Is Airbnb cheaper than a hotel in Chiang Mai?
Yes: in Chiang Mai, Airbnb homes asked a median $42 a night against $53 for hotels on Agoda, 20% less (latest scan 25 October 2026; priced on a typical night: Airbnb homes 90, hotels on Agoda 200). 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 17:03 UTC.
Updated
Hotels and apartments side by side
On a typical night in Chiang Mai, the middle half of asking prices ran from $36 to $80 for hotels on Agoda and from $30 to $67 for Airbnb homes.
| Places | Median asking price | Lower quarter (p25) | Upper quarter (p75) | With a price, typical night | Nights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hotels on Agoda | $53 | $36 | $80 | 200 | 71 |
| Airbnb homes | $42 | $30 | $67 | 90 | 71 |
| All places pooled | $49 | $33 | $74 | 289 | 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 Chiang Mai against Monday to Thursday: +7% for hotels on Agoda and +7% for Airbnb homes.
| Places | Friday + Saturday | Monday – Thursday | Weekend against Mon–Thu | Fri + Sat nights | Mon–Thu nights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hotels on Agoda | $55 | $52 | +7% | 21 | 40 |
| Airbnb homes | $45 | $42 | +7% | 21 | 40 |
Medians of the nightly medians; Sunday nights sit in neither group.
Month by month
The gap in Chiang Mai was widest in December 2026: $42 for Airbnb homes against $54 for hotels on Agoda, 22% less.
| Month | Hotels on Agoda | Airbnb homes | Difference | Nights | Latest scan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 2026 | $55 | $46 | -16% | 30 | 25 October 2026 |
| December 2026 | $54 | $42 | -22% | 31 | 25 October 2026 |
| January 2027 | $51 | $42 | -18% | 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 31 December 2026 in Chiang Mai (New Year's Eve), Airbnb homes asked a median $42 against $74 for hotels on Agoda, 44% less.
| Night | Event or holiday | Hotels on Agoda | Airbnb homes | Difference | With a price: hotels / Airbnb |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 December 2026 | HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great's Birthday; National Day; National Father's Day | $58 | $45 | -22% | 199 / 83 |
| 7 December 2026 | HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great's Birthday (in lieu); National Day (in lieu); National Father's Day (in lieu) | $55 | $47 | -15% | 196 / 83 |
| 10 December 2026 | Constitution Day | $49 | $40 | -18% | 199 / 88 |
| 31 December 2026 | New Year's Eve | $74 | $42 | -44% | 195 / 94 |
| 1 January 2027 | New Year's Day | $62 | $43 | -30% | 200 / 93 |
| 9 January 2027 | National Children's Day | $51 | $43 | -16% | 200 / 89 |
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 Chiang Mai: 289 in all, 200 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 Chiang Mai 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 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 →