Is Airbnb cheaper than a hotel in Riyadh?
Yes: in Riyadh, Airbnb homes asked a median $64 a night against $100 for hotels on Agoda, 36% less (latest scan 7 November 2026; priced on a typical night: Airbnb homes 80, hotels on Agoda 197). Nights measured on both sides: 84, from 13 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 14:52 UTC.
Updated
Hotels and apartments side by side
On a typical night in Riyadh, the middle half of asking prices ran from $73 to $162 for hotels on Agoda and from $54 to $74 for Airbnb homes.
| Places | Median asking price | Lower quarter (p25) | Upper quarter (p75) | With a price, typical night | Nights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hotels on Agoda | $100 | $73 | $162 | 197 | 84 |
| Airbnb homes | $64 | $54 | $74 | 80 | 84 |
| All places pooled | $89 | $63 | $134 | 276 | 84 |
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 Riyadh against Monday to Thursday: +1% for hotels on Agoda and +6% for Airbnb homes.
| Places | Friday + Saturday | Monday – Thursday | Weekend against Mon–Thu | Fri + Sat nights | Mon–Thu nights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hotels on Agoda | $100 | $99 | +1% | 24 | 48 |
| Airbnb homes | $68 | $64 | +6% | 24 | 48 |
Medians of the nightly medians; Sunday nights sit in neither group.
Month by month
The gap in Riyadh was widest in January 2027: $66 for Airbnb homes against $118 for hotels on Agoda, 44% less.
| Month | Hotels on Agoda | Airbnb homes | Difference | Nights | Latest scan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 2026 | $83 | $60 | -28% | 24 | 7 November 2026 |
| December 2026 | $97 | $65 | -33% | 31 | 7 November 2026 |
| January 2027 | $118 | $66 | -44% | 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.
What counts as a hotel and an apartment here
Places with a price on a typical night in Riyadh: 276 in all, 197 on Agoda and 80 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 Riyadh on both sides: 84, from 13 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 →