“Find the cities and tourist markets in North America, Central America, the Caribbean, and South America with the most extreme mismatch between cheap real-estate purchase prices and expensive short-term rental/Airbnb rates. Rank at least 30 markets and create rankings for highest mathematical return, best risk-adjusted opportunities, and most mispriced/asymmetric opportunities.”
This discovery screen covers 45 candidate markets in 16 countries and territories across the Americas, mixing market averages with property-specific examples (each row says which), drawn from 21 independent source hosts as of 25 September 2026; no single URL backs more than 3 rows. Dollar figures are USD; yields are annual NOI or gross revenue against all-in acquisition cost. It is a screen, not an appraisal or an investment recommendation.
Sorted by net yield on all-in acquisition cost. Raw arithmetic only — no adjustment for legal clarity, demand durability or data quality. Loíza and Uruguay at the top are single-property examples, not market averages.
A screening heuristic, not a forecast: it rewards documented STR regulation, foreign-ownership clarity, airport access and tourism-demand evidence in addition to yield. This is the list to favour for actionable follow-up.
A screening heuristic rewarding strong revenue-to-price mismatch and high ADR relative to entry price. High rank here often means one striking data point — verify before acting.
Ranks shown as math / risk-adjusted / asymmetric. Rows badged verify are missing at least one of ADR, occupancy, airport access, foreign-ownership rule or STR regulation. Some source pages pair a current sale example with market-level STR performance rather than a matched comp; single rows can be single-source — treat each link as the evidence for that row only.
| Ranks | Market | Country | Property / scope | Purchase | All-in | ADR | Occ | Gross rev | NOI | Net yield | Payback yrs | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1/1/1 | Loíza verify | Puerto Rico | prefab container home | $80,000 | $89,600 | — | — | $30,000 | $20,000 | 22.3% | 4.5 | hostcamp.com |
| 2/2/2 | Uruguay verify | Uruguay | Small coastal house with two bedrooms, space for four to six people | $165,000 | $179,685 | — | — | $49,500 | $28,900 | 16.1% | 6.2 | puntadelestehouses.com |
| 3/8/4 | Maceio verify | Brazil | 65m2 two-bedroom beach apartment, 8th floor with partial ocean view | $340,000 | $346,800 | $350 | 85.0% | $70,300 | $41,840 | 12.1% | 8.3 | zsassociados.com |
| 4/3/11 | Bacalar | Mexico | Lakefront casa | $200,000 | $219,000 | $182 | 58.0% | $39,000 | $26,000 | 11.9% | 8.4 | meridayucatancityrealestate.com |
| 5/6/18 | Holbox | Mexico | Villa | $250,000 | $273,750 | $175 | 60.0% | $45,000 | $29,500 | 10.8% | 9.3 | meridayucatancityrealestate.com |
| 6/6/19 | Las Terrenas | Dominican Republic | Two-bedroom condo | $250,000 | $257,500 | $165 | 75.0% | $45,000 | $27,150 | 10.5% | 9.5 | realestatelasterrenas.com |
| 7/4/8 | San Ignacio & Santa Elena (Cayo) verify | Belize | Simple home | $80,000 | $86,400 | $138 | 37.3% | $16,572 | $8,286 | 9.6% | 10.4 | jarniascyril.com |
| 8/10/14 | Blue Bay verify | Curaçao | villa-style homes | $200,000 | $224,000 | $150 | 80.0% | $40,000 | $20,000 | 8.9% | 11.2 | strrulesdatabase.com |
| 8/10/14 | Mambo Beach verify | Curaçao | villa-style homes | $200,000 | $224,000 | $150 | 80.0% | $40,000 | $20,000 | 8.9% | 11.2 | strrulesdatabase.com |
