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Nerdy takeaways
- Check the cleaning fee before you book.
- Airbnbs often aren’t the best deal for short stays. However, longer stays often offer lower nightly rates.
- Instead of booking multiple rooms at a hotel, consider sharing a larger Airbnb for more savings.
- Booking your Airbnb closer to your travel dates may get you the best deal.
If you’re booking an Airbnb, there are some ways to ensure you'll get the best deal.
Some of those ways include extending your stay, traveling in larger groups and waiting to book.
AirDNA, a short-term rental analytics firm, provided NerdWallet with data looking at Airbnb pricing in the U.S. across various factors. The dataset focused on median nightly rates (excluding taxes and fees) for “entire place” properties, not ones where you might share a dwelling with others.
Here’s what the data showed.
Median cleaning fees
Airbnb's cleaning fees can be brutal, especially since hotels are unlikely to charge them. These one-time fees are pocketed by the host to cover the cost of cleaning their space, and come on top of the base price as well as a service fee.
While fees vary, the median cleaning fee per listing for a one-bedroom unit in the U.S. was $78.
» Learn more: 3 ways to pay for your Airbnb with travel rewards
Comparing the cost per night
The median nightly rate for seven-night Airbnb stays in one-bedroom Airbnbs in major U.S. metros was 18% cheaper than one-night stays. Plus, savings get bigger with trip length; the nightly rate for a 30-night stay was 43% cheaper per night than a one-night stay.
| Median price per night in major U.S. metros (1 bedroom) | Percent cheaper per night versus 1-night stay | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-night stay | $164. | N/A. |
| 7-night stay | $134. | 18%. |
| 30-night stay | $94. | 43%. |
Reasons why longer stays are cheaper include host-offered discounts; hosts would generally prefer having fewer bookings to manage while keeping their properties occupied.
While the data doesn’t include taxes and fees, those extras are another reason why longer stays are cheaper on average. The cost of the one-time cleaning fee is spread across several days, and in many cities, stays of 30 days or more aren’t subject to hotel occupancy taxes.
» Learn more: How to get a full refund on Airbnb
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Comparing the cost per person
While Airbnbs can accommodate parties of all numbers, NerdWallet found that properties are often cheaper when more people are sharing one unit.
According to the AirDNA data, booking an Airbnb for six people was cheaper per head than booking one for two (assuming two adults per room).
The median nightly rate for an Airbnb for six was 36% cheaper per head than booking for two, making it a particularly cost-effective option for large groups.
Here’s how median costs broke down, per person:
| Median nightly rate, per person | |
|---|---|
| Small Airbnb (fits 2 adults) | $78. |
| Large Airbnb (fits 6 adults) | $50. |
The cheapest time to book an Airbnb
Booking a last-minute Airbnb can be the most cost-effective strategy, according to the AirDNA data, which looked at the median nightly rate for entire-place listings when booked 3 days out, 4 weeks out and 47 weeks out.
The median nightly rate for a one-bedroom unit was $130 when booked three days prior to the stay. That was $19 cheaper than booking a month earlier and $51 less than booking nearly a year out.
However, it can be nerve-wracking to wait until the last minute to book. If you go that route, one option for peace of mind is booking a different Airbnb with a flexible cancellation policy, which allows full refunds up until 24 hours prior to the stay, then canceling and rebooking if a better deal comes up.
» Learn more: What to bring to an Airbnb to make it livable
Easy ways to save money on Airbnb
Use travel credit cards: Many credit cards that offer rewards for travel expenses include more than simply airfare and hotel stays. If you stay at Airbnbs often, check out our list of the best credit cards for Airbnb.
Look for last-minute deals: If your reservation has free cancellation, keep checking rates. Airbnb prices can drop as your trip gets closer, so you may be able to cancel and rebook for less.
Book through shopping portals or with discounted gift cards: Some merchants and credit card issuers offer discounts on gift cards. For example, purchase an Airbnb gift card through Target with a Target-branded debit or credit card for an automatic 5% savings.
If it’s airline miles you’re after, many airline shopping portals sell Airbnb gift cards that allow you to earn bonus miles for that purchase. Not only will you earn the airline miles, but you’ll also double-dip by earning your usual credit card rewards.
How to maximize your rewards
You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are some of the best travel credit cards of 2026:
- Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
- No annual fee: Wells Fargo Autograph® Card
- Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
- Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®
- Luxury perks: American Express Platinum Card®
- Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
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