Is Airbnb cheaper than a hotel in Zürich?
Yes: in Zürich, Airbnb homes asked a median $173 a night against $228 for hotels on Agoda, 24% less (latest scan 25 October 2026; priced on a typical night: Airbnb homes 90, hotels on Agoda 196). 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 04:58 UTC.
Updated
Hotels and apartments side by side
On a typical night in Zürich, the middle half of asking prices ran from $158 to $308 for hotels on Agoda and from $132 to $228 for Airbnb homes.
| Places | Median asking price | Lower quarter (p25) | Upper quarter (p75) | With a price, typical night | Nights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hotels on Agoda | $228 | $158 | $308 | 196 | 71 |
| Airbnb homes | $173 | $132 | $228 | 90 | 71 |
| All places pooled | $207 | $144 | $292 | 286 | 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 Zürich against Monday to Thursday: 0% for hotels on Agoda and -2% for Airbnb homes.
| Places | Friday + Saturday | Monday – Thursday | Weekend against Mon–Thu | Fri + Sat nights | Mon–Thu nights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hotels on Agoda | $230 | $230 | 0% | 21 | 40 |
| Airbnb homes | $173 | $176 | -2% | 21 | 40 |
Medians of the nightly medians; Sunday nights sit in neither group.
Month by month
The gap in Zürich was widest in December 2026: $180 for Airbnb homes against $235 for hotels on Agoda, 23% less.
| Month | Hotels on Agoda | Airbnb homes | Difference | Nights | Latest scan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 2026 | $235 | $189 | -20% | 31 | 25 October 2026 |
| November 2026 | $225 | $176 | -22% | 30 | 25 October 2026 |
| December 2026 | $235 | $180 | -23% | 31 | 25 October 2026 |
| January 2027 | $206 | $158 | -23% | 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 31 December 2026 in Zürich (Restoration of the Republic), Airbnb homes asked a median $187 against $326 for hotels on Agoda, 43% less.
| Night | Event or holiday | Hotels on Agoda | Airbnb homes | Difference | With a price: hotels / Airbnb |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 December 2026 | Christmas Day | $246 | $192 | -22% | 194 / 91 |
| 31 December 2026 | Restoration of the Republic | $326 | $187 | -43% | 188 / 94 |
| 1 January 2027 | New Year's Day | $246 | $167 | -32% | 195 / 91 |
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 Zürich: 286 in all, 196 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 Zürich 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 →