Is Airbnb cheaper than a hotel in Chelmsford?
Yes: in Chelmsford, Airbnb homes asked a median $138 a night against $180 for hotels on Agoda, 23% less (latest scan 8 November 2026; priced on a typical night: Airbnb homes 92, hotels on Agoda 34). Nights measured on both sides: 67, from 15 November 2026 to 5 February 2027, read on 8 November 2026.
Measured by Bed&Market (bedandmarket.com) from 42 places checked, read 8 November 2026 01:51 UTC.
Updated
Hotels and apartments side by side
On a typical night in Chelmsford, the middle half of asking prices ran from $126 to $230 for hotels on Agoda and from $107 to $201 for Airbnb homes.
| Places | Median asking price | Lower quarter (p25) | Upper quarter (p75) | With a price, typical night | Nights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hotels on Agoda | $180 | $126 | $230 | 34 | 67 |
| Airbnb homes | $138 | $107 | $201 | 92 | 67 |
| All places pooled | $155 | $109 | $212 | 126 | 67 |
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 Chelmsford against Monday to Thursday: +12% for hotels on Agoda and +8% for Airbnb homes.
| Places | Friday + Saturday | Monday – Thursday | Weekend against Mon–Thu | Fri + Sat nights | Mon–Thu nights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hotels on Agoda | $198 | $178 | +12% | 12 | 44 |
| Airbnb homes | $148 | $137 | +8% | 12 | 44 |
Medians of the nightly medians; Sunday nights sit in neither group.
Month by month
The gap in Chelmsford was widest in December 2026: $137 for Airbnb homes against $180 for hotels on Agoda, 24% less.
| Month | Hotels on Agoda | Airbnb homes | Difference | Nights | Latest scan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 2026 | $180 | $137 | -24% | 20 | 8 November 2026 |
| January 2027 | $178 | $141 | -21% | 29 | 8 November 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 28 December 2026 in Chelmsford (Boxing Day (observed)), Airbnb homes asked a median $139 against $174 for hotels on Agoda, 20% less.
| Night | Event or holiday | Hotels on Agoda | Airbnb homes | Difference | With a price: hotels / Airbnb |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 December 2026 | Boxing Day (observed) | $174 | $139 | -20% | 31 / 94 |
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 Chelmsford: 126 in all, 34 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 Chelmsford on both sides: 67, from 15 November 2026 to 5 February 2027; each with at least 30 places showing a price on Agoda.
- Up to 42 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 8 November 2026.
- Asking prices seen while searching for one night: not prices paid, and not a forecast.
- Airbnb nights read on 8 November 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 →