Is Airbnb cheaper than a hotel in Lugano?
Yes: in Lugano, Airbnb homes asked a median $141 a night against $217 for hotels on Agoda, 35% less (latest scan 25 October 2026; priced on a typical night: Airbnb homes 83, hotels on Agoda 165). 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 17:50 UTC.
Updated
Hotels and apartments side by side
On a typical night in Lugano, the middle half of asking prices ran from $178 to $290 for hotels on Agoda and from $113 to $177 for Airbnb homes.
| Places | Median asking price | Lower quarter (p25) | Upper quarter (p75) | With a price, typical night | Nights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hotels on Agoda | $217 | $178 | $290 | 165 | 71 |
| Airbnb homes | $141 | $113 | $177 | 83 | 71 |
| All places pooled | $194 | $147 | $254 | 252 | 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 Lugano against Monday to Thursday: +3% for hotels on Agoda and +12% for Airbnb homes.
| Places | Friday + Saturday | Monday – Thursday | Weekend against Mon–Thu | Fri + Sat nights | Mon–Thu nights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hotels on Agoda | $223 | $216 | +3% | 21 | 40 |
| Airbnb homes | $153 | $137 | +12% | 21 | 40 |
Medians of the nightly medians; Sunday nights sit in neither group.
Month by month
The gap in Lugano was widest in November 2026: $135 for Airbnb homes against $215 for hotels on Agoda, 37% less.
| Month | Hotels on Agoda | Airbnb homes | Difference | Nights | Latest scan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 2026 | $215 | $135 | -37% | 30 | 25 October 2026 |
| December 2026 | $220 | $144 | -35% | 31 | 25 October 2026 |
| January 2027 | $218 | $140 | -36% | 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 25 December 2026 in Lugano (Christmas Day), Airbnb homes asked a median $144 against $238 for hotels on Agoda, 40% less.
| Night | Event or holiday | Hotels on Agoda | Airbnb homes | Difference | With a price: hotels / Airbnb |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 December 2026 | Christmas Day | $238 | $144 | -40% | 118 / 88 |
| 1 January 2027 | New Year's Day | $239 | $184 | -23% | 126 / 82 |
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 Lugano: 252 in all, 165 on Agoda and 83 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 Lugano 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 →