Is Airbnb cheaper than a hotel in Cape Town?
Yes: in Cape Town, Airbnb homes asked a median $105 a night against $129 for hotels on Agoda, 19% less (latest scan 25 October 2026; priced on a typical night: Airbnb homes 88, hotels on Agoda 197). 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 20:34 UTC.
Updated
Hotels and apartments side by side
On a typical night in Cape Town, the middle half of asking prices ran from $83 to $218 for hotels on Agoda and from $78 to $137 for Airbnb homes.
| Places | Median asking price | Lower quarter (p25) | Upper quarter (p75) | With a price, typical night | Nights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hotels on Agoda | $129 | $83 | $218 | 197 | 71 |
| Airbnb homes | $105 | $78 | $137 | 88 | 71 |
| All places pooled | $115 | $80 | $181 | 285 | 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 Cape Town against Monday to Thursday: -1% for hotels on Agoda and +5% for Airbnb homes.
| Places | Friday + Saturday | Monday – Thursday | Weekend against Mon–Thu | Fri + Sat nights | Mon–Thu nights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hotels on Agoda | $128 | $129 | -1% | 21 | 40 |
| Airbnb homes | $106 | $101 | +5% | 21 | 40 |
Medians of the nightly medians; Sunday nights sit in neither group.
Month by month
The gap in Cape Town was widest in January 2027: $94 for Airbnb homes against $135 for hotels on Agoda, 31% less.
| Month | Hotels on Agoda | Airbnb homes | Difference | Nights | Latest scan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 2026 | $114 | $92 | -19% | 31 | 25 October 2026 |
| November 2026 | $115 | $101 | -12% | 30 | 25 October 2026 |
| December 2026 | $128 | $110 | -14% | 31 | 25 October 2026 |
| January 2027 | $135 | $94 | -31% | 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 Cape Town (New Year's Day), Airbnb homes asked a median $89 against $182 for hotels on Agoda, 51% less.
| Night | Event or holiday | Hotels on Agoda | Airbnb homes | Difference | With a price: hotels / Airbnb |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 December 2026 | Day of Reconciliation | $132 | $100 | -24% | 198 / 86 |
| 25 December 2026 | Christmas Day | $155 | $114 | -27% | 197 / 86 |
| 26 December 2026 | Day of Goodwill | $157 | $133 | -15% | 197 / 85 |
| 1 January 2027 | New Year's Day | $182 | $89 | -51% | 194 / 84 |
| 1 January 2027 | KUNYE Festival | $182 | $89 | -51% | 194 / 84 |
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 Cape Town: 285 in all, 197 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 Cape Town 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 →