Is Airbnb cheaper than a hotel in Santa Marta?
Yes: in Santa Marta, Airbnb homes asked a median $56 a night against $63 for hotels on Agoda, 10% less (latest scan 7 November 2026; priced on a typical night: Airbnb homes 90, hotels on Agoda 199). 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 23:02 UTC.
Updated
Hotels and apartments side by side
On a typical night in Santa Marta, the middle half of asking prices ran from $38 to $101 for hotels on Agoda and from $42 to $78 for Airbnb homes.
| Places | Median asking price | Lower quarter (p25) | Upper quarter (p75) | With a price, typical night | Nights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hotels on Agoda | $63 | $38 | $101 | 199 | 84 |
| Airbnb homes | $56 | $42 | $78 | 90 | 84 |
| All places pooled | $61 | $40 | $92 | 289 | 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 Santa Marta against Monday to Thursday: +2% for hotels on Agoda and +5% for Airbnb homes.
| Places | Friday + Saturday | Monday – Thursday | Weekend against Mon–Thu | Fri + Sat nights | Mon–Thu nights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hotels on Agoda | $64 | $63 | +2% | 24 | 48 |
| Airbnb homes | $59 | $56 | +5% | 24 | 48 |
Medians of the nightly medians; Sunday nights sit in neither group.
Month by month
The gap in Santa Marta was widest in January 2027: $61 for Airbnb homes against $70 for hotels on Agoda, 13% less.
| Month | Hotels on Agoda | Airbnb homes | Difference | Nights | Latest scan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 2026 | $47 | $49 | +5% | 24 | 7 November 2026 |
| December 2026 | $57 | $56 | -1% | 31 | 7 November 2026 |
| January 2027 | $70 | $61 | -13% | 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 8 December 2026 in Santa Marta (Immaculate Conception), Airbnb homes asked a median $56 against $56 for hotels on Agoda, 1% more.
| Night | Event or holiday | Hotels on Agoda | Airbnb homes | Difference | With a price: hotels / Airbnb |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 November 2026 | Independence of Cartagena (observed) | $44 | $44 | +1% | 200 / 92 |
| 8 December 2026 | Immaculate Conception | $56 | $56 | +1% | 199 / 91 |
| 25 December 2026 | Christmas Day | $69 | $59 | -15% | 198 / 88 |
| 1 January 2027 | New Year's Day | $83 | $61 | -27% | 198 / 89 |
| 11 January 2027 | Epiphany (observed) | $74 | $57 | -23% | 199 / 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 Santa Marta: 289 in all, 199 on Agoda and 90 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 Santa Marta 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 →