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

I like to eat.

In reality, consuming is certainly one of my favourite actions, and in addition certainly one of my favourite points of touring.

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

I’m all the time disillusioned 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 flawed, grocery shops and markets train 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?

After all, consuming out on a regular basis is dear. Think about for those who ate out daily whereas at house — your meals funds could be astronomical! And, if you end up touring long run (or simply on a decent funds), it’s important to take into consideration making your cash final.

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

To verify I can eat out with out breaking the financial institution, I’ve needed to discover ways to stability consuming 99% of my meals out whereas nonetheless discovering a approach to economize. Right here’s methods to eat out on a funds when you journey the world:

1. Observe the 5 Block Rule

I stay 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 course 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. Hastily you discover that the crowds are gone, and that’s once you wish 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

If you’re 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 evaluations. I take advantage of them typically to search out suggestions for meals within the cities and cities I go to. You too can ask the vacationer workplace or the employees 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 employees aren’t going to eat within the vacationer space!

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

3. Ask The Proper Query

Remember to ask locals the query, “The place do you eat?” not “The place ought to I eat?” In the event you ask folks the second query, most individuals will suppose to ship you to the favored eating places vacationers go to as a result of that might be what involves thoughts. They’ll suppose, “Hmmm the place do guests go eat? What’s well-liked on the town?”

Nonetheless, by asking the place they eat, you’ll get suggestions for extra native eating places as a result of they may 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 a bit of plastic chair, and luxuriate in a scrumptious meal. Avenue meals is a few of the finest meals on this planet. Meals at road stalls and distributors value just some {dollars} (if that) more often than not and are a good way to actually expertise the native delicacies.

Whereas in Sweden, I lived off these kinds of distributors. In Amsterdam, FEBO and their croquettes stored my abdomen full. In Costa Rica, the empanada vendor crammed 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 (Generally)

Quick meals isn’t the perfect meals, however it’s an alternative choice in order for you an affordable meal in cheap elements of the world. For as little as $5 USD (extra in costly international locations like Norway, house of the $13 Whopper), you may get a filling (and vastly caloric) meal.

Positive, 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 approach that can assist you rein in your spending.

6. Stick with Native Components

Once you’ve been touring for some time, it’s solely regular to crave a style of house from time to time. That implies that certain, typically 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 need a burger. And that’s OK.

Nonetheless, non-local meals is nearly all the time dearer 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 keep on with the native delicacies as a lot as potential and in addition attempt to keep away from any meals that’s imported as that can improve the worth 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 provided 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 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 is no such thing as a one web site the place you will discover all of the eating places on this planet that supply lunch specials. They fluctuate 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 carried out that) is to ask the vacationer workplace or the employees at your hostel/resort in the event that they know the place to search 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, it is advisable to keep hydrated. However shopping for a bottle of water daily will not be solely environmentally wasteful, it additionally makes silly funds journey sense. Carry a refillable bottle of water (with a filter) with you as an alternative 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. Cook dinner 50% of Your Meals

I don’t cook dinner so much on the street as I don’t like hostel kitchens. They by no means have all the things I want, and I hate touring with a conveyable kitchen so I can have all of the components I need. 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 folks eat. The one place the place cooking your personal meals isn’t probably the most economical possibility is Asia, the place road meals is normally cheaper.

As I discussed, I’ll typically exit for a nicer meal at lunch once I can discover a whole lot. That may normally imply for dinner I’ll be cooking my very own meals. That approach, I’ll nonetheless get to attempt the native delicacies however I’ll additionally get to maintain my funds intact. Double win!

10. Have a Picnic

One other good possibility is to picnic. That is one thing I do so much for lunch if I’m someplace the place the climate is good. I normally 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 a very good likelihood to observe the locals scurry about their each day lives.

In the event you’re staying at a hostel, it is a nice ice-breaker for assembly new folks. Simply invite everybody alongside to affix 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 Cross as only a approach to economize on transportation and points of interest. However these playing cards additionally supply reductions at many eating places. Sometimes, reductions are round 15–25%, however typically lunch specials may be as much as 50% off.

Go to the native tourism workplace once you arrive and ask what meals reductions are included. Likelihood is you’ll be capable to save much more cash for those who simply take the time to study in regards to the tourism cross. It’s a worthwhile funding!

12. Get Free Breakfast

If you will discover hostels or inns that embody breakfast, you’ve already eradicated the price of one meal. Plus, you probably have an enormous breakfast that fills you up for many of the day then you definitely don’t have to 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 probably low-cost locations to eat close by. Verify Google Maps for native post-secondary establishments and see what you will discover within the close by space. Many bars within the space will probably 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 numerous solutions on the place to eat. You too can ask your resort/hostel for data too.

14. Use Grocery store Offers

In lots of international locations, supermarkets supply lunchtime specials for employees 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’ll’t preserve it in a single day. Tight meals legal guidelines in Scandinavia additionally implies 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 probably end up some discounted (however nonetheless completely secure and edible) meals.

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

However, by utilizing the information above, I can afford to maintain my prices down whereas nonetheless with the ability to afford a high quality meal every now and then.

And that’s what is absolutely vital — discovering the appropriate stability.

As a result of for those who can handle to stability consuming nice meals with saving cash, each your pockets and your abdomen will thanks.