Which place is cheaper, Madrid or Penang?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
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Should you visit Penang or Madrid?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Penang and Madrid. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.
Where Should I go: Penang or Madrid?
Penang
Just off the northwestern coast of Malaysia is the charming and diverse island state of Penang. As the link between the ancient kingdoms of Asia and Europe's colonial empire, this area is enriched with Malay, Chinese, Indian and European influences. This exciting culture is centered in George Town, the main city of the state.
Madrid
Madrid, the capital of Spain, overs visitors countless opportunities to experience Spain's culture, art, cuisine, and nightlife. It is the largest city in Spain, and as such has much to explore. The city is situated on the Iberian Peninsula on the Spanish central Castillian plateau. If you're flying into Spain, you'll likely fly into the Madrid airport as it's one of the largest airports in Europe. Madrid is well connected to the rest of Spain with planes, trains and buses, making it a popular place to visit for many travelers doing a European tour.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Tours for Seniors to Malaysia, The Best G Adventures Tours to Malaysia, The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Barcelona, and The Best 10-Day Tours from Madrid.
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Penang Prices
Malaysia PricesMadrid Prices
Spain Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPenang $148Madrid $184
The average daily cost (per person) in Penang is $148, while the average daily cost in Madrid is $184. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Penang and Madrid in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPenang $57Madrid $88
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPenang $114Madrid $176
Compare Hotels in Penang and Madrid
Looking for a hotel in Penang or Madrid? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.
Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.
Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Penang Hotel Prices and Madrid Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Penang $14Madrid $21
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Penang
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Penang:
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Local Bus$1.47
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Island Ferry$0.59
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Bus From Airport to George Town$0.66
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Taxi From Airport to George Town$11
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Motorbike Rental (One Day)$7.34
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Bicycle Rental (One Day)$2.45
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Penang
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Penang:
- Private Transfer : Penang Hotel/Port to Kuala Lumpur Hotel: $174
- Chauffeur: Penang Island to Singapore Van Transfer: $147
- Penang City Hotels to Kuala Lumpur City Hotels One-way Transfer: $140
- Penang City to Kuala Lumpur City One-way Transfer: $140
- Penang City Hotels to Kuala Lumpur Hotels 1-way Transfer: $125
- Swettenham Pier Cruise Terminal, Penang to Kuala Lumpur Hotel (Door to Door) Transfer: $120
- Swettenham Cruise Port to Penang Island hotels - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $110
- Penang City to Kuala Lumpur City 1-way Transfer: $107
- Penang to Kuala Lumpur 1-way Transfer: $107
- Private Half Day Tour to Penang Island with Transfer Included: $80
- ATV Ride in Balik Pulau with Snacks and Transfers: $66
- Penang Airport Transfer ( 24/7): $59
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Madrid
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Madrid are as follows:
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Taxi Ride$30
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Madrid
Also for Madrid, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Adolfo Suárez Madrid- Barajas Airport private transfer, Pick up.: $96
- Arrival Private Transfer Madrid Airport MAD to Madrid City by Van: $88
- Arrival Transfer from Bologna Airport BLQ to Bologna City by Van: $98
- Arrival Transfer from Madrid Airport MAD to Madrid in Private Van: $92
- Arrival Transfer: Madrid Airport MAD to Madrid by Business Car: $86
- Arrival Transfer: Madrid Airport MAD to Madrid by Luxury Van: $95
- Departure Private Transfer Madrid to MAD Airport in a Minibus: $170
- Departure Transfer from Madrid to Madrid Airport MAD in Private Car: $84
- Departure Transfer: Madrid to Madrid Airport MAD in Business Car: $86
- Hotel Madrid City Private Transfer To Madrid Barajas Airport: $27
- Madrid Airport (MAD) to Madrid - Arrival Private Transfer: $41
- Madrid Airport (MAD) to Madrid - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $82
Is it cheaper to fly into Penang or Madrid?
Prices for flights to both Madrid and Penang change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.
Food
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Food Meals for one dayPenang $66Madrid $67
Typical Food Prices in Penang
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Penang:
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Snack$1.96
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Dinner at The Suffolk House (for 2)$84
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Lunch at Sakae Sushi (for 2)$71
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Lassy Juice$1.71
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Dinner for 2$3.67
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Street Stall Food$0.69
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Casual Lunch (for Two)$4.65
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Italian Lunch (for Two)$12
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Penang
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Penang.
