Is Airbnb cheaper than a hotel in Sendai?
No: in Sendai, Airbnb homes asked a median $156 a night against $77 for hotels on Agoda, 103% more (latest scan 7 November 2026; priced on a typical night: Airbnb homes 93, hotels on Agoda 149). Nights measured on both sides: 83, from 13 November 2026 to 4 February 2027, read on 7 November 2026.
Measured by Bed&Market (bedandmarket.com) from 176 places checked, read 7 November 2026 19:59 UTC.
Updated
Hotels and apartments side by side
On a typical night in Sendai, the middle half of asking prices ran from $58 to $126 for hotels on Agoda and from $84 to $228 for Airbnb homes.
| Places | Median asking price | Lower quarter (p25) | Upper quarter (p75) | With a price, typical night | Nights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hotels on Agoda | $77 | $58 | $126 | 149 | 83 |
| Airbnb homes | $156 | $84 | $228 | 93 | 83 |
| All places pooled | $95 | $66 | $190 | 241 | 83 |
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 Sendai against Monday to Thursday: +50% for hotels on Agoda and +3% for Airbnb homes.
| Places | Friday + Saturday | Monday – Thursday | Weekend against Mon–Thu | Fri + Sat nights | Mon–Thu nights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hotels on Agoda | $111 | $74 | +50% | 23 | 48 |
| Airbnb homes | $158 | $153 | +3% | 23 | 48 |
Medians of the nightly medians; Sunday nights sit in neither group.
Month by month
The gap in Sendai was widest in January 2027: $165 for Airbnb homes against $73 for hotels on Agoda, 125% more.
| Month | Hotels on Agoda | Airbnb homes | Difference | Nights | Latest scan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 2026 | $88 | $145 | +64% | 22 | 7 November 2026 |
| December 2026 | $85 | $152 | +79% | 31 | 7 November 2026 |
| January 2027 | $73 | $165 | +125% | 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 Sendai (New Year's Day), Airbnb homes asked a median $177 against $96 for hotels on Agoda, 85% more.
| Night | Event or holiday | Hotels on Agoda | Airbnb homes | Difference | With a price: hotels / Airbnb |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 November 2026 | Labor Thanksgiving Day | $70 | $168 | +139% | 158 / 91 |
| 1 January 2027 | New Year's Day | $96 | $177 | +85% | 118 / 91 |
| 11 January 2027 | Coming of Age Day | $70 | $158 | +125% | 152 / 93 |
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 Sendai: 241 in all, 149 on Agoda and 93 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 Sendai on both sides: 83, from 13 November 2026 to 4 February 2027; each with at least 30 places showing a price on Agoda.
- Up to 176 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 →