Is Airbnb cheaper than a hotel in Penzance?
Yes: in Penzance, Airbnb homes asked a median $136 a night against $433 for hotels on Agoda, 69% less (latest scan 26 October 2026; priced on a typical night: Airbnb homes 91, hotels on Agoda 154). Nights measured on both sides: 72, from 13 November 2026 to 23 January 2027, read on 26 October 2026.
Measured by Bed&Market (bedandmarket.com) from 197 places checked, read 26 October 2026 03:24 UTC.
Updated
Hotels and apartments side by side
On a typical night in Penzance, the middle half of asking prices ran from $161 to $690 for hotels on Agoda and from $109 to $174 for Airbnb homes.
| Places | Median asking price | Lower quarter (p25) | Upper quarter (p75) | With a price, typical night | Nights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hotels on Agoda | $433 | $161 | $690 | 154 | 72 |
| Airbnb homes | $136 | $109 | $174 | 91 | 72 |
| All places pooled | $189 | $133 | $531 | 243 | 72 |
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 Penzance against Monday to Thursday: 0% 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 | $433 | $433 | 0% | 22 | 40 |
| Airbnb homes | $138 | $134 | +3% | 22 | 40 |
Medians of the nightly medians; Sunday nights sit in neither group.
Month by month
The gap in Penzance was widest in January 2027: $136 for Airbnb homes against $484 for hotels on Agoda, 72% less.
| Month | Hotels on Agoda | Airbnb homes | Difference | Nights | Latest scan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 2026 | $290 | $140 | -52% | 30 | 26 October 2026 |
| December 2026 | $423 | $134 | -68% | 31 | 26 October 2026 |
| January 2027 | $484 | $136 | -72% | 23 | 26 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 December 2026 in Penzance (Boxing Day (observed)), Airbnb homes asked a median $148 against $453 for hotels on Agoda, 67% less.
| Night | Event or holiday | Hotels on Agoda | Airbnb homes | Difference | With a price: hotels / Airbnb |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 December 2026 | Christmas Day | $240 | $174 | -27% | 42 / 92 |
| 26 December 2026 | Boxing Day | $226 | $174 | -23% | 52 / 87 |
| 28 December 2026 | Boxing Day (observed) | $453 | $148 | -67% | 118 / 89 |
| 1 January 2027 | New Year's Day | $207 | $154 | -25% | 53 / 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 Penzance: 243 in all, 154 on Agoda and 91 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 Penzance on both sides: 72, from 13 November 2026 to 23 January 2027; each with at least 30 places showing a price on Agoda.
- Up to 197 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 26 October 2026.
- Asking prices seen while searching for one night: not prices paid, and not a forecast.
- Airbnb nights read on 26 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 →