How to Eat Cheap When You Travel the World (Updated 2025)

I like to eat.

In truth, consuming is certainly one of my favourite actions, and likewise certainly one of my favourite elements of touring.

Meals is such an integral a part of so many cultures that to skip out on meals if you journey is to overlook out on part of the journey expertise.

I’m all the time upset after I meet vacationers who cook dinner all their meals in a hostel kitchen or spend a lot of their time simply getting meals at grocery shops.

I imply, don’t get me unsuitable, grocery shops and markets educate you a large number about a spot. And also you don’t have to eat out for each meal.

However why come to Italy to cook dinner pasta in your hostel? Or skip a sushi dinner in Japan or paella in Spain?

In fact, consuming out on a regular basis is pricey. Think about in the event you ate out each day whereas at dwelling — your meals price range could be astronomical! And, when you’re touring long run (or simply on a good price range), you must take into consideration making your cash final.

Moreover, many individuals have dietary issues that stop them from totally embracing new meals. And many travelers are vegan or vegetarian, as properly, which could influence their choices.

To ensure I can eat out with out breaking the financial institution, I’ve needed to discover ways to steadiness consuming 99% of my meals out whereas nonetheless discovering a manner to save cash. Right here’s tips on how to eat out on a price range whilst you journey the world:

1. Comply with the 5 Block Rule

I reside by what I name The 5 Block Rule. I don’t eat inside 5 blocks of a serious vacationer attraction or space. I merely stroll in any path and seek for a spot to eat after I hit 5 blocks. There’s an invisible line at this space: vacationers don’t go previous it. Hastily you discover that the crowds are gone, and that’s if you need to begin trying.

Positive, you would possibly discover a good meal in a vacationer space, however you’ll discover a higher, cheaper meal outdoors it. Go the place the menus aren’t in a number of languages. Go to these little tiny gap within the wall locations that you’re not sure about. The meal may not knock your socks off every time however it is going to be a memorable and extra native expertise.

2. Use Native Data

In case you are not sure of the place to eat (and don’t like the thought of randomly wandering into eating places), attempt apps the place locals publish critiques. I exploit them usually to search out suggestions for meals within the cities and cities I go to. You may as well ask the vacationer workplace or the employees at your hostel/lodge or taxi drivers, who are inclined to eat at cheaper meals stalls. They may have good suggestions. In spite of everything, native staff aren’t going to eat within the vacationer space!

My two favourite apps are Yelp and The Forokay. For vegan and vegetarian suggestions, take a look at Happy Cow.

3. Ask The Proper Query

Make sure you ask locals the query, “The place do you eat?” not “The place ought to I eat?” For those who ask folks the second query, most individuals will assume to ship you to the favored eating places vacationers go to as a result of that might be what involves thoughts. They’ll assume, “Hmmm the place do guests go eat? What’s in style on the town?”

Nevertheless, by asking the place they eat, you’re going to get suggestions for extra native eating places as a result of they may inform you all the opening within the wall spots they eat at on a day-to-day foundation. Small phrase change, significantly better outcomes.

4. Eat Avenue Meals

In most locations world wide (and particularly in Asia), the streets are lined with little meals stalls and areas the place meals is cooked brazenly on the road. You seize a plate, sit down in a bit of plastic chair, and revel in a scrumptious meal. Avenue meals is among the greatest meals on the planet. Meals at avenue stalls and distributors price only a few {dollars} (if that) more often than not and are a good way to actually expertise the native delicacies.

Whereas in Sweden, I lived off all these distributors. In Amsterdam, FEBO and their croquettes saved my abdomen full. In Costa Rica, the empanada vendor stuffed me up for a greenback and I purchased native meals from distributors at markets for mere pennies in Madagascar.

Many locations, like Thailand and Vietnam, for instance, wouldn’t be the identical if the road meals disappeared. (And sure, it’s secure. The locals wouldn’t eat it in any other case.)

5. Eat Quick Meals (Typically)

Quick meals isn’t one of the best meals, however it’s an alternative choice if you’d like an inexpensive meal in cheap elements of the world. For as little as $5 USD (extra in costly international locations like Norway, dwelling of the $13 Whopper), you may get a filling (and massively caloric) meal.

Positive, it’s not the best meals, and I’m going to skip the philosophical debate about touring world wide solely to eat McDonald’s to say that it’s low-cost and simply one other manner that will help you rein in your spending.

6. Follow Native Components

Once you’ve been touring for some time, it’s solely regular to crave a style of dwelling every so often. That signifies that certain, typically I get sick of Greek meals after I’ve been touring there for a bit. Different instances, I can’t eat any extra Thai meals and simply need a burger. And that’s OK.

Nevertheless, non-local meals is nearly all the time costlier than native delicacies. For instance, in Vietnam, a bowl of pho is lower than a greenback, however a burger is about 3 times as a lot (or extra!). Attempt to stick with the native delicacies as a lot as potential and likewise attempt to keep away from any meals that’s imported as that may improve the value of your meal too!

