Is Airbnb cheaper than a hotel in Ballarat?
No: in Ballarat, Airbnb homes asked a median $169 a night against $140 for hotels on Agoda, 21% more (latest scan 7 November 2026; priced on a typical night: Airbnb homes 93, hotels on Agoda 71). 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 89 places checked, read 7 November 2026 22:41 UTC.
Updated
Hotels and apartments side by side
On a typical night in Ballarat, the middle half of asking prices ran from $102 to $213 for hotels on Agoda and from $124 to $224 for Airbnb homes.
| Places | Median asking price | Lower quarter (p25) | Upper quarter (p75) | With a price, typical night | Nights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hotels on Agoda | $140 | $102 | $213 | 71 | 84 |
| Airbnb homes | $169 | $124 | $224 | 93 | 84 |
| All places pooled | $158 | $114 | $225 | 161 | 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 Ballarat against Monday to Thursday: +2% for hotels on Agoda and +25% for Airbnb homes.
| Places | Friday + Saturday | Monday – Thursday | Weekend against Mon–Thu | Fri + Sat nights | Mon–Thu nights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hotels on Agoda | $144 | $142 | +2% | 24 | 48 |
| Airbnb homes | $203 | $162 | +25% | 24 | 48 |
Medians of the nightly medians; Sunday nights sit in neither group.
Month by month
The gap in Ballarat was widest in November 2026: $169 for Airbnb homes against $134 for hotels on Agoda, 26% more.
| Month | Hotels on Agoda | Airbnb homes | Difference | Nights | Latest scan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 2026 | $134 | $169 | +26% | 23 | 7 November 2026 |
| December 2026 | $137 | $172 | +25% | 31 | 7 November 2026 |
| January 2027 | $148 | $165 | +11% | 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 26 December 2026 in Ballarat (Boxing Day), Airbnb homes asked a median $222 against $146 for hotels on Agoda, 52% more.
| Night | Event or holiday | Hotels on Agoda | Airbnb homes | Difference | With a price: hotels / Airbnb |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 December 2026 | Christmas Day | $132 | $189 | +43% | 40 / 101 |
| 26 December 2026 | Boxing Day | $146 | $222 | +52% | 39 / 92 |
| 1 January 2027 | New Year's Day | $134 | $213 | +59% | 43 / 96 |
| 26 January 2027 | Australia Day | $131 | $163 | +24% | 59 / 87 |
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 Ballarat: 161 in all, 71 on Agoda and 93 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 Ballarat 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 89 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 on 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 →