THE WORLD’S MOST EXPENSIVE AIRBNBS REVEALED & AUSTRALIA’S SURPRISE ENTRY
From Italy’s $93,000-a-night villas to a $20,000 Bowral château, a new global ranking showcases the priciest Airbnbs available in 2026.
5 min
From Italy’s $93,000-a-night villas to a $20,000 Bowral château, a new global ranking showcases the priciest Airbnbs available in 2026.
Airbnb is one of the most recognisable companies in the global hospitality and travel sector.
What started off as a home-swapping (or rather, air-mattress-and-breakfast) platform for travellers in 2007–2008 has evolved into one of the most lucrative short-stay accommodation marketplaces in the world.
Founded in 2008 by Brian Chesky, Joe Gebbia, and Nathan Blecharczyk, the short-stay letting platform now boasts over 8 million active listings across more than 220 countries and regions, and facilitates hundreds of millions of bookings every year.
Whereas homes were previously swapped in a spirit of sharing, many properties now on the short-stay letting market are effectively holiday homes for their owners—residences that are never fully lived in.
While expensive stays are nothing new, have you ever wondered what the most expensive homes on Airbnb are?
A new report from Tradingplatforms has collated listings across the world’s most visited countries, providing a snapshot of the priciest stays available for January 2026.
To compile the ranking, researchers analysed 86 countries with the highest inbound visitor numbers, identifying each nation’s most expensive Airbnb during the period of January 14–17, 2026.
Prices were carefully gathered inclusive of taxes and fees, with any unrealistic or inauthentic listings removed. The study produced a global leaderboard, along with regional breakdowns, and included details on property type, total cost, bedroom and bathroom count, guest capacity, reviews, and premium amenities.
The findings reveal that luxury is spread across multiple continents, with Europe dominating the list.
Italy tops the global ranking with a property priced at €51,921 (AU$92,783) per night, while the second most expensive listing, in Mexico, comes in at €27,474 (AU$49,096) per night.
Australia doesn’t make the top 10 list, but a home in Bowral in the Southern Highlands of NSW comes in at number 14. La Gemme Estate, a French château set on 100 acres of private grounds, costs €11,351 a night, or just over $20,000 based on the exchange rate at the time of publication.
The home, at the end of a long, tree-lined driveway which meanders past a private pond with a fountain feature and a bridge, has eight bedrooms, seven bathrooms, a heated swimming pool, steam room, outdoor hot tub, and a library. The property can also host small weddings.
It is owned by Clayton Larcombe, the financial adviser turned fund manager, and his wife Kyara, who bought the “European Palladian style country estate” for $7.4 million in 2021, before undertaking a lavish renovation.
The World’s 10 Most Expensive Airbnbs for January 2026
Luxury Lake Garda View Resort, Gardone Riviera, Italy
Price per night: €51,921 (AU$92,783)
The priciest Airbnb in the world is the Lake Garda View Resort in Italy’s Gardone Riviera. The five villas, designed by internationally renowned architects such as David Chipperfield, Richard Meier and Marc Mark, can accommodate 84 guests. There’s even an internal hotel with high-end apartments pitched as being ideal for operational staff, productions, or guests.
Casa Tau: A Luxury Villa, Punta de Mita, Mexico
Price per night: €27,474 (AU$49,096)
Casa Tau is the second priciest Airbnb in the world for January. The 12-bedroom villa, on the beachfront of the prestigious Punta Mita Community in Los Ranchos, Mexico, can host 27 guests across five buildings. The focal point is the central swimming pool and hot tub with adjoining alfresco terrace. Casa Tau comes with twice-daily housekeeping, chef and laundry services, a 12-hour butler, and preference membership to the resort’s golf and beach clubs.
7-Bedroom Ultra-Luxury Villa, Dubai, UAE
Price per night: €25,728 (AU$45,976)
A new villa in Dubai, furnished with iconic pieces from the world’s most prestigious luxury brands like Fendi Casa, Versace Home, Bentley Home, and Roche Bobois, is the priciest in the UAE.
The seven-bedroom home features two private swimming pools — one infinity-edge, one indoor — and a fully equipped private lounge and entertainment club, complete with a bar, high-end audio-visual systems, and ambient lighting.
Country House, La Romana, Dominican Republic, Villa Cahey
Price per night: €25,055 (AU$44,773)
A private beach and a private chef, butler, bartender, and maids are just some of the inclusions at Country House in the Dominican Republic. The exclusive home, with uninterrupted views over the water, can host 24 guests across 12 bedrooms. Guests also have access to Casa de Campo amenities, including golf courses, dining, Minitas Beach Club, tennis courts, equestrian and shooting centres, and water sports.
Villa Riviera Serenity, Mae Nam, Thailand
Price per night: €24,536 (AU$43,846)
Thailand doesn’t have to be cheap. Villa Riviera on the popular island of Koh Samui is the country’s most expensive Airbnb. The five-bedroom villa is tucked into a jungle setting, but just 10 minutes from Bang Por Beach.
Villa Mirasol, Mali Lošinj, Croatia
Price per night: €20,305 (AU$36,285)
Villa Mirasol is an elegant Art Nouveau property boasting a spectacular location on the island of Lošinj, with a distinctive tower overlooking the idyllic Čikat Bay. The gated villa features five bedrooms and a spacious three-bedroom apartment with a separate entrance, as well as a secluded garden with terraces, ocean views, a private swimming pool, and a jacuzzi.
