comparisonearnings
Airbnb vs. long-term rental in India: which earns more?
We compared 200+ properties across 8 cities. Short-stay typically wins — but here's where long-term still beats it.
By Mystical Valley Reality Team · 28 January 2026 · 5 min read
We pulled data from 200+ properties we manage to settle this. On average, short-stay revenue runs 1.6x to 2.4x long-term rent across our portfolio — but the gap varies sharply by city and asset class.
Where short-stay clearly wins
- Goa, Lonavala, Udaipur — leisure markets with real seasonal pricing power
- City-center studios in Bengaluru, Mumbai (corporate demand premium)
- Hill-station cottages with view differentiation
Where long-term still makes sense
- Outer-zone 3BHK family apartments with no tourism pull
- Owners who do not want any operational involvement and dislike variable income
The hybrid play
Our hybrid model gives you a base monthly rent plus a share of upside — capturing most of the short-stay revenue without the variance. About 35% of our owners pick this.