| 8/10/14 | Jan Thiel verify | Curaçao | villa-style homes | $200,000 | $224,000 | $150 | 80.0% | $40,000 | $20,000 | 8.9% | 11.2 | strrulesdatabase.com |
| 11/21/28 | Cabarete verify | Dominican Republic | 2BR condo | $215,000 | $240,800 | $120 | 70.0% | $30,660 | $21,460 | 8.9% | 11.2 | c21perdomo.com |
| 12/19/23 | Merida verify | Mexico | renovated 3BR house | $200,000 | $212,000 | $130 | 62.5% | $29,700 | $18,500 | 8.7% | 11.5 | meridayucatancityrealestate.com |
| 13/20/30 | Guatapé verify | Colombia | Two-bedroom rural cabin or small town apartment (entry cabin) | $65,000 | $72,800 | $58 | 44.0% | $9,300 | $6,300 | 8.7% | 11.6 | guatapeproperties.com |
| 14/9/10 | Tulum verify | Mexico | well-positioned 2BR Tulum villa (boutique eco-villa) | $350,000 | $383,250 | $265 | 65.0% | $64,000 | $32,000 | 8.3% | 12.0 | meridayucatancityrealestate.com |
| 15/16/7 | Turks and caicos islands verify | Turks and caicos islands | — | $550,000 | $616,000 | $440 | 62.0% | $100,472 | $50,236 | 8.2% | 12.3 | airbtics.com |
| 16/13/3 | Peruíbe verify | Brazil | — | $306,600 | $343,392 | $439 | 33.0% | $54,620 | $27,310 | 8.0% | 12.6 | airbtics.com |
| 17/25/31 | north Mérida verify | Mexico | 2BR | $175,000 | $196,000 | $100 | 65.0% | $23,725 | $15,400 | 7.9% | 12.7 | meridayucatancityrealestate.com |
| 18/15/5 | Itanhaém verify | Brazil | — | $306,600 | $343,392 | $408 | 33.0% | $50,926 | $25,463 | 7.4% | 13.5 | airbtics.com |
| 19/18/13 | Smoky Mountains, Tennessee verify | United States | Condos or cabins | $300,000 | $336,000 | $225 | 60.0% | $49,275 | $24,638 | 7.3% | 13.6 | brevitas.com |
| 20/28/25 | Bello Horizonte verify | Colombia | hillside villa with pool, 2,200 sq ft | $420,000 | $428,400 | $200 | 65.0% | $51,200 | $31,384 | 7.3% | 13.7 | mikezapata.realestate |
| 21/14/24 | Playa del Carmen verify | Mexico | 1-bedroom or large studio in a newer building with pool | $200,000 | $219,000 | $120 | 71.5% | $31,500 | $15,750 | 7.2% | 13.9 | meridayucatancityrealestate.com |
| 22/32/29 | El Poblado, Medellin verify | Colombia | Apartment, 106 square meters, 13th floor, turnkey with furniture | $150,000 | $168,000 | — | 92.0% | $19,000 | $12,000 | 7.1% | 14.0 | thewanderinginvestor.com |
| 23/17/22 | North Coast (Sosua–Cabarete corridor), Puerto Plata province | Dominican Republic | 3-bed villa with private pool | $425,000 | $437,750 | $218 | 74.0% | $58,882 | $29,441 | 6.7% | 14.9 | bluesailrealty.com |
| 24/5/6 | Ambergris Caye verify | Belize | 2-bedroom beachfront condo | $350,000 | $392,000 | — | — | $65,000 | $24,450 | 6.2% | 16.0 | agentsgather.com |
| 25/23/26 | Taganga verify | Colombia | eco-property | $90,000 | $91,800 | $90 | 70.0% | $11,250 | $5,625 | 6.1% | 16.3 | mikezapata.realestate |
| 26/38/36 | Laureles verify | Colombia | 600 ft² apartment | $210,000 | $235,200 | — | 70.0% | $20,400 | $14,280 | 6.1% | 16.5 | mikezapata.realestate |
| 27/26/12 | Doral verify | United States | 3BR/2BA townhome in a gated community, built 2018 | $462,000 | $517,440 | — | — | $62,520 | $31,260 | 6.0% | 16.6 | mbanc.com |
| 28/33/17 | Cayman islands verify | Cayman islands --- british overseas territories | — | $650,000 | $728,000 | $388 | 61.0% | $87,288 | $43,644 | 6.0% | 16.7 | airbtics.com |
| 29/22/9 | Placencia verify | Belize | Condo | $200,000 | $216,000 | $300 | 32.4% | $25,704 | $12,852 | 5.9% | 16.8 | jarniascyril.com |
| 30/24/35 | Santa Marta (El Rodadero) | Colombia | 2-bed beachfront/oceanfront condo | $160,000 | $163,200 | $85 | 65.0% | $18,360 | $9,639 | 5.9% | 16.9 | mikezapata.realestate |
