Is Airbnb cheaper than a hotel in Sydney?
Yes: in Sydney, Airbnb homes asked a median $158 a night against $167 for hotels on Agoda, 6% less (latest scan 24 October 2026; priced on a typical night: Airbnb homes 89, hotels on Agoda 199). 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 23:41 UTC.
Updated
Hotels and apartments side by side
On a typical night in Sydney, the middle half of asking prices ran from $125 to $240 for hotels on Agoda and from $115 to $212 for Airbnb homes.
| Places | Median asking price | Lower quarter (p25) | Upper quarter (p75) | With a price, typical night | Nights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hotels on Agoda | $167 | $125 | $240 | 199 | 70 |
| Airbnb homes | $158 | $115 | $212 | 89 | 70 |
| All places pooled | $164 | $122 | $231 | 287 | 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 Sydney against Monday to Thursday: +38% 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 | $213 | $154 | +38% | 20 | 40 |
| Airbnb homes | $166 | $158 | +5% | 20 | 40 |
Medians of the nightly medians; Sunday nights sit in neither group.
Month by month
The gap in Sydney was widest in November 2026: $164 for Airbnb homes against $193 for hotels on Agoda, 15% less.
| Month | Hotels on Agoda | Airbnb homes | Difference | Nights | Latest scan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 2026 | $186 | $162 | -13% | 31 | 24 October 2026 |
| November 2026 | $193 | $164 | -15% | 30 | 24 October 2026 |
| December 2026 | $177 | $164 | -7% | 31 | 24 October 2026 |
| January 2027 | $140 | $150 | +7% | 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 Sydney (New Year's Day), Airbnb homes asked a median $183 against $334 for hotels on Agoda, 45% less.
| Night | Event or holiday | Hotels on Agoda | Airbnb homes | Difference | With a price: hotels / Airbnb |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 December 2026 | Christmas Day | $179 | $167 | -7% | 198 / 89 |
| 26 December 2026 | Boxing Day | $185 | $182 | -2% | 200 / 84 |
| 1 January 2027 | New Year's Day | $334 | $183 | -45% | 195 / 89 |
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 Sydney: 287 in all, 199 on Agoda and 89 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 Sydney 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 between 23 September 2026 and 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 →