Is Airbnb cheaper than a hotel in London?
Yes: in London, Airbnb homes asked a median $146 a night against $161 for hotels on Agoda, 10% less (latest scan 24 October 2026; priced on a typical night: Airbnb homes 92, hotels on Agoda 199). 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 22:36 UTC.
Updated
Hotels and apartments side by side
On a typical night in London, the middle half of asking prices ran from $121 to $220 for hotels on Agoda and from $109 to $192 for Airbnb homes.
| Places | Median asking price | Lower quarter (p25) | Upper quarter (p75) | With a price, typical night | Nights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hotels on Agoda | $161 | $121 | $220 | 199 | 70 |
| Airbnb homes | $146 | $109 | $192 | 92 | 70 |
| All places pooled | $160 | $115 | $208 | 290 | 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 London against Monday to Thursday: +34% 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 | $210 | $156 | +34% | 20 | 40 |
| Airbnb homes | $161 | $146 | +10% | 20 | 40 |
Medians of the nightly medians; Sunday nights sit in neither group.
Month by month
The gap in London was widest in November 2026: $148 for Airbnb homes against $181 for hotels on Agoda, 18% less.
| Month | Hotels on Agoda | Airbnb homes | Difference | Nights | Latest scan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 2026 | $186 | $158 | -15% | 31 | 24 October 2026 |
| November 2026 | $181 | $148 | -18% | 30 | 24 October 2026 |
| December 2026 | $183 | $152 | -17% | 31 | 24 October 2026 |
| January 2027 | $124 | $139 | +12% | 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 31 December 2026 in London (New Year's Eve 2026), Airbnb homes asked a median $170 against $313 for hotels on Agoda, 46% less.
| Night | Event or holiday | Hotels on Agoda | Airbnb homes | Difference | With a price: hotels / Airbnb |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 December 2026 | Christmas Day | $141 | $161 | +14% | 199 / 99 |
| 26 December 2026 | Boxing Day | $183 | $221 | +21% | 197 / 88 |
| 28 December 2026 | Boxing Day (observed) | $197 | $225 | +14% | 199 / 80 |
| 31 December 2026 | New Year's Eve 2026 | $313 | $170 | -46% | 196 / 92 |
| 1 January 2027 | New Year's Day | $184 | $210 | +14% | 200 / 93 |
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 London: 290 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 London 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 22 September 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 →