Is Airbnb cheaper than a hotel in Queenstown?
Yes: in Queenstown, Airbnb homes asked a median $228 a night against $378 for hotels on Agoda, 40% less (latest scan 25 October 2026; priced on a typical night: Airbnb homes 93, hotels on Agoda 128). Nights measured on both sides: 70, from 13 November 2026 to 22 January 2027, read on 25 October 2026.
Measured by Bed&Market (bedandmarket.com) from 180 places checked, read 25 October 2026 16:50 UTC.
Updated
Hotels and apartments side by side
On a typical night in Queenstown, the middle half of asking prices ran from $254 to $666 for hotels on Agoda and from $150 to $342 for Airbnb homes.
| Places | Median asking price | Lower quarter (p25) | Upper quarter (p75) | With a price, typical night | Nights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hotels on Agoda | $378 | $254 | $666 | 128 | 70 |
| Airbnb homes | $228 | $150 | $342 | 93 | 70 |
| All places pooled | $313 | $203 | $535 | 221 | 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 Queenstown 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 | $376 | $381 | -1% | 21 | 39 |
| Airbnb homes | $237 | $227 | +4% | 21 | 39 |
Medians of the nightly medians; Sunday nights sit in neither group.
Month by month
The gap in Queenstown was widest in December 2026: $217 for Airbnb homes against $359 for hotels on Agoda, 40% less.
| Month | Hotels on Agoda | Airbnb homes | Difference | Nights | Latest scan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 2026 | $278 | $190 | -32% | 30 | 25 October 2026 |
| November 2026 | $360 | $220 | -39% | 30 | 25 October 2026 |
| December 2026 | $359 | $217 | -40% | 30 | 25 October 2026 |
| January 2027 | $401 | $250 | -38% | 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 1 January 2027 in Queenstown (New Year's Day), Airbnb homes asked a median $984 against $969 for hotels on Agoda, 2% more.
| Night | Event or holiday | Hotels on Agoda | Airbnb homes | Difference | With a price: hotels / Airbnb |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 December 2026 | Christmas Day | $555 | $628 | +13% | 57 / 90 |
| 26 December 2026 | Boxing Day | $531 | $678 | +28% | 57 / 95 |
| 28 December 2026 | Boxing Day (observed) | $769 | $812 | +6% | 52 / 73 |
| 1 January 2027 | New Year's Day | $969 | $984 | +2% | 44 / 67 |
| 2 January 2027 | Day after New Year's Day | $717 | $811 | +13% | 63 / 92 |
| 4 January 2027 | Day after New Year's Day (observed) | $417 | $486 | +16% | 67 / 94 |
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 Queenstown: 221 in all, 128 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 Queenstown on both sides: 70, from 13 November 2026 to 22 January 2027; each with at least 30 places showing a price on Agoda.
- Up to 180 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 between 23 September 2026 and 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 →