7. Discover the Lunch Specials

Many eating places, particularly in Europe, supply lunch specials, the place gadgets on the dinner menu are supplied at an enormous low cost. You will get an incredible afternoon meal for a fraction of the price you’d pay for a similar meal within the night.

I often are inclined to eat my “good” meal throughout lunch, as a result of lunch specials and plates of the day are about 30–40% off what I would pay at dinner. The choices will often be extra restricted, however the financial savings greater than justify it.

Sadly, there is no such thing as a one web site the place you could find all of the eating places on the planet that provide lunch specials. They differ from metropolis to metropolis and area to area. What you are able to do aside from wander aimlessly across the metropolis in hopes of discovering a spot (although I’ve finished that) is to ask the vacationer workplace or the employees at your hostel/lodge in the event that they know the place to search out lunch specials. They’re often very conscious of what locations have specials.

8. Deliver a Refillable Water Bottle

As you stroll round and sightsee, you could keep hydrated. However shopping for a bottle of water each day shouldn’t be solely environmentally wasteful, it additionally makes silly price range journey sense. Carry a refillable bottle of water (with a filter) with you as a substitute and simply use the faucet water. I counsel a Lifestraw bottle. It ensures your water is all the time clear and secure — even when the faucet water isn’t.

9. Prepare dinner 50% of Your Meals

I don’t cook dinner rather a lot on the street as I don’t like hostel kitchens. They by no means have every part I want, and I hate touring with a transportable kitchen so I can have all of the substances I need. But when I’m in a single place for some time (or if I’m Couchsurfing), I cook dinner a number of meals.

Cooking is among the greatest methods to maintain your journey prices down, and supermarkets are additionally nice locations to go see what the native folks eat. The one place the place cooking your personal meals isn’t probably the most economical choice is Asia, the place avenue meals is often cheaper.

As I discussed, I’ll usually exit for a nicer meal at lunch after I can discover a whole lot. That may often imply for dinner I’ll be cooking my very own meals. That manner, I’ll nonetheless get to attempt the native delicacies however I’ll additionally get to maintain my price range intact. Double win!

10. Have a Picnic

One other good choice is to picnic. That is one thing I do rather a lot for lunch if I’m someplace the place the climate is sweet. I often head to a neighborhood meals market, choose up a bunch of meals, and go picnic within the park. Not solely am I saving cash (sandwiches aren’t costly), but it surely affords me an excellent probability to look at the locals scurry about their day by day lives.

For those who’re staying at a hostel, this can be a nice ice-breaker for assembly new folks. Simply invite everybody alongside to hitch you and also you’ll be making new mates very quickly!

11. Use Tourism Playing cards

Most individuals consider vacationer playing cards just like the iAmsterdam card or the Oslo Go as only a manner to save cash on transportation and sights. However these playing cards additionally supply reductions at many eating places. Usually, reductions are round 15–25%, however typically lunch specials will be as much as 50% off.

Go to the native tourism workplace if you arrive and ask what meals reductions are included. Chances are high you’ll be capable to save much more cash in the event you simply take the time to be taught concerning the tourism move. It’s a worthwhile funding!

12. Get Free Breakfast

If you could find hostels or resorts that embrace breakfast, you’ve already eradicated the price of one meal. Plus, when you’ve got an enormous breakfast that fills you up for many of the day you then don’t have to eat as many meals out. Furthermore, many hostels world wide additionally supply free dinners, free espresso and tea, and different food-related perks. Search them out to save cash and decrease your meals prices.

13. Eat The place the College students Do

The place there are universities, there are college students, and since college students are often broke, which means there are doubtless low-cost locations to eat close by. Verify Google Maps for native post-secondary establishments and see what you could find within the close by space. Many bars within the space will doubtless have low-cost drinks and glad hours too, so it can save you much more.

Moreover, use Google to seek for locations. Sort in “Scholar pleasant eating places in [X]” to get a number of strategies on the place to eat. You may as well ask your lodge/hostel for info too.

14. Use Grocery store Offers

In lots of international locations, supermarkets supply lunchtime specials for staff within the surrounding areas. These often entail contemporary sandwiches or some soup or salads. Moreover, many supermarkets additionally low cost meals that expires quickly, together with bread, baked items, meat, and produce. For instance, pre-made meals in Japan are sometimes 50% off proper earlier than the grocery retailer closes as a result of they’ll’t preserve it in a single day. Tight meals legal guidelines in Scandinavia additionally imply that meals that has “expired” is discounted too. (And, since meals, particularly imported meats, are so costly in these international locations, most locals purchase the “expired” meals).

Purchase groceries within the night and you may doubtless end up some discounted (however nonetheless completely secure and edible) meals.

***I really like a pleasant restaurant. I don’t thoughts paying cash for an excellent meal with a pleasant glass of wine. However doing that EVERY meal is just too costly.

However, through the use of the information above, I can afford to maintain my prices down whereas nonetheless with the ability to afford a high quality meal sometimes.

And that’s what is actually necessary — discovering the correct steadiness.

As a result of in the event you can handle to steadiness consuming nice meals with saving cash, each your pockets and your abdomen will thanks.