Is Airbnb cheaper than a hotel in Dubai?
About the same: in Dubai, Airbnb homes asked a median $131 a night against $128 for hotels on Agoda, 2% more (latest scan 24 October 2026; priced on a typical night: Airbnb homes 89, hotels on Agoda 200). Nights measured on both sides: 70, from 13 November 2026 to 21 January 2027, read on 24 October 2026.
Measured by Bed&Market (bedandmarket.com) from 208 places checked, read 24 October 2026 22:57 UTC.
Updated
Hotels and apartments side by side
On a typical night in Dubai, the middle half of asking prices ran from $89 to $187 for hotels on Agoda and from $95 to $209 for Airbnb homes.
| Places | Median asking price | Lower quarter (p25) | Upper quarter (p75) | With a price, typical night | Nights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hotels on Agoda | $128 | $89 | $187 | 200 | 70 |
| Airbnb homes | $131 | $95 | $209 | 89 | 70 |
| All places pooled | $125 | $92 | $196 | 288 | 70 |
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 Dubai against Monday to Thursday: -14% for hotels on Agoda and -10% for Airbnb homes.
| Places | Friday + Saturday | Monday – Thursday | Weekend against Mon–Thu | Fri + Sat nights | Mon–Thu nights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hotels on Agoda | $113 | $131 | -14% | 20 | 40 |
| Airbnb homes | $122 | $136 | -10% | 20 | 40 |
Medians of the nightly medians; Sunday nights sit in neither group.
Month by month
The gap in Dubai was widest in October 2026: $103 for Airbnb homes against $83 for hotels on Agoda, 24% more.
| Month | Hotels on Agoda | Airbnb homes | Difference | Nights | Latest scan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 2026 | $68 | $79 | +15% | 30 | 3 September 2026 |
| October 2026 | $83 | $103 | +24% | 31 | 24 October 2026 |
| November 2026 | $108 | $118 | +9% | 30 | 24 October 2026 |
| December 2026 | $113 | $136 | +20% | 31 | 24 October 2026 |
| January 2027 | $136 | $117 | -14% | 21 | 24 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 Dubai (New Year's Day), Airbnb homes asked a median $181 against $255 for hotels on Agoda, 29% less.
| Night | Event or holiday | Hotels on Agoda | Airbnb homes | Difference | With a price: hotels / Airbnb |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 December 2026 | National Day | $113 | $136 | +20% | 199 / 91 |
| 3 December 2026 | National Day | $111 | $139 | +26% | 198 / 90 |
| 1 January 2027 | New Year's Day | $255 | $181 | -29% | 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 Dubai: 288 in all, 200 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 Dubai on both sides: 70, from 13 November 2026 to 21 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 24 October 2026.
- Asking prices seen while searching for one night: not prices paid, and not a forecast.
- Airbnb nights read between 2 October 2026 and 24 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 →