Is Airbnb cheaper than a hotel in Bocas del Toro?
Yes: in Bocas del Toro, Airbnb homes asked a median $110 a night against $129 for hotels on Agoda, 15% less (latest scan 26 October 2026; priced on a typical night: Airbnb homes 92, hotels on Agoda 91). Nights measured on both sides: 95, from 13 November 2026 to 15 February 2027, read between 23 September 2026 and 26 October 2026.
Measured by Bed&Market (bedandmarket.com) from 114 places checked, read 26 October 2026 00:12 UTC.
Updated
Hotels and apartments side by side
On a typical night in Bocas del Toro, the middle half of asking prices ran from $76 to $190 for hotels on Agoda and from $72 to $150 for Airbnb homes.
| Places | Median asking price | Lower quarter (p25) | Upper quarter (p75) | With a price, typical night | Nights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hotels on Agoda | $129 | $76 | $190 | 91 | 95 |
| Airbnb homes | $110 | $72 | $150 | 92 | 95 |
| All places pooled | $120 | $75 | $174 | 183 | 95 |
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 Bocas del Toro against Monday to Thursday: +1% for hotels on Agoda and 0% for Airbnb homes.
| Places | Friday + Saturday | Monday – Thursday | Weekend against Mon–Thu | Fri + Sat nights | Mon–Thu nights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hotels on Agoda | $131 | $130 | +1% | 28 | 53 |
| Airbnb homes | $110 | $110 | 0% | 28 | 53 |
Medians of the nightly medians; Sunday nights sit in neither group.
Month by month
The gap in Bocas del Toro was widest in December 2026: $105 for Airbnb homes against $122 for hotels on Agoda, 14% less.
| Month | Hotels on Agoda | Airbnb homes | Difference | Nights | Latest scan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 2026 | $89 | $90 | +1% | 16 | 27 August 2026 |
| September 2026 | $89 | $100 | +12% | 30 | 29 September 2026 |
| October 2026 | $90 | $87 | -3% | 31 | 26 October 2026 |
| November 2026 | $98 | $99 | +1% | 30 | 26 October 2026 |
| December 2026 | $122 | $105 | -14% | 31 | 26 October 2026 |
| January 2027 | $132 | $116 | -12% | 31 | 26 October 2026 |
| February 2027 | $138 | $120 | -13% | 28 | 23 September 2026 |
| March 2027 | $127 | $120 | -5% | 21 | 23 September 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 1 January 2027 in Bocas del Toro (New Year's Day), Airbnb homes asked a median $135 against $186 for hotels on Agoda, 27% less.
| Night | Event or holiday | Hotels on Agoda | Airbnb homes | Difference | With a price: hotels / Airbnb |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 November 2026 | Independence Day | $112 | $100 | -11% | 96 / 85 |
| 8 December 2026 | Mother's Day | $114 | $100 | -12% | 99 / 93 |
| 20 December 2026 | National Mourning Day | $123 | $106 | -14% | 98 / 93 |
| 21 December 2026 | National Mourning Day (observed) | $127 | $110 | -13% | 95 / 93 |
| 25 December 2026 | Christmas Day | $127 | $115 | -9% | 81 / 92 |
| 1 January 2027 | New Year's Day | $186 | $135 | -27% | 48 / 91 |
| 9 January 2027 | Martyrs' Day | $132 | $115 | -13% | 80 / 87 |
| 9 February 2027 | Carnival Tuesday | $138 | $120 | -13% | 82 / 90 |
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 Bocas del Toro: 183 in all, 91 on Agoda and 92 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 Bocas del Toro on both sides: 95, from 13 November 2026 to 15 February 2027; each with at least 30 places showing a price on Agoda.
- Up to 114 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, between 23 September 2026 and 26 October 2026.
- Asking prices seen while searching for one night: not prices paid, and not a forecast.
- Airbnb nights read on 23 September 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 →