Is Airbnb cheaper than a hotel in Tokyo?
Yes: in Tokyo, Airbnb homes asked a median $88 a night against $116 for hotels on Agoda, 24% less (latest scan 25 October 2026; priced on a typical night: Airbnb homes 83, hotels on Agoda 199). 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 02:21 UTC.
Updated
Hotels and apartments side by side
On a typical night in Tokyo, the middle half of asking prices ran from $94 to $155 for hotels on Agoda and from $69 to $109 for Airbnb homes.
| Places | Median asking price | Lower quarter (p25) | Upper quarter (p75) | With a price, typical night | Nights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hotels on Agoda | $116 | $94 | $155 | 199 | 71 |
| Airbnb homes | $88 | $69 | $109 | 83 | 71 |
| All places pooled | $108 | $84 | $142 | 281 | 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 Tokyo against Monday to Thursday: +28% for hotels on Agoda and +14% for Airbnb homes.
| Places | Friday + Saturday | Monday – Thursday | Weekend against Mon–Thu | Fri + Sat nights | Mon–Thu nights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hotels on Agoda | $139 | $108 | +28% | 21 | 40 |
| Airbnb homes | $96 | $84 | +14% | 21 | 40 |
Medians of the nightly medians; Sunday nights sit in neither group.
Month by month
The gap in Tokyo was widest in October 2026: $95 for Airbnb homes against $170 for hotels on Agoda, 44% less.
| Month | Hotels on Agoda | Airbnb homes | Difference | Nights | Latest scan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 2026 | $170 | $95 | -44% | 31 | 25 October 2026 |
| November 2026 | $160 | $96 | -40% | 30 | 25 October 2026 |
| December 2026 | $122 | $88 | -28% | 31 | 25 October 2026 |
| January 2027 | $94 | $83 | -12% | 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 1 January 2027 in Tokyo (New Year's Day), Airbnb homes asked a median $115 against $123 for hotels on Agoda, 6% less.
| Night | Event or holiday | Hotels on Agoda | Airbnb homes | Difference | With a price: hotels / Airbnb |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 November 2026 | Labor Thanksgiving Day | $102 | $81 | -20% | 199 / 85 |
| 1 January 2027 | New Year's Day | $123 | $115 | -6% | 199 / 86 |
| 11 January 2027 | Coming of Age Day | $75 | $77 | +3% | 198 / 80 |
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 Tokyo: 281 in all, 199 on Agoda and 83 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 Tokyo 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 22 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 →