Laguna Beach is Still Expensive, Especially for Tourists

Laguna Beach ain't cheap, to live in or to visit, and a new ranking proves the latter: the city came in third in a survey of California's priciest cities in terms of hotel accomodations.

The survey, conducted by CheapHotels.org, compared hotel rates at 30 California destinations, measured between June and August 2012. It was tabulated based on the per-night cost of a double room.

And for Laguna, that comes out to a minimum of $197 per night.

(Of course, if you live here and have a spare bedroom—or couch—this gives you an idea of what to charge wayfaring strangers ...)

Cities that ranked higher than Laguna Beach: Santa Monica, with a $256-per-night average, and Napa Valley-tucked Yountville, which topped the survey out at $327-per-night for the cheapest double room.

Think San Francisco is pricey? Think again: That town's double rooms only averaged $97 a night. The cheapest? Palm Springs at the bargain rate of $51—but keep in mind that this survey was done last summer, when only people who enjoy watching faces melt holiday in Palm Springs.

The full survey:

1. Yountville $327
2. Santa Monica $256
3. Laguna Beach $197
4. Avalon $187
5. Sonoma $182
6. Calistoga $181
7. Carmel $145
8. Pacific Grove $134
9. Napa $129
10. Dana Point $125
11. Santa Barbara $117
12. Pismo Beach $113
13. Santa Cruz $104
14. Mendocino $105
15. Carlsbad $103
16. Monterey $99
17. San Francisco $97
18. San Diego $92
19. Ventura $91
20. Berkeley $87
21. Morro Bay $86
22. San Jose $78
23. Long Beach $74
24. Oceanside $73
25. Eureka $62
26. Oakland $61
27. Anaheim $58
28. Sacramento $56
29. Los Angeles $52
30. Palm Springs $51