Which place is cheaper, Railay Beach or Penang?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Penang or Railay Beach?
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 Railay Beach. 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 Railay Beach?
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.
Railay Beach
If you're looking to scale great heights and add more achievements to your list during your vacation, consider a trip to the peninsula of Rai Leh, or more commonly Railay Bay or Railay Beach, in the Krabi region of Thailand. This swimming and rock climbing hotspot is known for its towering limestone peaks and gorgeous surrounding scenery.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 10-Day Tours in Malaysia, The Best 2-Week Tours in Malaysia, The Best Budget Tours to Thailand, and The Best Tours for Seniors to Thailand.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayPenang $103Railay Beach $105
The average daily cost (per person) in Penang is $103, while the average daily cost in Railay Beach is $105. 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 Railay Beach in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personPenang $49Railay Beach $63
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomPenang $98Railay Beach $126
Compare Hotels in Penang and Railay Beach
Looking for a hotel in Penang or Railay Beach? 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.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Penang $12Railay Beach $25
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$1.26
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Island Ferry$0.50
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Bus From Airport to George Town$0.57
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Taxi From Airport to George Town$9.64
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Motorbike Rental (One Day)$6.29
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Bicycle Rental (One Day)$2.10
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Penang
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Penang:
- Private Penang Arrival transfer to Hotel: $12
- Private Arrival Transfer : Penang International Airport: $13
- Private Transfer : Penang International Airport Departure: $13
- Private Departure Transfer - Penang International Airport: $15
- Private Departure Transfer : Penang International Airport: $15
- Private Arrival Transfer : Penang International Airport: $15
- Penang Airport Transfer to Georgetown/City Hotel or Resort/Beach Hotel: $18
- Private Economy Penang Airport Transfer-Arrival: $25
- Private Economy Penang Airport Transfer-Departure: $29
- Penang Airport Transfer ( 24/7): $29
- Private Transfer from Penang Island to Swettenham Cruise Terminal: $38
- Private Transfer - Swettenham Cruise Port to Penang Airport (PEN): $38
Is it cheaper to fly into Penang or Railay Beach?
Prices for flights to both Railay Beach 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 $33Railay Beach $22
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$1.68
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Dinner at The Suffolk House (for 2)$72
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Lunch at Sakae Sushi (for 2)$61
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Lassy Juice$1.47
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Dinner for 2$3.14
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Street Stall Food$0.59
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Casual Lunch (for Two)$3.98
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Italian Lunch (for Two)$10
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Penang
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Penang.
- Penang Food Tour - Georgetown: $62
- Eat Like A Local: Penang Street Food Tour: $62
- Local Street Food Tour in Georgetown Penang : $62
- 3-Hour Heritage on a Plate Dinner Hop in George Town Penang: $65
- Private Half Day Penang Tasty Local Street Food Tour: $87
- 4-Hour Georgetown Food Tour: $88
- Cooking Classes In Penang By Penang Chiak: $93
- Dinner at Penang Hill: $102
- Private Dinner at THE TOP with Skywalk Experience from Penang: $103
- Chef Samuel's Private Malaysian Cooking Class with Wet Market Tour: $116
- Food Tour at Penang - Eat Like a Local, Feel Like a Local: $120
- Experience Malaysia: Authentic Malaysia Cooking Tour: $121
Typical Food Prices in Railay Beach
Some typical examples of dining costs in Railay Beach are as follows:
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Casual Lunch (for Two)$5.46
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Pizza$4.64
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Penang $49Railay Beach $23
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$6.50
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Trishaw Tour (One Hour)$6.29
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Fort Cornwallis Entrance$0.42
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Leong San Tong Khoo Kongsi Entrance$2.10
Tours and Activities in Penang
Here are a few actual costs in Penang for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Asia Camera Museum Admission Ticket: $5.37
- Tech Dome Entrance Ticket: $6.09
- Guided Tour of Cheong Fatt Tze's Blue Mansion in George Town: $6.35
- Tropical Spice Garden E-Ticket: $7.14
- Skip the Line: Admission Ticket - General: $7.18
- Penang Hill Funicular Ticket: $8.35
- Wonderfood Museum in Penang Admission Ticket: $8.54
- Wonderfood Museum in Penang Admission Ticket: $8.71
- Admission Ticket for Dark Mansion Glow-in-the-Dark Museum in Penang: $8.80
- Penang Street Food in Georgetown and History Walking Audio Tour: $10
- Malaysia: Penang Habitat Admission Ticket: $14
- Entopia Penang Butterfly Farm Admission Ticket: $14
Typical Entertainment Prices in Railay Beach
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Railay Beach are as follows:
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Rock Climbing (for Two)$19
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayPenang $15Railay Beach $15
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$1.68
Typical Alcohol Prices in Railay Beach
Some typical examples of the costs for nightlife and alcohol in Railay Beach are as follows:
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Beer$1.64
When comparing the travel costs between Penang and Railay Beach, we can see that Railay Beach is more expensive. However, the two cities are actually relatively comparable in price, as the difference is somewhat minimal. Generally, this means that you could travel with generally the same travel style and level of luxury in each place. Since both cities are in Asia, it's no surprise that their costs are relatively close, as many destinations here have somewhat similar travel prices overall.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Penang Expensive? and Is Railay Beach Expensive?.
When is the best time to visit Penang or Railay Beach?
Both destinations experience a warmer climate with nice weather most of the year. Instead of summer and winter seasons, they usually have a rainy season and a dry season.
