I like to think of myself as a savvy traveler, and I’m proud of the fact that I’ve saved thousands of dollars by booking Airbnbs over the years. But the early days of Airbnb, which started as a way for people to rent out their homes when they were gone, are long gone. Now, the platform is filled with full-time income-generating rentals, and the prices reflect that.
For that reason, when I saw Deluxe Holiday Homes, which manages short-term rentals in Dubai, ran a report that compared the cost of short-term rentals in Europe to hotels, I was intrigued.
The company first determined the 23 most-searched European capitals on Google, then used data from Airbnb and local tourism websites to figure out the average cost of renting a flat or room (and buying breakfast), compared to the cost of booking a hotel with an included breakfast.
Below are the European cities where booking a hotel is actually cheaper than renting an Airbnb.
Prague, Czech Republic
One city where the difference in cost between a hotel room and a short-term rental is greatest is Prague. The study found that the average hotel rate in Prague (with breakfast) was $63, while Airbnb-style accommodations with breakfast averaged $148.50 — a $85 per night difference. In fact, Prague had some of the highest room rental costs on the list, making their relatively low hotel rates a great find.
Vienna, Austria
Vienna has been named the world’s most livable city, earning the title in the Economist Intelligence Unit’s annual Global Liveability Index for the third consecutive time in June 2024. Beyond its livability, it’s more cost-effective to book a hotel with breakfast ($90 on average) than reserve an Airbnb-style room and buy breakfast ($160.85 on average) in this European city. It’s a difference that can save you over $70 a night.
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Amsterdam is one of the more popular European destinations on this list, and the cost of booking a room reflects that. However, it also has one of the biggest price differences between a hotel room with breakfast ($131 on average) and an Airbnb-style flat or room and breakfast ($188.83 on average). The difference of almost $58 a day means you can visit another one of the city’s museums and order a round of bitterballen and beer for the table.
Copenhagen, Denmark
A hotel in Copenhagen isn’t cheap when you consider what a room costs in Warsaw or Bucharest (see below), but it’s still $36 less per night on average than the price of an Airbnb-style flat or room. According to the Deluxe Holiday Homes report, a hotel room in Copenhagen costs around $101 a night, including breakfast, while a flat or room rental with breakfast comes in at around $137 a night.
Warsaw, Poland
Warsaw is a city where Airbnb-style lodging and breakfast was over 65 percent more expensive than a hotel with breakfast included. According to Deluxe Holiday Homes’ findings, you can book a hotel with breakfast in Warsaw for $46, while a flat or room rental with breakfast would cost you $76 a day on average. It’s worth noting the cost of booking a hotel in Warsaw is more than $140 cheaper per night than a hotel and breakfast in Amsterdam, which averages $188.83.
Rome, Italy
Rome saw nearly seven million international tourist arrivals in 2023. The cost of an Airbnb or room rental is indicative of that number, reaching almost $123 a night. However, you can save about $24 by booking a hotel with an included breakfast, which is estimated to cost around $99 on average.
Dublin, Ireland
Similarly, in Dublin, travelers can save more than $20 a night by booking a hotel with an included breakfast rather than reserving a flat or short-term rental and buying breakfast. The difference in cost is $131, on average, for a hotel room with breakfast, while a short-term rental and breakfast averages $152 a night. It’s perhaps too serendipitous that the cost of visiting the Guinness Storehouse, which includes a pint of Guinness, is 20 euros — almost exactly the amount you’ll save by going with a hotel instead of a rental property.
Berlin, Germany
Berlin has one of the better-priced hotel room rates on this list, at just $82 a night, including breakfast. That is almost $13 cheaper than booking a short-term rental and buying breakfast, which was found to cost just under $95 on average. Beyond room rates, Berlin wows with its artistic vibe, hip coffee shops, and visible history, as seen at the city’s Holocaust memorial and the remains of the Berlin Wall.
Brussels, Belgium
Fries, waffles, and beer are only a few of the many reasons to visit Brussels, the administrative center of the European Union. This is another European city where it doesn’t pay to book an Airbnb or short-term rental. According to Deluxe Holiday Homes, the cost of a hotel with an included breakfast is around $91 on average, while a rental with breakfast will run you $102. This difference in cost ($11) means more fries for everyone.
Bucharest, Romania
The trend continues in Bucharest, Romania, where a flat or room rental and breakfast costs around $57 on average, while a night in a hotel with breakfast is only $48 on average. Travelers love the Eastern European city for its architecture and amazing food scene (try the cabbage rolls).
Budapest, Hungary
Budapest has one of the lower hotel room rates on this list — around $63 on average, including breakfast. It also has a fairly low rental rate, at $72 a night, including breakfast. The difference of $9 is not a lot, but it adds up if you’re staying multiple nights. Budapest is perhaps best known for its central area, which runs along the Danube River and is classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, but it’s also home to several thermal-water bathhouses that earned the city its nickname as the “Spa Capital of the World.”
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