Is Airbnb cheaper than a hotel in Cancun?
Yes: in Cancun, Airbnb homes asked a median $67 a night against $153 for hotels on Agoda, 56% less (latest scan 25 October 2026; priced on a typical night: Airbnb homes 88, hotels on Agoda 188). 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 208 places checked, read 25 October 2026 06:36 UTC.
Updated
Hotels and apartments side by side
On a typical night in Cancun, the middle half of asking prices ran from $76 to $388 for hotels on Agoda and from $49 to $93 for Airbnb homes.
| Places | Median asking price | Lower quarter (p25) | Upper quarter (p75) | With a price, typical night | Nights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hotels on Agoda | $153 | $76 | $388 | 188 | 71 |
| Airbnb homes | $67 | $49 | $93 | 88 | 71 |
| All places pooled | $106 | $63 | $260 | 276 | 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 Cancun against Monday to Thursday: -6% 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 | $146 | $154 | -6% | 21 | 40 |
| Airbnb homes | $70 | $66 | +6% | 21 | 40 |
Medians of the nightly medians; Sunday nights sit in neither group.
Month by month
The gap in Cancun was widest in January 2027: $68 for Airbnb homes against $180 for hotels on Agoda, 62% less.
| Month | Hotels on Agoda | Airbnb homes | Difference | Nights | Latest scan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 2026 | $128 | $67 | -48% | 31 | 25 October 2026 |
| November 2026 | $135 | $66 | -51% | 30 | 25 October 2026 |
| December 2026 | $147 | $66 | -55% | 31 | 25 October 2026 |
| January 2027 | $180 | $68 | -62% | 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 25 December 2026 in Cancun (Christmas Day), Airbnb homes asked a median $80 against $182 for hotels on Agoda, 56% less.
| Night | Event or holiday | Hotels on Agoda | Airbnb homes | Difference | With a price: hotels / Airbnb |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 November 2026 | Revolution Day | $147 | $67 | -55% | 195 / 88 |
| 25 December 2026 | Christmas Day | $182 | $80 | -56% | 181 / 87 |
| 1 January 2027 | New Year's Day | $187 | $68 | -64% | 176 / 88 |
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 Cancun: 276 in all, 188 on Agoda and 88 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 Cancun 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 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 25 October 2026.
- Asking prices seen while searching for one night: not prices paid, and not a forecast.
- Airbnb nights read between 23 September 2026 and 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 →