Is Airbnb cheaper than a hotel in Nelson?
Yes: in Nelson, Airbnb homes asked a median $115 a night against $123 for hotels on Agoda, 6% less (latest scan 25 October 2026; priced on a typical night: Airbnb homes 93, hotels on Agoda 67). Nights measured on both sides: 61, from 13 November 2026 to 22 January 2027, read on 25 October 2026.
Measured by Bed&Market (bedandmarket.com) from 87 places checked, read 25 October 2026 22:55 UTC.
Updated
Hotels and apartments side by side
On a typical night in Nelson, the middle half of asking prices ran from $94 to $168 for hotels on Agoda and from $89 to $174 for Airbnb homes.
| Places | Median asking price | Lower quarter (p25) | Upper quarter (p75) | With a price, typical night | Nights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hotels on Agoda | $123 | $94 | $168 | 67 | 61 |
| Airbnb homes | $115 | $89 | $174 | 93 | 61 |
| All places pooled | $121 | $89 | $171 | 160 | 61 |
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 Nelson against Monday to Thursday: -2% for hotels on Agoda and +3% for Airbnb homes.
| Places | Friday + Saturday | Monday – Thursday | Weekend against Mon–Thu | Fri + Sat nights | Mon–Thu nights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hotels on Agoda | $122 | $124 | -2% | 17 | 35 |
| Airbnb homes | $118 | $115 | +3% | 17 | 35 |
Medians of the nightly medians; Sunday nights sit in neither group.
Month by month
The gap in Nelson was widest in November 2026: $109 for Airbnb homes against $119 for hotels on Agoda, 8% less.
| Month | Hotels on Agoda | Airbnb homes | Difference | Nights | Latest scan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 2026 | $119 | $109 | -8% | 30 | 25 October 2026 |
| December 2026 | $122 | $115 | -5% | 23 | 25 October 2026 |
| January 2027 | $141 | $130 | -8% | 20 | 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 4 January 2027 in Nelson (Day after New Year's Day (observed)), Airbnb homes asked a median $129 against $141 for hotels on Agoda, 8% less.
| Night | Event or holiday | Hotels on Agoda | Airbnb homes | Difference | With a price: hotels / Airbnb |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 January 2027 | Day after New Year's Day (observed) | $141 | $129 | -8% | 37 / 61 |
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 Nelson: 160 in all, 67 on Agoda and 93 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 Nelson on both sides: 61, from 13 November 2026 to 22 January 2027; each with at least 30 places showing a price on Agoda.
- Up to 87 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 →