Is Airbnb cheaper than a hotel in Cambridge?
Yes: in Cambridge, Airbnb homes asked a median $128 a night against $157 for hotels on Agoda, 19% less (latest scan 25 October 2026; priced on a typical night: Airbnb homes 91, hotels on Agoda 125). Nights measured on both sides: 71, from 13 November 2026 to 22 January 2027, read on 25 October 2026.
Measured by Bed&Market (bedandmarket.com) from 161 places checked, read 25 October 2026 05:02 UTC.
Updated
Hotels and apartments side by side
On a typical night in Cambridge, the middle half of asking prices ran from $108 to $195 for hotels on Agoda and from $93 to $177 for Airbnb homes.
| Places | Median asking price | Lower quarter (p25) | Upper quarter (p75) | With a price, typical night | Nights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hotels on Agoda | $157 | $108 | $195 | 125 | 71 |
| Airbnb homes | $128 | $93 | $177 | 91 | 71 |
| All places pooled | $141 | $101 | $192 | 214 | 71 |
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 Cambridge against Monday to Thursday: +3% 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 | $162 | $157 | +3% | 21 | 40 |
| Airbnb homes | $128 | $128 | 0% | 21 | 40 |
Medians of the nightly medians; Sunday nights sit in neither group.
Month by month
The gap in Cambridge was widest in December 2026: $128 for Airbnb homes against $158 for hotels on Agoda, 19% less.
| Month | Hotels on Agoda | Airbnb homes | Difference | Nights | Latest scan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 2026 | $156 | $133 | -15% | 30 | 25 October 2026 |
| December 2026 | $158 | $128 | -19% | 31 | 25 October 2026 |
| January 2027 | $157 | $128 | -19% | 22 | 25 October 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 Cambridge (New Year's Day), Airbnb homes asked a median $124 against $167 for hotels on Agoda, 26% less.
| Night | Event or holiday | Hotels on Agoda | Airbnb homes | Difference | With a price: hotels / Airbnb |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 December 2026 | Christmas Day | $161 | $126 | -22% | 97 / 91 |
| 26 December 2026 | Boxing Day | $163 | $130 | -20% | 97 / 95 |
| 28 December 2026 | Boxing Day (observed) | $152 | $125 | -18% | 120 / 90 |
| 1 January 2027 | New Year's Day | $167 | $124 | -26% | 112 / 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 Cambridge: 214 in all, 125 on Agoda and 91 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 Cambridge on both sides: 71, from 13 November 2026 to 22 January 2027; each with at least 30 places showing a price on Agoda.
- Up to 161 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 25 October 2026.
- Asking prices seen while searching for one night: not prices paid, and not a forecast.
- Airbnb nights read on 25 October 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 →