Globalization is often seen as having a homogenizing effect, reducing pronounced local cultural differences. The kinds of housing people live in are one of the most pronounced expressions of local culture. Our research utilizes a unique dataset of more than 640,000 Airbnb images and employs a visual AI framework to exam- ine the differences and similarities in people’s living spaces across 80 cities. We show that geographic proximity and socio-economic connectivity—measured by air traffic data—are significantly correlated with the visual features of indoor spaces (R = 0.19 to 0.32), with cities closer to each other or having high pas- senger traffic between them also exhibiting high visual similarity. Our results challenge the prevailing notion that cultural homogenization may be overdrawn. Despite the homogenizing influence of globalization, distinctive local styles per- sist in domestic living arrangements. This research highlights the resilience of local identities and cultural distinctions in the face of global pressures.