Is Airbnb cheaper than a hotel in Penang?
Yes: in Penang, Airbnb homes asked a median $62 a night against $75 for hotels on Agoda, 17% less (latest scan 7 November 2026; priced on a typical night: Airbnb homes 89, hotels on Agoda 196). Nights measured on both sides: 84, from 13 November 2026 to 4 February 2027, read on 7 November 2026.
Measured by Bed&Market (bedandmarket.com) from 208 places checked, read 7 November 2026 18:09 UTC.
Updated
Hotels and apartments side by side
On a typical night in Penang, the middle half of asking prices ran from $53 to $111 for hotels on Agoda and from $48 to $72 for Airbnb homes.
| Places | Median asking price | Lower quarter (p25) | Upper quarter (p75) | With a price, typical night | Nights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hotels on Agoda | $75 | $53 | $111 | 196 | 84 |
| Airbnb homes | $62 | $48 | $72 | 89 | 84 |
| All places pooled | $68 | $51 | $100 | 285 | 84 |
Each night's figure is the median (or quarter) of that night's asking prices for one night; each figure here is the median of those nights. The pooled row puts every asking price of a night into one list.
Friday and Saturday nights on each side
Friday and Saturday nights in Penang against Monday to Thursday: +16% for hotels on Agoda and +6% for Airbnb homes.
| Places | Friday + Saturday | Monday – Thursday | Weekend against Mon–Thu | Fri + Sat nights | Mon–Thu nights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hotels on Agoda | $83 | $72 | +16% | 24 | 48 |
| Airbnb homes | $66 | $62 | +6% | 24 | 48 |
Medians of the nightly medians; Sunday nights sit in neither group.
Month by month
The gap in Penang was widest in December 2026: $66 for Airbnb homes against $86 for hotels on Agoda, 23% less.
| Month | Hotels on Agoda | Airbnb homes | Difference | Nights | Latest scan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 2026 | $66 | $57 | -13% | 29 | 7 November 2026 |
| December 2026 | $86 | $66 | -23% | 31 | 7 November 2026 |
| January 2027 | $73 | $62 | -15% | 31 | 7 November 2026 |
Each month is the median of its nightly medians over the nights read on both sides; the month links to its own page.
On event and holiday nights
On 25 December 2026 in Penang (Christmas Day), Airbnb homes asked a median $70 against $107 for hotels on Agoda, 34% less.
| Night | Event or holiday | Hotels on Agoda | Airbnb homes | Difference | With a price: hotels / Airbnb |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 December 2026 | Christmas Day | $107 | $70 | -34% | 195 / 91 |
Each event is printed beside the night it fell on; the prices are that night's asking prices and do not say what moved them.
What counts as a hotel and an apartment here
Places with a price on a typical night in Penang: 285 in all, 196 on Agoda and 89 on Airbnb.
- Airbnb homes: the listings Airbnb's search showed with a price for one night for 2 guests, whole apartments, B&Bs and private rooms alike.
- Hotels on Agoda: every place Agoda's search showed with a price for one night for 2 adults: hotels, guesthouses, hostels and the apartments Agoda itself lists.
- A listing missing from a night's Airbnb search is unknown that night, not sold out.
- The two sites may count fees and taxes differently; each figure is the price its search showed.
What was measured
Nights measured in Penang on both sides: 84, from 13 November 2026 to 4 February 2027; each with at least 30 places showing a price on Agoda.
- Up to 208 places checked per night on Agoda; a place with no price that night (sold out or closed) is counted but carries no price.
- Prices in USD, as shown on the day each night was read on Agoda, on 7 November 2026.
- Asking prices seen while searching for one night: not prices paid, and not a forecast.
- Airbnb nights read between 26 October 2026 and 7 November 2026.
Source: asking prices for one night, read from public search results on the scan date; not prices paid, and not a forecast. How we measure →