Is Airbnb cheaper than a hotel in San Francisco (CA)?
No: in San Francisco (CA), Airbnb homes asked a median $175 a night against $167 for hotels on Agoda, 5% more (latest scan 24 October 2026; priced on a typical night: Airbnb homes 91, hotels on Agoda 197). Nights measured on both sides: 95, from 13 November 2026 to 15 February 2027, read between 27 August 2026 and 24 October 2026.
Measured by Bed&Market (bedandmarket.com) from 208 places checked, read 24 October 2026 23:52 UTC.
Updated
Hotels and apartments side by side
On a typical night in San Francisco (CA), the middle half of asking prices ran from $126 to $224 for hotels on Agoda and from $139 to $221 for Airbnb homes.
| Places | Median asking price | Lower quarter (p25) | Upper quarter (p75) | With a price, typical night | Nights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hotels on Agoda | $167 | $126 | $224 | 197 | 95 |
| Airbnb homes | $175 | $139 | $221 | 91 | 95 |
| All places pooled | $171 | $129 | $229 | 288 | 95 |
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 Francisco (CA) against Monday to Thursday: -8% 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 | $161 | $176 | -8% | 28 | 53 |
| Airbnb homes | $184 | $174 | +6% | 28 | 53 |
Medians of the nightly medians; Sunday nights sit in neither group.
Month by month
The gap in San Francisco (CA) was widest in February 2027: $133 for Airbnb homes against $190 for hotels on Agoda, 30% less.
| Month | Hotels on Agoda | Airbnb homes | Difference | Nights | Latest scan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 2026 | $183 | $167 | -9% | 30 | 27 August 2026 |
| October 2026 | $200 | $221 | +11% | 31 | 24 October 2026 |
| November 2026 | $153 | $177 | +16% | 30 | 24 October 2026 |
| December 2026 | $149 | $175 | +17% | 31 | 24 October 2026 |
| January 2027 | $174 | $184 | +5% | 31 | 24 October 2026 |
| February 2027 | $190 | $133 | -30% | 21 | 27 August 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 14 January 2027 in San Francisco (CA) (SF Sketchfest), Airbnb homes asked a median $205 against $256 for hotels on Agoda, 20% less.
| Night | Event or holiday | Hotels on Agoda | Airbnb homes | Difference | With a price: hotels / Airbnb |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 November 2026 | Thanksgiving Day | $145 | $170 | +17% | 198 / 93 |
| 25 December 2026 | Christmas Day | $151 | $177 | +17% | 197 / 94 |
| 1 January 2027 | New Year's Day | $162 | $193 | +19% | 196 / 88 |
| 14 January 2027 | SF Sketchfest | $256 | $205 | -20% | 195 / 93 |
| 18 January 2027 | Martin Luther King Jr. Day | $167 | $200 | +20% | 197 / 88 |
| 15 February 2027 | Washington's Birthday | $190 | $116 | -39% | 198 / 19 |
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 Francisco (CA): 288 in all, 197 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 Francisco (CA) on both sides: 95, from 13 November 2026 to 15 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, between 27 August 2026 and 24 October 2026.
- Asking prices seen while searching for one night: not prices paid, and not a forecast.
- Airbnb nights read between 27 August 2026 and 24 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 →