Owners planning an Indonesian season usually shortlist the same three bases: Bali for infrastructure, Lombok for economy, Labuan Bajo for position. Headline day rates tell only part of the story — moorings, utilities, clearance handling, and the cost of repositioning to your actual cruising ground shift the totals significantly. This independent comparison sets the fee structures side by side in US dollars. Figures are indicative ranges drawn from published and reported rates; every marina office quotes to your vessel’s length and dates, so confirm before committing.
Fee Comparison at a Glance
Indicative ranges for a 24 m vessel, the most common size class moving between these harbours:
- Bali (Benoa area): daily berth $35–$75 · monthly $900–$2,200 · moorings limited, mostly around Serangan · shore power and water metered, international-standard billing.
- Lombok (Medana Bay, Gili Gede): daily berth or mooring $25–$50 · monthly $500–$1,200 · laid moorings from roughly $150–$250 per month · simpler facilities, correspondingly simpler bills.
- Labuan Bajo: daily berth $30–$90 · monthly $600–$3,000 · swing moorings $10–$20 per day · anchorage free in designated grounds · full line-by-line detail in our Labuan Bajo pricing guide.
What Drives the Differences
Bali charges for depth of infrastructure: haul-out access, chandlery, international airport twenty minutes away, and marina offices accustomed to superyacht paperwork. You pay Balinese waterfront prices for the privilege, and high-season space around Benoa is tight with charter and dive traffic.
Lombok prices reflect quieter demand. Medana Bay and Gili Gede offer secure moorings and yard services at the lowest running cost of the three, which is why circumnavigators and owners laying up between seasons favour them. The trade-off is distance from marquee cruising grounds and thinner provisioning.
Labuan Bajo prices its position. The harbour sits inside the Komodo National Park charter economy, so demand from the phinisi fleet — not tourism generally — sets the floor. Berth allocation favours standing agreements, and the premium positions command the top of the range; the mechanics are covered in our guide to marina berths for phinisi and yachts.
The Repositioning Cost Most Comparisons Miss
A Komodo season based from Bali means a 250 nm delivery each way past Lombok and Sumbawa — two to three days, fuel in four figures for motor yachts, plus weather risk in the Alas and Sape straits. Based from Lombok the delivery shortens but remains real. Based from Labuan Bajo it disappears: charters start where the vessel sleeps. Priced honestly, a season’s repositioning often exceeds the berth-fee difference between harbours, which is why operating fleets concentrate at the gateway even at higher monthly rates.
Clearance and Paperwork Costs
All three bases process standard Indonesian port formalities, and foreign-flagged yachts carry CAIT documentation regardless of harbour. The practical difference is Komodo-specific: park permits and ranger arrangements are handled in Labuan Bajo, so vessels based elsewhere either detour to clear or pay agents to bridge the gap. Budget in the order of $100–$200 for formalities on a mid-size vessel at any of the three; add agent fees where distance forces remote handling.
Which Base for Which Programme
As an independent guide, our honest reading: choose Bali when refit access and international connections outweigh cruising position; choose Lombok when the vessel is between seasons and cost control leads; choose Labuan Bajo when the vessel is working Komodo — no fee arithmetic beats starting inside the grounds. Seasonal timing shifts the answer at the margins, and our guide to the best months for Labuan Bajo berthing and Komodo weather windows covers when each harbour is at its best. For a broader look beyond fees — facilities, security, service depth — see the full Labuan Bajo marinas comparison.
Within Labuan Bajo itself, rates move with the calendar — see how peak-season berth pricing behaves between May and September.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the lowest-cost marina base: Bali, Lombok, or Labuan Bajo?
Lombok, at roughly $500–$1,200 per month for a 24 m vessel, with moorings from about $150 per month. It suits lay-up periods better than active Komodo operations, which sit 200+ nm further east.
Why are Labuan Bajo marina fees higher than Lombok’s?
Position. The harbour serves the Komodo charter fleet directly, so working demand from phinisi operators sets rates. Monthly berths run $600–$3,000 against Lombok’s $500–$1,200, but with zero repositioning cost to the park.
Do these marina fees include water and electricity?
Generally no — all three bases meter utilities separately. Bali bills to international marina standards, while Lombok and Labuan Bajo arrangements vary by office, so ask for the utility schedule with any quote.
Is anchoring free at all three bases?
Designated anchorage is free at Labuan Bajo and common around Lombok’s bays. Around Benoa and Serangan in Bali, anchoring room is limited and moorings or berths are the practical norm.
Comparing quotes for your own vessel? Send dimensions and dates to our berthing enquiry desk and we will point you to the right offices at the Komodo gateway.