Is Airbnb cheaper than a hotel in Edinburgh?
Yes: in Edinburgh, Airbnb homes asked a median $157 a night against $188 for hotels on Agoda, 17% less (latest scan 25 October 2026; priced on a typical night: Airbnb homes 92, hotels on Agoda 199). 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 01:41 UTC.
Updated
Hotels and apartments side by side
On a typical night in Edinburgh, the middle half of asking prices ran from $145 to $252 for hotels on Agoda and from $130 to $209 for Airbnb homes.
| Places | Median asking price | Lower quarter (p25) | Upper quarter (p75) | With a price, typical night | Nights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hotels on Agoda | $188 | $145 | $252 | 199 | 71 |
| Airbnb homes | $157 | $130 | $209 | 92 | 71 |
| All places pooled | $179 | $137 | $237 | 291 | 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 Edinburgh against Monday to Thursday: +64% for hotels on Agoda and +22% for Airbnb homes.
| Places | Friday + Saturday | Monday – Thursday | Weekend against Mon–Thu | Fri + Sat nights | Mon–Thu nights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hotels on Agoda | $296 | $181 | +64% | 21 | 40 |
| Airbnb homes | $188 | $154 | +22% | 21 | 40 |
Medians of the nightly medians; Sunday nights sit in neither group.
Month by month
The gap in Edinburgh was widest in October 2026: $199 for Airbnb homes against $274 for hotels on Agoda, 27% less.
| Month | Hotels on Agoda | Airbnb homes | Difference | Nights | Latest scan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 2026 | $274 | $199 | -27% | 31 | 25 October 2026 |
| November 2026 | $197 | $161 | -18% | 30 | 25 October 2026 |
| December 2026 | $201 | $164 | -19% | 30 | 25 October 2026 |
| January 2027 | $119 | $144 | +21% | 21 | 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 28 December 2026 in Edinburgh (Boxing Day (observed)), Airbnb homes asked a median $209 against $301 for hotels on Agoda, 31% less.
| Night | Event or holiday | Hotels on Agoda | Airbnb homes | Difference | With a price: hotels / Airbnb |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 December 2026 | Christmas Day | $221 | $205 | -7% | 197 / 93 |
| 26 December 2026 | Boxing Day | $264 | $201 | -24% | 198 / 106 |
| 28 December 2026 | Boxing Day (observed) | $301 | $209 | -31% | 199 / 92 |
| 1 January 2027 | New Year's Day | $366 | $225 | -39% | 199 / 96 |
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 Edinburgh: 291 in all, 199 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 Edinburgh 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 →