Is Airbnb cheaper than a hotel in Koh Samui?
No: in Koh Samui, Airbnb homes asked a median $84 a night against $71 for hotels on Agoda, 18% more (latest scan 26 October 2026; priced on a typical night: Airbnb homes 88, hotels on Agoda 200). Nights measured on both sides: 72, from 13 November 2026 to 23 January 2027, read on 26 October 2026.
Measured by Bed&Market (bedandmarket.com) from 208 places checked, read 26 October 2026 00:01 UTC.
Updated
Hotels and apartments side by side
On a typical night in Koh Samui, the middle half of asking prices ran from $45 to $119 for hotels on Agoda and from $52 to $131 for Airbnb homes.
| Places | Median asking price | Lower quarter (p25) | Upper quarter (p75) | With a price, typical night | Nights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hotels on Agoda | $71 | $45 | $119 | 200 | 72 |
| Airbnb homes | $84 | $52 | $131 | 88 | 72 |
| All places pooled | $75 | $47 | $129 | 287 | 72 |
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 Koh Samui against Monday to Thursday: -21% for hotels on Agoda and -4% for Airbnb homes.
| Places | Friday + Saturday | Monday – Thursday | Weekend against Mon–Thu | Fri + Sat nights | Mon–Thu nights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hotels on Agoda | $71 | $91 | -21% | 22 | 40 |
| Airbnb homes | $81 | $84 | -4% | 22 | 40 |
Medians of the nightly medians; Sunday nights sit in neither group.
Month by month
The gap in Koh Samui was widest in December 2026: $81 for Airbnb homes against $68 for hotels on Agoda, 19% more.
| Month | Hotels on Agoda | Airbnb homes | Difference | Nights | Latest scan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 2026 | $55 | $55 | 0% | 30 | 26 October 2026 |
| December 2026 | $68 | $81 | +19% | 31 | 26 October 2026 |
| January 2027 | $106 | $88 | -17% | 23 | 26 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 Koh Samui (New Year's Eve), Airbnb homes asked a median $103 against $131 for hotels on Agoda, 21% 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 | $63 | $58 | -8% | 200 / 87 |
| 7 December 2026 | HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej the Great's Birthday (in lieu); National Day (in lieu); National Father's Day (in lieu) | $66 | $75 | +14% | 200 / 84 |
| 10 December 2026 | Constitution Day | $64 | $55 | -14% | 200 / 91 |
| 31 December 2026 | New Year's Eve | $131 | $103 | -21% | 195 / 88 |
| 1 January 2027 | New Year's Day | $121 | $90 | -25% | 194 / 85 |
| 9 January 2027 | National Children's Day | $112 | $100 | -11% | 198 / 80 |
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 Koh Samui: 287 in all, 200 on Agoda and 88 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 Koh Samui on both sides: 72, from 13 November 2026 to 23 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 26 October 2026.
- Asking prices seen while searching for one night: not prices paid, and not a forecast.
- Airbnb nights read on 26 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 →