp 5,000 to Rp 10,000. Children selling bracelets on the beaches are persistent; a firm no is fine.
Mount Rinjani: What a Trek Package Includes
The volcano. Gunung Rinjani, Indonesia's second-highest volcano, is climbed from Senaru in the north or Sembalun in the east. Trekking without a licensed guide is not allowed, and almost everyone buys a package.
The price. A two-day trek to the crater rim costs roughly $120 to $250 per person, and a three-day trek to the summit and the crater lake more. A proper package includes the national park fee, a guide, porters, tents, sleeping bags and meals. Cheap packages cut corners on equipment and on porters' pay; ask exactly what is included, and pay the deposit by card where you can.
Tips. Porters carry everything up the mountain in baskets on bamboo poles, and tips are an important part of their income. Plan on roughly Rp 100,000 to Rp 200,000 per porter and more for the guide on a two-day trek, in cash, handed over at the end. The park closes for the rainy season, usually from January to March.
ATMs in Lombok
Look for these logos. Indonesia's big four banks all have machines on Lombok.
BCA
BNI
BRI
MandiriATM Locations
Mataram, the capital, has the most machines, in the malls and along the main roads. Senggigi has a strip of them on the main road, and Kuta Mandalika a growing number around the town centre and the Mandalika resorts. Lombok airport has several in arrivals. BNI and BCA are reliable for a foreign card. Machines dispense either Rp 50,000 or Rp 100,000 notes, and cap each withdrawal at roughly Rp 2.5 to 3 million. Indonesia has no Bank of America Global ATM Alliance partner.
⚠ Standalone Machines and the Dollar Screen
Standalone machines outside minimarts and on the Gilis are the most likely to skim cards and to charge high fees. Use a machine attached to a bank branch or inside a supermarket. If any machine offers to convert into dollars, decline: our DCC explainer shows why.
Getting Around Lombok
Scooters. Most visitors to Kuta rent a scooter, for roughly Rp 60,000 to Rp 100,000 a day in cash. You need an international driving permit with a motorcycle endorsement to be legal, and police checkpoints on the main roads do fine tourists without one.
Drivers. A car and driver for the day costs roughly Rp 600,000 to Rp 900,000, including fuel, and is the comfortable way between the south coast, Senggigi and the Bangsal harbour.
Grab and Bluebird. Grab works in and around Mataram and Senggigi, and Bluebird metered taxis operate on the island. In Kuta and the more rural areas, local transport associations restrict ride-hailing pick-ups.
Tipping in Lombok
Lombok follows Indonesian norms: tipping is not expected but appreciated. Round up at warungs, leave 5 to 10 percent at restaurants without a service charge, give surf instructors and boatmen Rp 20,000 to Rp 50,000, and tip Rinjani porters and guides generously. Lombok is majority Muslim; during Ramadan some warungs close by day.
Prices in Lombok
Lombok is cheaper than Bali, and the Gilis dearer than Lombok.
| Item | Price (IDR) | Price (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Nasi campur at a warung | Rp 20,000–40,000 | $1.20–2.40 |
| Bintang beer on the Gilis | Rp 40,000–60,000 | $2.40–3.60 |
| Fast boat Bali to the Gilis, one way | Rp 250,000–700,000 | $15–42 |
| Cidomo ride on Gili Trawangan | Rp 100,000–200,000 | $6–12 |
| Surf board rental, a few hours | Rp 50,000–100,000 | $3–6 |
| Boat to the Gerupuk breaks, per boat | Rp 200,000–300,000 | $12–18 |
| Scooter rental, per day | Rp 60,000–100,000 | $3.60–6 |
| Two-day Rinjani trek package | $120–250 | $120–250 |
| Airport taxi to Kuta | Rp 150,000–250,000 | $9–15 |
| Guesthouse night in Kuta | Rp 300,000–800,000 | $18–48 |
USD estimates use approximately Rp 16,500 = $1. Rates fluctuate.
Lombok Quick Reference
| Destination | Cards? | Cash Needed? | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gili Islands | ❌ Mostly cash | Few ATMs | Withdraw on Lombok first |
| Fast boats from Bali | ✅ Online | Rp 250,000–700,000 | Cancelled in rough seas |
| Surf boats and boards | ❌ Cash | Per boat, per session | Gerupuk, Selong Belanak |
| Rinjani trek | ✅ Deposit by card | $120–250, 2 days | Tip porters in cash |
| Villas and dive shops | ✅ Yes | 2–3% surcharge common | Kuta, Senggigi, Gilis |
| ATMs | BNI, BCA, BRI, Mandiri | Airport, Mataram, Kuta | Decline dollars |
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need cash in Lombok?
Yes, more than in Bali. Warungs, surf boats, board rental, the public boat to the Gilis, horse carts, scooter rental and small homestays are cash. Villas, dive shops, the better restaurants and fast boats booked online take cards. Carry Rp 500,000 to 1,000,000 a day.
Are there ATMs on the Gili Islands?
Gili Trawangan has several machines, Gili Air a few, and Gili Meno very few. They run out of cash at weekends and in high season, and some charge high fees. Withdraw enough rupiah on Lombok or in Bali before you take the boat over.
How much is the boat from Bali to the Gili Islands?
Fast boats from Padang Bai, Sanur or Serangan cost roughly Rp 250,000 to Rp 700,000 one way, depending on the company and the departure point, and take 1.5 to 3 hours. Book online by card. From Lombok, the public boat from Bangsal harbour costs a small cash fare.
How much does it cost to climb Mount Rinjani?
Most trekkers buy a package from Senaru or Sembalun that includes the park fee, guide, porters, tents and food. A two-day trek to the crater rim costs roughly $120 to $250 per person, and a three-day summit-and-lake trek more. Tips for porters and guides are paid in cash at the end.
Is there a tourist tax in Lombok?
No. The Rp 150,000 tourist levy charged on arrival applies only to Bali. Lombok and the Gilis do not charge it, although some Gili accommodations collect a small voluntary island contribution for waste and reef projects.
Which ATMs should I use in Lombok?
BNI, BCA, BRI and Mandiri machines in Mataram, Senggigi, Kuta Mandalika and at Lombok airport. Use a machine attached to a bank branch or a supermarket, withdraw the maximum the machine allows, and decline any offer to convert into dollars.
Pay Smart in Lombok
The Wise card converts at the real mid-market rate, books fast boats and villas without a markup, and withdraws rupiah at BNI or BCA machines before you head for the Gilis.
Get the Wise Card →Hero photo: Kuta Mandalika beach, Lombok, by ricky, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.