Is Airbnb cheaper than a hotel in Durham?
No: in Durham, Airbnb homes asked a median $141 a night against $134 for hotels on Agoda, 5% more (latest scan 25 October 2026; priced on a typical night: Airbnb homes 89, hotels on Agoda 91). Nights measured on both sides: 70, from 14 November 2026 to 22 January 2027, read on 25 October 2026.
Measured by Bed&Market (bedandmarket.com) from 103 places checked, read 25 October 2026 17:56 UTC.
Updated
Hotels and apartments side by side
On a typical night in Durham, the middle half of asking prices ran from $103 to $209 for hotels on Agoda and from $111 to $209 for Airbnb homes.
| Places | Median asking price | Lower quarter (p25) | Upper quarter (p75) | With a price, typical night | Nights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hotels on Agoda | $134 | $103 | $209 | 91 | 70 |
| Airbnb homes | $141 | $111 | $209 | 89 | 70 |
| All places pooled | $138 | $107 | $209 | 180 | 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 Durham against Monday to Thursday: +8% for hotels on Agoda and +1% for Airbnb homes.
| Places | Friday + Saturday | Monday – Thursday | Weekend against Mon–Thu | Fri + Sat nights | Mon–Thu nights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hotels on Agoda | $143 | $133 | +8% | 20 | 40 |
| Airbnb homes | $144 | $142 | +1% | 20 | 40 |
Medians of the nightly medians; Sunday nights sit in neither group.
Month by month
The gap in Durham was widest in November 2026: $145 for Airbnb homes against $129 for hotels on Agoda, 12% more.
| Month | Hotels on Agoda | Airbnb homes | Difference | Nights | Latest scan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 2026 | $129 | $145 | +12% | 30 | 25 October 2026 |
| December 2026 | $133 | $141 | +6% | 31 | 25 October 2026 |
| January 2027 | $134 | $142 | +6% | 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 Durham (Boxing Day), Airbnb homes asked a median $134 against $154 for hotels on Agoda, 13% less.
| Night | Event or holiday | Hotels on Agoda | Airbnb homes | Difference | With a price: hotels / Airbnb |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 December 2026 | Christmas Day | $127 | $145 | +14% | 46 / 90 |
| 26 December 2026 | Boxing Day | $154 | $134 | -13% | 56 / 91 |
| 28 December 2026 | Boxing Day (observed) | $134 | $152 | +14% | 71 / 92 |
| 1 January 2027 | New Year's Day | $143 | $136 | -5% | 74 / 92 |
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 Durham: 180 in all, 91 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 Durham on both sides: 70, from 14 November 2026 to 22 January 2027; each with at least 30 places showing a price on Agoda.
- Up to 103 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 →