The West Coast City Offering The Most Luxurious Vacation At The Lowest Cost In 2024

Luxury vacations don't need to come with a luxury price tag. There's at least one city where you can dine at the best restaurants, stay in highly rated hotels with luxurious spas, and experience new activities without hurting your bank account. And all this can be achieved without even booking an international flight. Which city offers such a fanciful stay for less than you might expect? Sonoma, California.

This conclusion is a no-brainer once you look at the numbers, and the coupon-code website Wethrift has done that for us (via OnFocus). Its team analyzed the prices of 956 Michelin-starred and Bib Gourmand restaurants and 348 luxury hotels with 3- to 5-star ratings. The result of this study put Sonoma at the top of their list as the cheapest city for a 5-star experience, beating out cities like Chicago, San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Miami Beach.

According to the study, the average cost of a luxury meal in Sonoma is $43.75, while a stay at a 5-star hotel there averages $518. The other cities on this list, in comparison, averaged luxury restaurant prices of $50 to $65 and hotel prices around $525 to $700. It should be noted that the average for 5-star hotel prices in Chicago, San Francisco, and Paso Robles, California, were cheaper than Sonoma by about $50 to $100, but Sonoma's overall low-cost luxury rating of 1.83 was still better than its competition.

Sonoma is slightly over an hour's drive from San Francisco and under two hours from Sacramento – yet once you see what this town has to offer, you won't want to leave. Sonoma County itself is over 1,500 miles of vibrant green hills and vineyards. The county also has an app to help plan and manage your trip and inform you of new experiences in the area.

With high-end meals in Sonoma averaging less than $50, it leaves room in your budget to try a variety of food at different places around the county. For some truly budget-friendly options, with meals costing less than $20, try Acme Burger, El Fogon, or Taqueria California. If you're looking to splurge, look no further than SingleThread Farm Restaurant, a three-Michelin-starred restaurant where you can experience a 10-course tasting menu for $440. For a happy medium, try Studio Barndiva, Bloom Carneros, or Central Market, where entrees cost between $17 and $45.

For a Sonoma hotel that is totally worth the splurge, try the Inn at Sonoma. For as low as $257 a night, you'll get cozy cottage vibes that are just two blocks away from historic Sonoma Plaza. On the other end, check out the Sonoma Creek Inn, where rates start at $129 for a quaint motel-like stay. For a bougier option, consider the Sea Ranch Lodge, which was recently awarded a Michelin Key. Rates start at almost $600 for this luxurious stay along the coast, proving you can have a fantastic luxury vacation in Sonoma without completely breaking your bank account.