The Best of the Costa Meno

Hotel prices everywhere just seem to keep on going up—which probably explains why our Costa Meno lists are some of our most clicked. This is an idea we dreamed up a few years ago, a phrase that means “costs less” in Italian, conjuring a fantasy of a coastal area with charming, affordable stays. We’ve gone on to apply the term to several Mediterranean countries, three cities (where “coast” is ofc more of a metaphor), Mexico, and the Caribbean. So as an end-of-year gift to you, we’ve decided to distill our lists even further and present you with The Best of the Costa Meno! 

Each destination has a different threshold for affordability, relative to local prices. That means Coastal France – €350/night, Coastal Spain – €250/night, NYC – $500/night, London – £300/night, Paris – €350/night, The Caribbean – $400/night, Mexico – $450/night, Italy – €300/night, and finally The Greek Islands – €300/night. Some are well below those limits, while a few creep a little above, but are well worth the price tag.  We would absolutely stay in any of these hotels ourselves—and believe they’re good enough to plan a trip around, not just affordable stops where you have to put up with a terrifying bedspread or bad towel art. And if you want to see the fuller lists for each destination, we’ve linked to it at the top. We already have a couple of Costa Meno lists planned for next year, including for the UK and US, and we’ll keep adding to this list as we go! —Team Yolo

COASTAL ITALY

Costa Meno cutoff: €300/night

Read our full Costa Meno Italy list here. 

Sicily and nearby islands

Rifugio Lanzagallo, Modica – Very Italian boho-chic. 

Musciara Siracusa Resort, Siracusa 

Gagliardi, Noto – Lots of good antiques and a rooftop bar perfect for apertivo.