Is Airbnb cheaper than a hotel in Cardiff?
Yes: in Cardiff, Airbnb homes asked a median $106 a night against $175 for hotels on Agoda, 39% less (latest scan 25 October 2026; priced on a typical night: Airbnb homes 90, hotels on Agoda 193). Nights measured on both sides: 69, from 14 November 2026 to 22 January 2027, read on 25 October 2026.
Measured by Bed&Market (bedandmarket.com) from 207 places checked, read 25 October 2026 03:37 UTC.
Updated
Hotels and apartments side by side
On a typical night in Cardiff, the middle half of asking prices ran from $122 to $286 for hotels on Agoda and from $85 to $141 for Airbnb homes.
| Places | Median asking price | Lower quarter (p25) | Upper quarter (p75) | With a price, typical night | Nights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hotels on Agoda | $175 | $122 | $286 | 193 | 69 |
| Airbnb homes | $106 | $85 | $141 | 90 | 69 |
| All places pooled | $147 | $100 | $228 | 284 | 69 |
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 Cardiff against Monday to Thursday: +46% for hotels on Agoda and +23% for Airbnb homes.
| Places | Friday + Saturday | Monday – Thursday | Weekend against Mon–Thu | Fri + Sat nights | Mon–Thu nights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hotels on Agoda | $245 | $168 | +46% | 19 | 40 |
| Airbnb homes | $128 | $104 | +23% | 19 | 40 |
Medians of the nightly medians; Sunday nights sit in neither group.
Month by month
The gap in Cardiff was widest in December 2026: $113 for Airbnb homes against $199 for hotels on Agoda, 43% less.
| Month | Hotels on Agoda | Airbnb homes | Difference | Nights | Latest scan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 2026 | $170 | $105 | -38% | 30 | 25 October 2026 |
| December 2026 | $199 | $113 | -43% | 30 | 25 October 2026 |
| January 2027 | $167 | $106 | -36% | 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 26 December 2026 in Cardiff (Boxing Day), Airbnb homes asked a median $142 against $281 for hotels on Agoda, 49% less.
| Night | Event or holiday | Hotels on Agoda | Airbnb homes | Difference | With a price: hotels / Airbnb |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 December 2026 | Christmas Day | $263 | $134 | -49% | 170 / 89 |
| 26 December 2026 | Boxing Day | $281 | $142 | -49% | 197 / 85 |
| 28 December 2026 | Boxing Day (observed) | $214 | $118 | -45% | 198 / 91 |
| 1 January 2027 | New Year's Day | $241 | $125 | -48% | 174 / 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 Cardiff: 284 in all, 193 on Agoda and 90 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 Cardiff on both sides: 69, from 14 November 2026 to 22 January 2027; each with at least 30 places showing a price on Agoda.
- Up to 207 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 →