Is Airbnb cheaper than a hotel in Christchurch?
Yes: in Christchurch, Airbnb homes asked a median $95 a night against $109 for hotels on Agoda, 13% less (latest scan 25 October 2026; priced on a typical night: Airbnb homes 89, 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 00:26 UTC.
Updated
Hotels and apartments side by side
On a typical night in Christchurch, the middle half of asking prices ran from $86 to $161 for hotels on Agoda and from $75 to $131 for Airbnb homes.
| Places | Median asking price | Lower quarter (p25) | Upper quarter (p75) | With a price, typical night | Nights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hotels on Agoda | $109 | $86 | $161 | 197 | 71 |
| Airbnb homes | $95 | $75 | $131 | 89 | 71 |
| All places pooled | $105 | $81 | $147 | 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 Christchurch against Monday to Thursday: +7% for hotels on Agoda and +3% for Airbnb homes.
| Places | Friday + Saturday | Monday – Thursday | Weekend against Mon–Thu | Fri + Sat nights | Mon–Thu nights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hotels on Agoda | $116 | $108 | +7% | 21 | 40 |
| Airbnb homes | $97 | $94 | +3% | 21 | 40 |
Medians of the nightly medians; Sunday nights sit in neither group.
Month by month
The gap in Christchurch was widest in January 2027: $91 for Airbnb homes against $108 for hotels on Agoda, 16% less.
| Month | Hotels on Agoda | Airbnb homes | Difference | Nights | Latest scan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 2026 | $122 | $105 | -14% | 30 | 25 October 2026 |
| December 2026 | $104 | $95 | -9% | 31 | 25 October 2026 |
| January 2027 | $108 | $91 | -16% | 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 Christchurch (Christmas Day), Airbnb homes asked a median $101 against $125 for hotels on Agoda, 19% less.
| Night | Event or holiday | Hotels on Agoda | Airbnb homes | Difference | With a price: hotels / Airbnb |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 December 2026 | Christmas Day | $125 | $101 | -19% | 197 / 100 |
| 26 December 2026 | Boxing Day | $121 | $111 | -8% | 195 / 86 |
| 28 December 2026 | Boxing Day (observed) | $115 | $96 | -16% | 196 / 87 |
| 1 January 2027 | New Year's Day | $121 | $93 | -23% | 193 / 92 |
| 2 January 2027 | Day after New Year's Day | $116 | $101 | -13% | 195 / 87 |
| 4 January 2027 | Day after New Year's Day (observed) | $106 | $85 | -20% | 195 / 90 |
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 Christchurch: 285 in all, 197 on Agoda and 89 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 Christchurch 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 →