Should I visit Penang or Railay Beach in the Summer?
The summer attracts plenty of travelers to both Penang and Railay Beach. Warm weather and sunshine bring visitors to Penang year-round. Railay Beach attracts visitors year-round for its warm weather and sunny climate.
Also, August to October is the rainy season in Railay Beach. Railay Beach receives a lot of rain in the summer. Penang gets a good bit of rain this time of year. In July, Penang usually receives less rain than Railay Beach. Penang gets 210 mm (8.3 in) of rain, while Railay Beach receives 287 mm (11.3 in) of rain each month for the summer.
People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Railay Beach this time of the year. In Penang, it's very sunny this time of the year. Penang usually receives around the same amount of sunshine as Railay Beach during summer. Penang gets 211 hours of sunny skies, while Railay Beach receives 206 hours of full sun in the summer.
In the summer, Penang is around the same temperature as Railay Beach. Typically, the summer temperatures in Penang in July average around 27°C (81°F), and Railay Beach averages at about 28°C (82°F).
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Summer Average Temperatures JulyPenang 27°C (81°F)Railay Beach 28°C (82°F)
Should I visit Penang or Railay Beach in the Autumn?
The autumn brings many poeple to Penang as well as Railay Beach. Penang attracts visitors year-round for its warm weather and sunny climate. The warm climate attracts visitors to Railay Beach throughout the year.
Also, December to March in Railay Beach is the dry season. August to October in Railay Beach is the rainy season. It's quite rainy in Railay Beach. Penang receives a lot of rain in the autumn. Penang usually gets more rain in October than Railay Beach. Penang gets 340 mm (13.4 in) of rain, while Railay Beach receives 304 mm (12 in) of rain this time of the year.
In October, Penang is generally around the same temperature as Railay Beach. Daily temperatures in Penang average around 27°C (81°F), and Railay Beach fluctuates around 27°C (81°F).
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Autumn Average Temperatures OctoberPenang 27°C (81°F)Railay Beach 27°C (81°F)
Should I visit Penang or Railay Beach in the Winter?
Both Railay Beach and Penang are popular destinations to visit in the winter with plenty of activities. The warm climate attracts visitors to Penang throughout the year. Plenty of visitors come to Railay Beach because of the warm climate and sunshine that lasts throughout the year.
The dry season in Railay Beach is December to March. In January, Penang usually receives more rain than Railay Beach. Penang gets 70 mm (2.8 in) of rain, while Railay Beach receives 31 mm (1.2 in) of rain each month for the winter.
Penang is around the same temperature as Railay Beach in the winter. The daily temperature in Penang averages around 28°C (82°F) in January, and Railay Beach fluctuates around 28°C (82°F).
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Winter Average Temperatures JanuaryPenang 28°C (82°F)Railay Beach 28°C (82°F)
Should I visit Penang or Railay Beach in the Spring?
Both Railay Beach and Penang during the spring are popular places to visit. Plenty of visitors come to Penang because of the warm climate and sunshine that lasts throughout the year. Warm weather and sunshine bring visitors to Railay Beach year-round.
Railay Beach gets a good bit of rain this time of year. It rains a lot this time of the year in Penang. Penang usually gets more rain in April than Railay Beach. Penang gets 240 mm (9.4 in) of rain, while Railay Beach receives 120 mm (4.7 in) of rain this time of the year.
In Railay Beach, it's very sunny this time of the year. It's quite sunny in Penang. In the spring, Penang often gets less sunshine than Railay Beach. Penang gets 218 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Railay Beach receives 249 hours of full sun.
In the spring, Penang is around the same temperature as Railay Beach. Typically, the spring temperatures in Penang in April average around 28°C (82°F), and Railay Beach averages at about 29°C (84°F).
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Spring Average Temperatures AprilPenang 28°C (82°F)Railay Beach 29°C (84°F)
Typical Weather for Railay Beach and Penang
| Penang | Railay Beach | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
| Jan | 28°C (82°F) | 70 mm (2.8 in) | 28°C (82°F) | 31 mm (1.2 in) |
| Feb | 28°C (82°F) | 70 mm (2.8 in) | 28°C (83°F) | 22 mm (0.9 in) |
| Mar | 28°C (82°F) | 120 mm (4.7 in) | 29°C (84°F) | 52 mm (2 in) |
| Apr | 28°C (82°F) | 240 mm (9.4 in) | 29°C (84°F) | 120 mm (4.7 in) |
| May | 28°C (82°F) | 240 mm (9.4 in) | 28°C (83°F) | 318 mm (12.5 in) |
| Jun | 28°C (82°F) | 170 mm (6.7 in) | 28°C (82°F) | 279 mm (11 in) |
| Jul | 27°C (81°F) | 210 mm (8.3 in) | 28°C (82°F) | 287 mm (11.3 in) |
| Aug | 27°C (81°F) | 190 mm (7.5 in) | 28°C (82°F) | 262 mm (10.3 in) |
| Sep | 27°C (81°F) | 330 mm (13 in) | 27°C (81°F) | 399 mm (15.7 in) |
| Oct | 27°C (81°F) | 340 mm (13.4 in) | 27°C (81°F) | 304 mm (12 in) |
| Nov | 27°C (81°F) | 230 mm (9.1 in) | 27°C (81°F) | 165 mm (6.5 in) |
| Dec | 28°C (82°F) | 140 mm (5.5 in) | 27°C (81°F) | 62 mm (2.4 in) |
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.