I’m also a Linux user who got a MacBook Pro for work reasons and Parallels is nice, especially for Windows VMs. I was also annoyed to find I couldn’t use Virtualbox on Apple silicon and reluctantly bought Parallels. It’s expensive but it has a lot of features and nice touches so I don’t regret the purchase.
Basically, it’s like everything Apple-related where you initially go “Wait, how much does it cost? Fuck that.” But then once you buy it, it’s actually really nice and you don’t feel ripped off. (Or not as ripped off, anyway.)