Is Airbnb cheaper than a hotel in Muscat?
No: in Muscat, Airbnb homes asked a median $81 a night against $62 for hotels on Agoda, 31% more (latest scan 7 November 2026; priced on a typical night: Airbnb homes 90, hotels on Agoda 199). Nights measured on both sides: 83, from 14 November 2026 to 4 February 2027, read on 7 November 2026.
Measured by Bed&Market (bedandmarket.com) from 208 places checked, read 7 November 2026 14:32 UTC.
Updated
Hotels and apartments side by side
On a typical night in Muscat, the middle half of asking prices ran from $41 to $115 for hotels on Agoda and from $63 to $115 for Airbnb homes.
| Places | Median asking price | Lower quarter (p25) | Upper quarter (p75) | With a price, typical night | Nights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hotels on Agoda | $62 | $41 | $115 | 199 | 83 |
| Airbnb homes | $81 | $63 | $115 | 90 | 83 |
| All places pooled | $73 | $44 | $115 | 289 | 83 |
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 Muscat against Monday to Thursday: +1% 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 | $62 | $62 | +1% | 23 | 48 |
| Airbnb homes | $84 | $81 | +4% | 23 | 48 |
Medians of the nightly medians; Sunday nights sit in neither group.
Month by month
The gap in Muscat was widest in November 2026: $80 for Airbnb homes against $54 for hotels on Agoda, 48% more.
| Month | Hotels on Agoda | Airbnb homes | Difference | Nights | Latest scan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 2026 | $54 | $80 | +48% | 23 | 7 November 2026 |
| December 2026 | $60 | $84 | +40% | 31 | 7 November 2026 |
| January 2027 | $65 | $82 | +26% | 31 | 7 November 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 21 November 2026 in Muscat (National Day), Airbnb homes asked a median $81 against $56 for hotels on Agoda, 45% more.
| Night | Event or holiday | Hotels on Agoda | Airbnb homes | Difference | With a price: hotels / Airbnb |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 November 2026 | National Day | $54 | $78 | +45% | 200 / 92 |
| 21 November 2026 | National Day | $56 | $81 | +45% | 200 / 87 |
| 5 January 2027 | Isra' and Mi'raj (estimated) | $64 | $89 | +39% | 200 / 87 |
| 11 January 2027 | Sultan's Accession Day | $65 | $83 | +28% | 200 / 92 |
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 Muscat: 289 in all, 199 on Agoda and 90 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 Muscat on both sides: 83, from 14 November 2026 to 4 February 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 7 November 2026.
- Asking prices seen while searching for one night: not prices paid, and not a forecast.
- Airbnb nights read on 7 November 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 →