- Penang Plates Food Tour with 15+ Tastings: $49
- Good Morning Penang Food Tour with 15+ Tastings: $49
- Private Half-Day Hawker Trails Food Tour in George Town: $51
- Penang Food Tour : A Feast That Taste Like History : 17+ Tasting: $54
- Local Street Food Tour in Georgetown Penang: $62
- 3-Hour Heritage on a Plate Dinner Hop in George Town Penang: $65
- Eat Like A Local: Penang Street Food Tour: $65
- Penang Forest Island Catamaran Cruise with Dinner and Activities: $80
- Authentic Local Food Tour with Scenic Walk: $89
- Authentic Indian Penang Cooking Class: $92
- Penang Cooking Class:Dive into Malaysian Cuisine with PenangChiak: $94
- Private Half Day Penang Tasty Local Street Food Tour: $99
Typical Food Prices in Madrid
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Madrid:
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Coffee$2.28
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Ice Cream$3.42
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Kebabs (for 2)$18
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Croissant$1.71
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Lunch at Airport (for 2)$18
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Madrid
For Madrid, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Madrid Food Tour: Tapas, Drinks and Delights with a Local: $56
- Madrid Old Town Tour & Flamenco Show with Optional Dinner: $68
- Madrid Paella Cooking Class with Unlimited Sangría: $69
- Murder Mystery Dinner Experience: $73
- Small-Group Food Tour with Local Tapas & Spanish Wine: $79
- Madrid History Food Tour: Tapas & Drinks Tasting: $86
- Madrid Tapas & Wine Tasting Food Tour – Small Group Local Bars: $90
- Small-Group Food Tour with Tapas, Wine & Vermouth: $90
- Madrid Ultimate Spanish Cuisine Food Tour: $90
- Madrid Spanish Omelet Cooking Class and Bottomless Wine brunch: $92
- 100% Hands-on Cooking Class Paella Tapas Sangria in Madrid: $97
- Madrid Food Tour in a Neighborhood Market with Churros: $102
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Penang $57Madrid $38
Typical Entertainment Prices in Penang
Here are a few typical costs in Penang for activities, ticket prices, and tours that come from previous visitors:
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Butterfly Gardens$7.59
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Trishaw Tour (One Hour)$7.34
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Fort Cornwallis Entrance$0.49
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Leong San Tong Khoo Kongsi Entrance$2.45
Tours and Activities in Penang
Here are a few actual costs in Penang for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- 3 Hour of Penang Street Food Walkabout Tour The Heritage Site: $59
- 4-Hour Heritage Walking Tour of Georgetown: $60
- 4-Hour Private Heritage Tour in George Town: $70
- 8 Hours of Penang Tour: $60
- All-Inclusive Penang George Town Private Tour: $158
- Back of the Bike Street Food Experience – Real Penang!: $119
- Balik Pulau Bicycle Tour: $33
- Best of Historical George Town Half Day Tour: $80
- Bujang Valley Sharing Tour Old Civilization in South East Asia: $78
- Bukit Merah Orang Utan and Penang City Private Tour: $140
- Chinese Clan Secrets and History Guided Walking Tour in Penang: $56
- Colors of George Town Walking Tour: $161
Tours and Activities in Madrid
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Madrid.
- Malasaña and Chueca A Tour That Shouts Freedom: $3.42
- Tuk Tuk Tour of the Best of Madrid (booking only): $3.42
- Walking Tour of Madrid Modern: $3.43
- Madrid City Highlights Walking Tour: $4.58
- A Self-Guided Tour of El Retiro Park’s Rise, Ruin and Redemption: $5.00
- Madrid Mystery Quest: Self-Guided Surreal Adventure Game: $5.99
- Madrid Old Town Self Guided Tour with Mobile App: $5.99
- Madrid Essential : Self-Guided Tour created by local Official Guide: $6.01
- The Red Thread of Resistance Madrid Podcast Tour: $6.85
- Let's Tapear! The Madrid Tapas Route Walking Audio Tour: $7.35
- Real Jardin Botanico Skip The Line Tickets: $8.24
- Manzanares River’s Story: A Self-Guided Audio Tour in Madrid: $9.99
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPenang $18Madrid $22
Typical Alcohol Prices in Penang
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for alcohol and nightlife costs in Penang:
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Beer$1.96
Typical Alcohol Prices in Madrid
Some typical examples of the costs for nightlife and alcohol in Madrid are as follows:
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Beer$5.69
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Drinks and Tapas (for 2)$15
Sample the Local Flavors in Madrid
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Madrid:
- Visit to the Winery with Wine Tasting and Appetizers in Navarra: $12
- Pub Crawl Madrid Adventure bars with Open bar and VIP Club Entry: $16
- Madrid Pub Crawl: Club Entry, Bars & Shots: $19
- Madrid Pub Crawl: $28
- Wine Tasting near Plaza Mayor in Madrid: $34
- Wine Tour with tasting in the Natural Park of La Mata: $38
- Wine Tasting in Madrid Experience: $53
- Rooftop Bar Crawl Madrid Experience: $74
- Toledo Tour & Vineyard Experience with Wine Tasting from Madrid: $86
- Madrid Non-Touristy Tapas & Wine Tour – Authentic Local Food: $86
- Madrid Tapas and Wine Tour with a Local Guide: $89
- Madrid Tapas & Wine Tour with Rooftop Views and Local Guide: $90
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Penang and Madrid, we can see that Madrid is more expensive. And not only is Penang much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Penang is in Asia and Madrid is in Europe, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Penang would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Penang and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Madrid would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Madrid than you might in Penang.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Penang Expensive? and Is Madrid Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Penang or Madrid?
Madrid has a larger population, and is about 20 times larger than the population of Penang. When comparing the sizes of Penang and Madrid, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.