Luttrellstown Castle, Dublin, Ireland
Price per night: €19,090 (AU$34,114)
One of the oldest homes on this list is Luttrellstown Castle, which dates back to the 15th century. The 567-acre property has its own 18-hole championship golf course and a state-of-the-art alpine lodge-style clubhouse, alongside the iconic castle that takes its name from the Luttrell family, who held the estate for more than three centuries until 1811. It is another property well suited for large weddings—it’s where David and Victoria Beckham tied the knot in 1999.
Fantasia Villas, Katastari, Greece, The Imperial Spa Villa
Price per night: €18,880 (AU$33,739)
The Imperial Spa Villa in Katastari, near the island of Kefalonia, has its own private spot on the Greek coastline. The four-bedroom villa spans more than 2,000 sqm of living space and includes three heated swimming pools set among private tropical gardens.
Middle Cay, North Eleuthera, Bahamas
Price per night: €18,040 (AU$32,237)
A private two-acre island in the Bahamas makes the top 10 list of most expensive Airbnbs. The island is home to coconut tree groves, two private docks, a natural island swimming spot, and two open-concept villas that can sleep 19 guests. Guests can also use three underwater sea scooters, with likely sightings of bright tropical fish or a sea turtle or two.
Villa Tomazo, Marrakesh, Morocco
Price per night: €14,978 (AU$26,766)
Villa Tomazo in Marrakesh rounds out the list. The 10-bedroom villa features a large swimming pool, a hot tub, an outdoor fireplace, and a massage service.
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3 min
Listing of the Day
Location: Downtown Brooklyn, New York
Price: $16.75 million
Boasting 360-degree panoramic views across New York City, this new 92nd-floor penthouse is the highest residence in Brooklyn.
The full-floor apartment stands atop the new Brooklyn Tower, which encompasses 143 condos and 398 rentals in the heart of downtown Brooklyn, said Katie Sachsenmaier, senior sales director, Corcoran Sunshine Marketing Group.
The condos begin on the 53rd floor, and the penthouses begin on the 88th floor. This one, Penthouse 92, is the only full-floor penthouse.
“The building is coming into its own now,” she said. “It feels very busy when you step into the lobby.”
Developed by Silverstein Properties, the building at 85 Fleet Street rises from the historic Dime Savings Bank building, according to a news release.
It was designed by SHoP Architects with interiors curated by Gachot Studios, and it is the borough’s only super tall skyscraper.
Penthouse 92 features custom interiors by Brooklyn-based Susan Clark of design firm Radnor, Sachsenmaier said. “Her selections have made it really beautiful. It feels very warm and inviting.”
Architectural details include 12-foot ceilings, European white oak floors in a custom honey stain, mahogany millwork, bronze detailing and floor-to-ceiling windows.
The eat-in kitchen features Absolute Black stone countertops, an island with seating, oil-rubbed bronze Waterworks fixtures and integrated Miele appliances, according to the listing.
The primary en suite bathroom showcases large-format Honed Breccia Capraia marble. There is also a separate laundry room as well as a wet bar and a butler’s pantry.
The views are spectacular, Sachsenmaier said. “If you’re standing in the living room, you take in the Statue of Liberty and all the way up through Midtown. On a clear day, you can see the planes take off at LaGuardia (Airport).”
Photo: Sean Hemmerle
Moving around the apartment, you see south over the harbor and then north and east over the whole city, she said.
From the front door, “you’re immediately greeted with the expansive living room and the view,” she said. “It’s really the first thing you see.”
The primary suite features a dressing room, multiple walk-in closets, two bathrooms (one with a cedar sauna) and southwest-facing windows, Sachsenmaier said. “You get those really beautiful harbour views.
The amenities will be ready by the end of summer, she said. A Life Time club will occupy the entire sixth and seventh floors, and an outdoor pool deck wraps around the dome of the bank building.
Stats
The 5,891-square-foot home has four bedrooms, five full bathrooms and one partial bathroom.
Amenities
Residents will have access to over 100,000 square feet of exclusive indoor and outdoor leisure spaces.
Fitness company Life Time will manage an array of amenities that include a 75-foot indoor lap pool, outdoor pools, a poolside lounge and atrium, a billiards room, a library lounge, a conference room, a theatre with a wet bar, a children’s playground and playroom and limited off-site parking.
The Sky Park offers an open-air loggia with a basketball court, foosball, a playground and a dog run.
Photo: Gabriel Saunders
Neighbourhood Notes
Downtown Brooklyn is at the centre of a number of neighbourhoods, including Fort Greene, Cobble Hill, Boerum Hill and Brooklyn Heights. The tower has access to 13 subway lines, 11 commuter trains, the city’s ferry network and 22 Citi Bike stations.
“You can walk to Fort Greene Park in less than 10 minutes,” and Dekalb Market Hall, which has a Trader Joe’s, a Target and a food hall, is “right next door,” Sachsenmaier said.
Agent: Katie Sachsenmaier, senior sales director, Corcoran Sunshine Marketing Group
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