Is Airbnb cheaper than a hotel in Sofia?
Yes: in Sofia, Airbnb homes asked a median $72 a night against $85 for hotels on Agoda, 16% less (latest scan 24 October 2026; priced on a typical night: Airbnb homes 88, hotels on Agoda 194). Nights measured on both sides: 70, from 13 November 2026 to 21 January 2027, read on 24 October 2026.
Measured by Bed&Market (bedandmarket.com) from 208 places checked, read 24 October 2026 22:31 UTC.
Updated
Hotels and apartments side by side
On a typical night in Sofia, the middle half of asking prices ran from $62 to $113 for hotels on Agoda and from $59 to $85 for Airbnb homes.
| Places | Median asking price | Lower quarter (p25) | Upper quarter (p75) | With a price, typical night | Nights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hotels on Agoda | $85 | $62 | $113 | 194 | 70 |
| Airbnb homes | $72 | $59 | $85 | 88 | 70 |
| All places pooled | $78 | $61 | $104 | 282 | 70 |
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 Sofia against Monday to Thursday: +2% 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 | $87 | $85 | +2% | 20 | 40 |
| Airbnb homes | $74 | $72 | +3% | 20 | 40 |
Medians of the nightly medians; Sunday nights sit in neither group.
Month by month
The gap in Sofia was widest in January 2027: $72 for Airbnb homes against $86 for hotels on Agoda, 17% less.
| Month | Hotels on Agoda | Airbnb homes | Difference | Nights | Latest scan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 2026 | $81 | $68 | -16% | 30 | 24 October 2026 |
| December 2026 | $86 | $72 | -16% | 31 | 24 October 2026 |
| January 2027 | $86 | $72 | -17% | 21 | 24 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 1 January 2027 in Sofia (New Year's Day), Airbnb homes asked a median $77 against $98 for hotels on Agoda, 21% less.
| Night | Event or holiday | Hotels on Agoda | Airbnb homes | Difference | With a price: hotels / Airbnb |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 December 2026 | Christmas Eve | $86 | $73 | -15% | 195 / 90 |
| 25 December 2026 | Christmas Day | $88 | $86 | -2% | 194 / 89 |
| 26 December 2026 | Christmas Day | $88 | $80 | -10% | 195 / 93 |
| 28 December 2026 | Christmas Day (observed) | $88 | $79 | -11% | 195 / 89 |
| 1 January 2027 | New Year's Day | $98 | $77 | -21% | 190 / 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 Sofia: 282 in all, 194 on Agoda and 88 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 Sofia on both sides: 70, from 13 November 2026 to 21 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 24 October 2026.
- Asking prices seen while searching for one night: not prices paid, and not a forecast.
- Airbnb nights read on 24 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 →