Vacation accommodation prices have increased considerably in the past 12 months.
Alongside the soaring price of international and domestic air travel, that means the overall price of traveling has increased too.
As a result, many tourists are focusing on price when choosing their accommodation and their next vacation destination. But which is cheaper: Staying in a hotel or an Airbnb?
To make this choice easier, Moneyzine has looked at the average cost per night of hotels and Airbnbs in 35 of Europe’s most popular cities.
Here are 10 cities where Airbnbs are still cheaper than hotels:
Istanbul
Istanbul is the city where Airbnbs provide the best value for money compared to the average price of hotels.
The average rate for an Airbnb in Istanbul is $45.37 per night. That’s 61.77% cheaper than the average price of a hotel in the city. The average hotel price in Istanbul is $118.69 per night.
These are the second-lowest Airbnb prices of all of the cities analyzed. This confirms that Turkey remains one of the cheapest vacation destinations in the Mediterranean.
Athens
The price gap between the average price of hotels and Airbnbs is equally large in Athens at 49.53%.
The average price of an Airbnb in Athens is $69.67 per night. The average price of a hotel in Athens is $138.05 per night.
Lisbon
Portugal has soared in popularity this summer and is now considered one of the best European vacation destinations.
If you want to see Portugal on a budget, then Airbnbs in the capital of Lisbon are 48.88% cheaper than average hotel room prices.
The average price of an Airbnb in Lisbon is $107.51 per night. The average price of a hotel room in Lisbon is $210.30 per night.
Berlin
Berlin has the second most expensive hotel rooms in Europe, with the average hotel room in the city costing $236.10. By contrast, Airbnbs are 46.45% cheaper with the average Airbnb price in the city sitting at $126.44.
Daily costs in Berlin are generally inexpensive. Eating out here is affordable and admission to many of its most interesting attractions are completely free of charge.
Opting for an Airbnb instead of a hotel is one of the best ways to save money on the overall cost of your trip.
Paris
Paris offers the most expensive hotel and Airbnb prices of any of the cities surveyed. But prices for an Airbnb in the city are still significantly less than the prices for a hotel.
The average price of a hotel room in Paris is $242.55 per night. The average price of an Airbnb in Paris is $131.17 per night.
That means that staying in an Airbnb is 45.92% cheaper than a hotel in the City of Lights.
Barcelona
The third-most expensive hotel rooms of the European countries on this list are found in the Catalan capital of Barcelona. You can expect to pay $220.62 on average for a hotel room here.
The average Airbnb price is $123.64 which is 43.96% cheaper and represents a significant saving.
Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik is a hugely popular destination that is suffering from the impact of over-tourism, but this is not reflected in the accommodation prices, which remain relatively affordable.
The average price of a hotel room in the city is $188.36 and the average price of an Airbnb in the city is $108.59.
This means that an Airbnb is 42.35% cheaper than a hotel room in the city.
Helsinki
Helsinki is considered a very expensive place to visit, but this is not reflected in accommodation prices which are at the mid-range of this list.
The average price of a hotel room in the capital of Finland is $141.92 while the average price of an Airbnb is $82.57.
This means that an Airbnb is 41.82% cheaper than the average price of a hotel room, giving you extra cash in your pocket to pay for the above-average prices of food and drink in Helsinki.
Chisinau
The capital of Moldova offers the cheapest Airbnb and hotel rates of any of the cities surveyed. In fact, the prices are significantly cheaper than the other cities on the list.
You can expect to pay $40.86 on average per night for an Airbnb. And an average of $68.38 per night for a hotel room. This means that an Airbnb rental is 40.25% cheaper than a hotel room.
Kotor
Kotor is a gorgeous city in Montenegro and offers a significant difference between the average price of a hotel and an Airbnb at 39.97%.
You can expect to pay an average of $123.73 for a hotel in the city but if you’re hoping to save a few bucks, then an Airbnb will cost an average of just $73.96.
This makes Kotor an incredibly affordable vacation destination, particularly if you opt to stay in an Airbnb for the duration of your stay.
