Is Airbnb cheaper than a hotel in San Jose (CA)?
Yes: in San Jose (CA), Airbnb homes asked a median $155 a night against $185 for hotels on Agoda, 16% less (latest scan 7 November 2026; priced on a typical night: Airbnb homes 94, hotels on Agoda 196). 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 207 places checked, read 7 November 2026 19:07 UTC.
Updated
Hotels and apartments side by side
On a typical night in San Jose (CA), the middle half of asking prices ran from $138 to $252 for hotels on Agoda and from $124 to $216 for Airbnb homes.
| Places | Median asking price | Lower quarter (p25) | Upper quarter (p75) | With a price, typical night | Nights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hotels on Agoda | $185 | $138 | $252 | 196 | 84 |
| Airbnb homes | $155 | $124 | $216 | 94 | 84 |
| All places pooled | $174 | $129 | $242 | 291 | 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 San Jose (CA) against Monday to Thursday: -29% for hotels on Agoda and -8% for Airbnb homes.
| Places | Friday + Saturday | Monday – Thursday | Weekend against Mon–Thu | Fri + Sat nights | Mon–Thu nights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hotels on Agoda | $153 | $215 | -29% | 24 | 48 |
| Airbnb homes | $151 | $165 | -8% | 24 | 48 |
Medians of the nightly medians; Sunday nights sit in neither group.
Month by month
The gap in San Jose (CA) was widest in January 2027: $155 for Airbnb homes against $194 for hotels on Agoda, 20% less.
| Month | Hotels on Agoda | Airbnb homes | Difference | Nights | Latest scan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 2026 | $174 | $163 | -7% | 24 | 7 November 2026 |
| December 2026 | $161 | $153 | -5% | 31 | 7 November 2026 |
| January 2027 | $194 | $155 | -20% | 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.
On event and holiday nights
On 1 January 2027 in San Jose (CA) (New Year's Day), Airbnb homes asked a median $151 against $158 for hotels on Agoda, 4% less.
| Night | Event or holiday | Hotels on Agoda | Airbnb homes | Difference | With a price: hotels / Airbnb |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 November 2026 | Thanksgiving Day | $150 | $162 | +8% | 197 / 93 |
| 25 December 2026 | Christmas Day | $138 | $148 | +7% | 195 / 91 |
| 1 January 2027 | New Year's Day | $158 | $151 | -4% | 196 / 92 |
| 18 January 2027 | Martin Luther King Jr. Day | $232 | $189 | -18% | 195 / 90 |
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 Jose (CA): 291 in all, 196 on Agoda and 94 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 Jose (CA) 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 207 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 →