Tried Airbnb vs hostel in Barcelona for 8 days - hostel won big time

I did a little experiment on my last trip to Barcelona. Stayed at a hostel for the first 4 days then switched to an Airbnb for the last 4. The Airbnb cost me $85 a night and the hostel was $32 a night. What really got me was how much extra I spent just because I had a whole apartment. I kept buying snacks and drinks from the store thinking I'd cook but I barely used the kitchen. The hostel had free walking tours, free breakfast, and a common area where I met people who told me about cheap tapas spots. With the Airbnb I just sat alone watching Netflix. Ended up spending $200 more on food and activities during the Airbnb part. Has anyone else found that hostels actually force you to spend less because you're out doing stuff instead of hanging in your room?

3 comments

3 Comments

graydavis10d ago

The $53 a night difference adds up fast. I did something similar in Lisbon last year and my Airbnb cost me $90 a night with a kitchen I used maybe once. The hostel had this deal where you got a free glass of wine at a nearby bar just for showing your room key. I ended up spending like $30 less per day during the hostel part because I was out walking with people from the dorm and splitting pitchers of sangria. Plus Airbnb cleaning fees are a scam when you're only there for a few days.

hayden14410d ago

Man I gotta be the one to say it @graydavis but is the $53 a night really that deep? Like yeah it adds up but you're also trading your own bathroom and space for a bunk bed and a guy snoring three feet away. That free glass of wine at the bar probably came with a two drink minimum or some hidden cover charge later. I've done the hostel thing in Prague and ended up spending more on earplugs and anxiety than I saved. The cleaning fees on Airbnb are annoying but so is sharing a shower with a stranger who leaves hair in the drain. Not saying hostels are bad but it's not some huge life hack either.

cameronf889d ago

Nah man @hayden144 has a point about the snoring though. I had a guy in Porto last year who sounded like a lawnmower all night. But I still saved like $200 over five days by not booking an Airbnb. That free wine bar thing is legit in Lisbon, no hidden costs, I did it too. Split the difference, do hostels for the social stuff and book a private room if you need sleep.