Is Airbnb cheaper than a hotel in Sanya?
No: in Sanya, Airbnb homes asked a median $99 a night against $91 for hotels on Agoda, 9% more (latest scan 7 November 2026; priced on a typical night: Airbnb homes 91, hotels on Agoda 193). 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 18:03 UTC.
Updated
Hotels and apartments side by side
On a typical night in Sanya, the middle half of asking prices ran from $59 to $153 for hotels on Agoda and from $82 to $142 for Airbnb homes.
| Places | Median asking price | Lower quarter (p25) | Upper quarter (p75) | With a price, typical night | Nights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hotels on Agoda | $91 | $59 | $153 | 193 | 84 |
| Airbnb homes | $99 | $82 | $142 | 91 | 84 |
| All places pooled | $94 | $64 | $150 | 284 | 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 Sanya against Monday to Thursday: +5% for hotels on Agoda and +7% for Airbnb homes.
| Places | Friday + Saturday | Monday – Thursday | Weekend against Mon–Thu | Fri + Sat nights | Mon–Thu nights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hotels on Agoda | $93 | $88 | +5% | 24 | 48 |
| Airbnb homes | $106 | $99 | +7% | 24 | 48 |
Medians of the nightly medians; Sunday nights sit in neither group.
Month by month
The gap in Sanya was widest in November 2026: $102 for Airbnb homes against $72 for hotels on Agoda, 42% more.
| Month | Hotels on Agoda | Airbnb homes | Difference | Nights | Latest scan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 2026 | $72 | $102 | +42% | 24 | 7 November 2026 |
| December 2026 | $87 | $99 | +13% | 31 | 7 November 2026 |
| January 2027 | $99 | $99 | 0% | 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 Sanya (New Year's Day), Airbnb homes asked a median $107 against $107 for hotels on Agoda, a gap under 1%.
| Night | Event or holiday | Hotels on Agoda | Airbnb homes | Difference | With a price: hotels / Airbnb |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 January 2027 | New Year's Day | $107 | $107 | 0% | 192 / 92 |
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 Sanya: 284 in all, 193 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 Sanya 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 →