Is Airbnb cheaper than a hotel in San Diego (CA)?
Yes: in San Diego (CA), Airbnb homes asked a median $165 a night against $189 for hotels on Agoda, 13% less (latest scan 25 October 2026; priced on a typical night: Airbnb homes 91, hotels on Agoda 198). Nights measured on both sides: 71, from 13 November 2026 to 22 January 2027, read on 25 October 2026.
Measured by Bed&Market (bedandmarket.com) from 208 places checked, read 25 October 2026 03:32 UTC.
Updated
Hotels and apartments side by side
On a typical night in San Diego (CA), the middle half of asking prices ran from $132 to $251 for hotels on Agoda and from $128 to $211 for Airbnb homes.
| Places | Median asking price | Lower quarter (p25) | Upper quarter (p75) | With a price, typical night | Nights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hotels on Agoda | $189 | $132 | $251 | 198 | 71 |
| Airbnb homes | $165 | $128 | $211 | 91 | 71 |
| All places pooled | $177 | $130 | $243 | 289 | 71 |
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 San Diego (CA) against Monday to Thursday: +14% for hotels on Agoda and +19% for Airbnb homes.
| Places | Friday + Saturday | Monday – Thursday | Weekend against Mon–Thu | Fri + Sat nights | Mon–Thu nights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hotels on Agoda | $213 | $186 | +14% | 21 | 40 |
| Airbnb homes | $190 | $160 | +19% | 21 | 40 |
Medians of the nightly medians; Sunday nights sit in neither group.
Month by month
The gap in San Diego (CA) was widest in January 2027: $165 for Airbnb homes against $193 for hotels on Agoda, 14% less.
| Month | Hotels on Agoda | Airbnb homes | Difference | Nights | Latest scan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 2026 | $184 | $164 | -11% | 30 | 25 October 2026 |
| December 2026 | $187 | $165 | -12% | 31 | 25 October 2026 |
| January 2027 | $193 | $165 | -14% | 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 26 November 2026 in San Diego (CA) (Thanksgiving Day), Airbnb homes asked a median $159 against $225 for hotels on Agoda, 29% less.
| Night | Event or holiday | Hotels on Agoda | Airbnb homes | Difference | With a price: hotels / Airbnb |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 November 2026 | Thanksgiving Day | $225 | $159 | -29% | 198 / 92 |
| 25 December 2026 | Christmas Day | $206 | $198 | -4% | 199 / 91 |
| 1 January 2027 | New Year's Day | $224 | $208 | -7% | 199 / 90 |
| 18 January 2027 | Martin Luther King Jr. Day | $187 | $156 | -16% | 197 / 95 |
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 San Diego (CA): 289 in all, 198 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 San Diego (CA) on both sides: 71, from 13 November 2026 to 22 January 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 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 →