Which place is cheaper, Mexico City 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 Mexico City?
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 Mexico City. 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 Mexico City?
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.
Mexico City
Mexico City is one of the largest and most populated cities in the world. There are an estimated 26 million people living in the greater Mexico City metropolitan area. The area is about 60 kilometers by 40 kilometers and is surrounded by tall mountains and volcanoes on three sides. Mexico City proper has about 8.8 million people and is the capital of the country. More than a third of the country's economy is based here, making it the wealthiest city in all of Latin America.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 10-Day Tours in Malaysia, The Best 2-Week Tours in Malaysia, The Best 2-Week Tours in Mexico, and Tours for Outdoor and Nature Lovers in Mexico.
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Penang Prices
Malaysia PricesMexico City Prices
Mexico Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPenang $149Mexico City $224
The average daily cost (per person) in Penang is $149, while the average daily cost in Mexico City is $224. 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 Mexico City in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPenang $57Mexico City $40
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPenang $114Mexico City $80
Compare Hotels in Penang and Mexico City
Looking for a hotel in Penang or Mexico City? 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 Mexico City Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Penang $14Mexico City $13
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)$7.37
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Bicycle Rental (One Day)$2.46
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Penang
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Penang:
- Swettenham Pier to Penang Airport(PEN)-Departure Private Transfer: $22
- Swettenham Pier Cruise Terminal, Penang to Kuala Lumpur Hotel (Door to Door) Transfer: $120
- Swettenham Pier Cruise Port to Penang Island hotels - Arrival Private Transfer: $56
- Swettenham Cruise Port to Penang Island hotels - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $112
- Private Transfer: Penang International Airport to or from Hotel: $49
- Private Transfer from Swettenham Cruise Terminal to Penang Island: $21
- Private Transfer from Penang Island to Swettenham Cruise Terminal: $21
- Private Transfer from Penang International Airport to Your Hotel: $18
- Private Transfer Penang Airport To/From Hotel (1way only): $20
- Private Transfer : Penang Hotel/Port to Kuala Lumpur Hotel: $174
- Private Transfer - Swettenham Cruise Port to Penang Airport (PEN): $21
- Private Transfer - Penang Airport (PEN) to Swettenham Cruise Port: $21
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Mexico City
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Mexico City:
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Metro$1.14
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Uber Ride$4.01
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Mexico City
Also for Mexico City, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Aguascalientes Airport (AGU) Aguascalientes - RoundTrip Transfer: $82
- Aguascalientes to Guanajuato Airport (BJX) - Departure Transfer: $98
- Airport Transfer to Hotel in Mexico City: $59
- Airport Transfer: Mexico Airport MEX to Mexico by Business Car: $92
- Airport Transfer: Mexico Airport MEX to Mexico by Luxury SUV: $104
- Airport Transfer: Mexico to Mexico Airport NLU by Luxury SUV: $208
- Arrival Private Transfer Mexico City Airport MEX to Mexico by Car: $93
- Arrival Private Transfer Mexico City Airport MEX to Mexico by SUV: $130
- Arrival Transfer: Airport MEX to Mexico City by Business Car: $92
- Balloon Flight in Teotihuacan Transfers and Breakfast Included: $235
- Balloon adventure: transfer+breakfast in the cave+guided pyramids: $238
- Departure Transfer: Mexico to Mexico Airport NLU by Luxury SUV: $208
Is it cheaper to fly into Penang or Mexico City?
