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

I like to eat.

In actual fact, consuming is one in every of my favourite actions, and in addition one in every of my favourite features 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 at all times upset once 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 mistaken, grocery shops and markets train you a large number about a spot. And also you don’t must 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 case you ate out every single day whereas at dwelling — your meals finances can be astronomical! And, when you find yourself touring long run (or simply on a good finances), you need to take into consideration making your cash final.

Moreover, many individuals have dietary considerations that stop them from absolutely embracing new meals. And lots of vacationers are vegan or vegetarian, as effectively, which could affect their choices.

To ensure I can eat out with out breaking the financial institution, I’ve needed to learn to steadiness consuming 99% of my meals out whereas nonetheless discovering a manner to economize. Right here’s methods to eat out on a finances whilst you journey the world:

1. Comply with the 5 Block Rule

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

Certain, you may 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 will probably 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 submit evaluations. I exploit them usually to seek out suggestions for meals within the cities and cities I go to. You may as well ask the vacationer workplace or the workers at your hostel/resort or taxi drivers, who are inclined to eat at cheaper meals stalls. They’ll have good suggestions. In any case, native staff aren’t going to eat within the vacationer space!

My two favourite apps are Yelp and The Forok. For vegan and vegetarian suggestions, try Happy Cow.

3. Ask The Proper Query

You’ll want to ask locals the query, “The place do you eat?” not “The place ought to I eat?” In case you ask individuals the second query, most individuals will assume to ship you to the favored eating places vacationers go to as a result of that will likely be what involves thoughts. They’ll assume, “Hmmm the place do guests go eat? What’s widespread on the town?”

Nonetheless, by asking the place they eat, you’ll get suggestions for extra native eating places as a result of they’ll inform you all the outlet 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 around the globe (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 somewhat plastic chair, and revel in a scrumptious meal. Avenue meals is a number of the finest meals on the earth. Meals at road stalls and distributors price just some {dollars} (if that) more often than not and are an effective way to essentially expertise the native delicacies.

Whereas in Sweden, I lived off most of these distributors. In Amsterdam, FEBO and their croquettes stored 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 protected. 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 need an affordable meal in cheap components of the world. For as little as $5 USD (extra in costly nations like Norway, dwelling of the $13 Whopper), you may get a filling (and vastly caloric) meal.

Certain, it’s not the best meals, and I’m going to skip the philosophical debate about touring around the globe solely to eat McDonald’s to say that it’s low-cost and simply one other manner that can assist you rein in your spending.

6. Keep on with Native Substances

Once you’ve been touring for some time, it’s solely regular to crave a style of dwelling once in a while. That implies that certain, generally I get sick of Greek meals once I’ve been touring there for a bit. Different instances, I can’t eat any extra Thai meals and simply desire a burger. And that’s OK.

Nonetheless, non-local meals is nearly at all times 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 persist with the native delicacies as a lot as attainable and in addition attempt to keep away from any meals that’s imported as that can enhance the value of your meal too!

7. Discover the Lunch Specials

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

I normally 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’d pay at dinner. The choices will normally be extra restricted, however the financial savings greater than justify it.

Sadly, there isn’t any one web site the place you could find all of the eating places on the earth 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 workers at your hostel/resort in the event that they know the place to seek out lunch specials. They’re normally 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 every single day shouldn’t be solely environmentally wasteful, it additionally makes silly finances journey sense. Carry a refillable bottle of water (with a filter) with you as an alternative and simply use the faucet water. I recommend a Lifestraw bottle. It ensures your water is at all times clear and protected — even when the faucet water isn’t.

9. Prepare dinner 50% of Your Meals

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

Cooking is among the finest methods to maintain your journey prices down, and supermarkets are additionally nice locations to go see what the native individuals eat. The one place the place cooking your individual meals isn’t probably the most economical possibility is Asia, the place road meals is normally cheaper.

As I discussed, I’ll usually exit for a nicer meal at lunch once I can discover a whole lot. That can normally 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 finances intact. Double win!

10. Have a Picnic

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

In case you’re staying at a hostel, this can be a nice ice-breaker for assembly new individuals. Simply invite everybody alongside to hitch you and also you’ll be making new pals very quickly!

11. Use Tourism Playing cards

Most individuals consider vacationer playing cards just like the iAmsterdam card or the Oslo Move as only a manner to economize on transportation and sights. However these playing cards additionally supply reductions at many eating places. Usually, reductions are round 15–25%, however generally 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 of save much more cash in case you simply take the time to be taught in regards to 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, in case you have an enormous breakfast that fills you up for many of the day you then don’t must eat as many meals out. Furthermore, many hostels around the globe additionally supply free dinners, free espresso and tea, and different food-related perks. Search them out to economize 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 normally broke, meaning there are seemingly low-cost locations to eat close by. Examine Google Maps for native post-secondary establishments and see what you could find within the close by space. Many bars within the space will seemingly have low-cost drinks and comfortable hours too, so it can save you much more.

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

14. Use Grocery store Offers

In lots of nations, supermarkets supply lunchtime specials for staff within the surrounding areas. These normally 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 will’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 nations, most locals purchase the “expired” meals).

Purchase groceries within the night and you’ll seemingly end up some discounted (however nonetheless completely protected and edible) meals.

***I 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, by utilizing the guidelines above, I can afford to maintain my prices down whereas nonetheless having the ability to afford a high quality meal sometimes.

And that’s what is de facto necessary — discovering the best steadiness.

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