Is Airbnb cheaper than a hotel in Melbourne?
Yes: in Melbourne, Airbnb homes asked a median $132 a night against $141 for hotels on Agoda, 6% less (latest scan 24 October 2026; priced on a typical night: Airbnb homes 87, 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 23:19 UTC.
Updated
Hotels and apartments side by side
On a typical night in Melbourne, the middle half of asking prices ran from $105 to $179 for hotels on Agoda and from $95 to $178 for Airbnb homes.
| Places | Median asking price | Lower quarter (p25) | Upper quarter (p75) | With a price, typical night | Nights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hotels on Agoda | $141 | $105 | $179 | 199 | 70 |
| Airbnb homes | $132 | $95 | $178 | 87 | 70 |
| All places pooled | $139 | $102 | $179 | 286 | 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 Melbourne against Monday to Thursday: +30% 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 | $174 | $134 | +30% | 20 | 40 |
| Airbnb homes | $136 | $131 | +4% | 20 | 40 |
Medians of the nightly medians; Sunday nights sit in neither group.
Month by month
The gap in Melbourne was widest in October 2026: $152 for Airbnb homes against $137 for hotels on Agoda, 11% more.
| Month | Hotels on Agoda | Airbnb homes | Difference | Nights | Latest scan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 2026 | $137 | $152 | +11% | 31 | 24 October 2026 |
| November 2026 | $141 | $142 | +1% | 30 | 24 October 2026 |
| December 2026 | $137 | $129 | -6% | 31 | 24 October 2026 |
| January 2027 | $133 | $131 | -1% | 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 28 November 2026 in Melbourne (CORE Melbourne), Airbnb homes asked a median $133 against $298 for hotels on Agoda, 55% less.
| Night | Event or holiday | Hotels on Agoda | Airbnb homes | Difference | With a price: hotels / Airbnb |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 November 2026 | CORE Melbourne | $298 | $133 | -55% | 198 / 92 |
| 25 December 2026 | Christmas Day | $168 | $172 | +2% | 198 / 89 |
| 26 December 2026 | Boxing Day | $203 | $132 | -35% | 198 / 86 |
| 1 January 2027 | New Year's Day | $145 | $148 | +2% | 198 / 89 |
| 17 January 2027 | Midsumma Festival | $225 | $120 | -47% | 198 / 86 |
| 17 January 2027 | Australian Open | $225 | $120 | -47% | 198 / 86 |
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 Melbourne: 286 in all, 199 on Agoda and 87 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 Melbourne 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 2 October 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 →