| 31/42/39 | Sosúa verify | Dominican Republic | 2BR condo | $249,000 | $278,880 | — | — | $21,600 | $16,200 | 5.8% | 17.2 | c21perdomo.com |
| 32/30/27 | Cartagena verify | Colombia | 1-bedroom apartment | $168,500 | $188,720 | $119 | 53.0% | $21,500 | $10,750 | 5.7% | 17.6 | thelatinvestor.com |
| 33/36/32 | Puerto plata verify | Dominican Republic | — | $120,000 | $134,400 | $90 | 44.0% | $14,784 | $7,392 | 5.5% | 18.2 | airbtics.com |
| 34/27/34 | Centro Histórico and Sáenz Peña (Barranco) verify | Peru | Furnish-ready lofts in adaptive-reuse buildings and Republican-era casas | $130,000 | $145,600 | $75 | 58.0% | $15,878 | $7,939 | 5.5% | 18.3 | penthouse.pe |
| 35/35/21 | Caldas novas verify | Brazil | — | $306,600 | $343,392 | $235 | 41.0% | $36,240 | $18,120 | 5.3% | 19.0 | airbtics.com |
| 36/31/41 | Buenos Aires (CABA) verify | Argentina | 50 m² two-room apartment | $131,000 | $146,720 | $64 | 65.0% | $15,200 | $7,600 | 5.2% | 19.3 | thelatinvestor.com |
| 37/29/20 | Hopkins Village | Belize | Beachfront and near-beach residential/villa properties — small single-family homes and boutique eco-lodges with direct beach access | $150,000 | $163,500 | $192 | 33.0% | $16,776 | $8,388 | 5.1% | 19.5 | firsthomestartguide.com |
| 38/40/43 | Barranco verify | Peru | Furnished one-bedroom (55-70 sqm) in newer construction | $220,000 | $246,400 | $88 | 63.0% | $20,240 | $12,140 | 4.9% | 20.3 | penthouse.pe |
| 39/41/37 | San pedro sula verify | Honduras | — | $80,000 | $89,600 | $61 | 38.0% | $8,749 | $4,375 | 4.9% | 20.5 | airbtics.com |
| 40/34/40 | Antigua Guatemala | Guatemala | smaller guest house format | $150,000 | $154,500 | $80 | 54.0% | $15,000 | $7,500 | 4.9% | 20.6 | jarniascyril.com |
| 41/39/33 | Medellín verify | Colombia | One-bedroom apartment | $200,000 | $224,000 | — | 70.0% | $21,000 | $10,500 | 4.7% | 21.3 | otdih.pro |
| 42/44/42 | Tegucigalpa verify | Honduras | — | $80,000 | $89,600 | $54 | 40.0% | $8,156 | $4,078 | 4.6% | 22.0 | airbtics.com |
| 43/37/38 | Palermo verify | Argentina | 50 m² apartment | $170,000 | $190,400 | — | — | $17,000 | $8,500 | 4.5% | 22.4 | thelatinvestor.com |
| 44/43/44 | Botafogo verify | Brazil | Two-bedroom apartment | $162,000 | $172,530 | $67 | 63.0% | $15,331 | $7,665 | 4.4% | 22.5 | buyinrio.com |
| 45/45/45 | Havana verify | Cuba | — | $70,000 | $78,400 | $38 | 48.0% | $6,757 | $3,379 | 4.3% | 23.2 | airbtics.com |
Discovery screen of 45 short-term-rental market rows across the Americas, compiled 2026-09-25 from 21 independent source hosts (max 3 rows per URL); 2026-oriented market reports plus currently surfaced property/investment pages. Revenue is stated annual revenue where sourced, otherwise ADR × 365 × occupancy; NOI is stated where sourced, otherwise a conservative 50% of gross; expenses are stated or gross minus modeled NOI; all-in cost uses the stated transaction-cost percentage or a 12% contingency for closing, furnishing and buyer friction; net yield = NOI ÷ all-in cost; illustrative financing assumes 50% LTV, 9% interest, 20-year amortization — not a quoted loan and possibly unavailable to a foreign buyer; cash-on-cash is after modeled debt service over down payment plus friction. Risk-adjusted and asymmetric ranks are screening heuristics, not forecasts. Qualitative airport, ownership and regulation notes were cut from the tables for space — see each source link. Not an appraisal or investment advice.