Prices for flights to both Mexico City 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 $67Mexico City $45
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$1.97
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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$1.72
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Dinner for 2$3.69
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Street Stall Food$0.69
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Casual Lunch (for Two)$4.67
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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 Food Tour : A Feast That Taste Like History : 17+ Tasting: $48
- Good Morning Penang Food Tour with 15+ Tastings: $49
- Penang Plates Food Tour with 15+ Tastings: $49
- Private Half-Day Hawker Trails Food Tour in George Town: $51
- Local Street Food Tour in Georgetown Penang: $62
- Penang Food Tour - Georgetown: $62
- 3-Hour Heritage on a Plate Dinner Hop in George Town Penang: $65
- Eat Like A Local: Penang Street Food Tour: $65
- Authentic Local Food Tour with Scenic Walk: $89
- Malay Culinary Journey Cooking Class for the Adventurous Foodie: $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 Mexico City
For Mexico City, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Lunch for Two$13
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Coffee and Snacks$4.47
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Dinner for 2$26
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Mexico City
For Mexico City, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Mexico City Walking Vegan Food Tour in Roma Norte: $5.89
- Mexico City Coyoacan Food Tour & Optional Frida Kahlo Museum: $20
- Private Street Food Tour Mexico City - Best rated: $35
- Cable Car, Cultural Spaces, and Traditional Food Tour: $40
- Virtual Mexican Cooking Class (private and personalized): $50
- Veracruz and Boca del Rio Food Tour with Mangroves Boat Trip: $50
- Coyoacan Market Food Tour Urban Eats & Local Legends: $54
- San Juan Market Food Tour Exotic Bites & Flavors: $54
- Tortilla Crawl: Food Tour in Mexico City: $55
- Mexico : Best Street Food Tour With A Local Guide: $58
- Local Markets & Food Tour in Mexico City: $63
- 3 Hours Food Tour Best Vegan Tacos in Mexico City: $65
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Penang $57Mexico City $14
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$7.62
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Trishaw Tour (One Hour)$7.37
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Fort Cornwallis Entrance$0.49
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Leong San Tong Khoo Kongsi Entrance$2.46
Tours and Activities in Penang
Here are a few actual costs in Penang for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- 4-Hour Private Heritage Tour in George Town: $70
- 6 Hours Highlights of Penang Shared Tour: $75
- 8 Hours of Penang Tour: $60
- Back of the Bike Street Food Experience – Real Penang!: $119
- Best of Historical George Town Half Day Tour: $80
- Bukit Merah Orang Utan and Penang City Private Tour: $140
- Countryside Cycling Tour. T1.0 by Matahari: $101
- Culture History and Local Life Penang Half Day Experience: $50
- Customizable Penang Private Tour (8hrs usage): $65
- Day Tour of Penang with Train Ride To Penang Hill: $170
- Discover Penang City in Amazing Tour: $87
- Entopia Butterfly Farm And Tropical Spice Garden Tour: $83
Tours and Activities in Mexico City
For Mexico City, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- MUCHO Museum of Chocolate Entrance Ticket: $4.65
- Mexico City Historic Self-Guided Walking Tour: $5.00
- Bike tour in the Chapultepec Forest and Roma Condesa: $5.89
- Mexico City Coyoacán, Frida Kahlo Exploration Game and Tour: $5.89
- Mexico City Self-Guided Audio Experience: $6.00
- Mexico City Self-Guided Walking Tour Aztec Legacy Audio and Quiz: $6.53
- Mexico City Walking Tour 2h40 and 24 audio reviews: $7.12
- Hidden Gems of Exploration Game and Tour: $7.29
- Mexico City Jewish History Smartphone Guided Audio Walking Tour: $7.75
- La Roma's Famous Sights and Local Lore: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $9.99
- Night Tour of Mexico City Panoramic Ride on a Double-Decker Bus: $10
- Night City Tour in a Double Decker Bus: $10
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPenang $18Mexico City $20
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$1.97
Sample the Local Flavors in Mexico City
Here are a few nightlife and alcohol tours and activities from local tour providers in Mexico City:
- CDMX Pub Crawl: Guided Pub Crawl with Party Games: $24
- Mexico City Pub Crawl: $26
- The Mexico City Pub Crawl: A real chilango night: $33
- THE MEXICO CITY PUB CRAWL: A real chilango night: $35
- Make Your Own Tequila or Mezcal with Distillery and Cocktails: $94
- Zona Rosa Pub Crawl Experience: $100
- Mexican Wine Tasting with Food Pairing: $126
- The Mexican Wine Tasting and Pairing: $127
- Distillery Tour and Lucha Libre Spirits and Showdown: $127
- Private Cheese and Wine Tour to Queretaro: $511
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Penang and Mexico City, we can see that Mexico City 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 Mexico City is in North America, 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 Mexico City would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Mexico City 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 Mexico City Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Penang or Mexico City?
Mexico City has a larger population, and is about 60 times larger than the population of Penang. When comparing the sizes of Penang and Mexico City, 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.