Is Airbnb cheaper than a hotel in Seoul?
Yes: in Seoul, Airbnb homes asked a median $89 a night against $106 for hotels on Agoda, 16% less (latest scan 25 October 2026; priced on a typical night: Airbnb homes 85, hotels on Agoda 198). Nights measured on both sides: 71, from 13 November 2026 to 22 January 2027, read on 25 October 2026.
Measured by Bed&Market (bedandmarket.com) from 208 places checked, read 25 October 2026 03:10 UTC.
Updated
Hotels and apartments side by side
On a typical night in Seoul, the middle half of asking prices ran from $78 to $146 for hotels on Agoda and from $63 to $169 for Airbnb homes.
| Places | Median asking price | Lower quarter (p25) | Upper quarter (p75) | With a price, typical night | Nights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hotels on Agoda | $106 | $78 | $146 | 198 | 71 |
| Airbnb homes | $89 | $63 | $169 | 85 | 71 |
| All places pooled | $99 | $72 | $144 | 282 | 71 |
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 Seoul against Monday to Thursday: +36% for hotels on Agoda and +40% for Airbnb homes.
| Places | Friday + Saturday | Monday – Thursday | Weekend against Mon–Thu | Fri + Sat nights | Mon–Thu nights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hotels on Agoda | $133 | $97 | +36% | 21 | 40 |
| Airbnb homes | $122 | $87 | +40% | 21 | 40 |
Medians of the nightly medians; Sunday nights sit in neither group.
Month by month
The gap in Seoul was widest in October 2026: $82 for Airbnb homes against $153 for hotels on Agoda, 46% less.
| Month | Hotels on Agoda | Airbnb homes | Difference | Nights | Latest scan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 2026 | $153 | $82 | -46% | 31 | 25 October 2026 |
| November 2026 | $124 | $86 | -30% | 30 | 25 October 2026 |
| December 2026 | $106 | $89 | -16% | 31 | 25 October 2026 |
| January 2027 | $90 | $89 | -1% | 22 | 25 October 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 25 December 2026 in Seoul (Christmas Day), Airbnb homes asked a median $154 against $204 for hotels on Agoda, 25% less.
| Night | Event or holiday | Hotels on Agoda | Airbnb homes | Difference | With a price: hotels / Airbnb |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 December 2026 | Christmas Day | $204 | $154 | -25% | 196 / 75 |
| 1 January 2027 | New Year's Day | $165 | $182 | +11% | 196 / 88 |
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 Seoul: 282 in all, 198 on Agoda and 85 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 Seoul on both sides: 71, from 13 November 2026 to 22 January 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 25 October 2026.
- Asking prices seen while searching for one night: not prices paid, and not a forecast.
- Airbnb nights read between 23 September 2026 and 25 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 →