Is Airbnb cheaper than a hotel in Wellington?
Yes: in Wellington, Airbnb homes asked a median $92 a night against $119 for hotels on Agoda, 23% less (latest scan 24 October 2026; priced on a typical night: Airbnb homes 90, hotels on Agoda 195). 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 23:04 UTC.
Updated
Hotels and apartments side by side
On a typical night in Wellington, the middle half of asking prices ran from $88 to $182 for hotels on Agoda and from $74 to $122 for Airbnb homes.
| Places | Median asking price | Lower quarter (p25) | Upper quarter (p75) | With a price, typical night | Nights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hotels on Agoda | $119 | $88 | $182 | 195 | 70 |
| Airbnb homes | $92 | $74 | $122 | 90 | 70 |
| All places pooled | $111 | $83 | $164 | 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 Wellington against Monday to Thursday: -4% for hotels on Agoda and 0% for Airbnb homes.
| Places | Friday + Saturday | Monday – Thursday | Weekend against Mon–Thu | Fri + Sat nights | Mon–Thu nights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hotels on Agoda | $117 | $121 | -4% | 20 | 40 |
| Airbnb homes | $92 | $92 | 0% | 20 | 40 |
Medians of the nightly medians; Sunday nights sit in neither group.
Month by month
The gap in Wellington was widest in November 2026: $91 for Airbnb homes against $123 for hotels on Agoda, 26% less.
| Month | Hotels on Agoda | Airbnb homes | Difference | Nights | Latest scan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 2026 | $123 | $91 | -26% | 30 | 24 October 2026 |
| December 2026 | $117 | $93 | -20% | 31 | 24 October 2026 |
| January 2027 | $121 | $92 | -24% | 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 28 December 2026 in Wellington (Boxing Day (observed)), Airbnb homes asked a median $97 against $118 for hotels on Agoda, 18% less.
| Night | Event or holiday | Hotels on Agoda | Airbnb homes | Difference | With a price: hotels / Airbnb |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 December 2026 | Christmas Day | $105 | $97 | -8% | 123 / 95 |
| 26 December 2026 | Boxing Day | $112 | $104 | -7% | 141 / 90 |
| 28 December 2026 | Boxing Day (observed) | $118 | $97 | -18% | 185 / 93 |
| 1 January 2027 | New Year's Day | $117 | $95 | -19% | 154 / 89 |
| 2 January 2027 | Day after New Year's Day | $117 | $101 | -13% | 164 / 86 |
| 4 January 2027 | Day after New Year's Day (observed) | $119 | $90 | -25% | 192 / 90 |
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 Wellington: 282 in all, 195 on Agoda and 90 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 Wellington 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 →