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

I like to eat.

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

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

I’m all the time disenchanted once I meet vacationers who prepare 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 prepare 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 dear. Think about when you ate out daily whereas at residence — your meals funds can be astronomical! And, when you find yourself touring long run (or simply on a decent funds), you need to take into consideration making your cash final.

Moreover, many individuals have dietary considerations that stop them from totally embracing new meals. And many travelers are vegan or vegetarian, as properly, 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 approach to save cash. Right here’s the way to eat out on a funds 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 path 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 while you wish to begin wanting.

Certain, 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 won’t knock your socks off every time however it is going to be a memorable and extra native expertise.

2. Use Native Information

In case you are not sure of the place to eat (and don’t like the concept of randomly wandering into eating places), strive apps the place locals submit evaluations. I take advantage of them usually to seek out suggestions for meals within the cities and cities I go to. You can too ask the vacationer workplace or the employees at your hostel/resort or taxi drivers, who are likely to eat at cheaper meals stalls. They are going to 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 Forokay. For vegan and vegetarian suggestions, take a look at Happy 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 case 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 can be what involves thoughts. They’ll suppose, “Hmmm the place do guests go eat? What’s well-liked on the town?”

Nevertheless, 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 opening within the wall spots they eat at on a day-to-day foundation. Small phrase change, a lot better outcomes.

4. Eat Road 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 somewhat plastic chair, and luxuriate in a scrumptious meal. Road meals is a few of the finest meals on this planet. Meals at avenue stalls and distributors price just some {dollars} (if that) more often than not and are an effective way to actually expertise the native delicacies.

Whereas in Sweden, I lived off a lot 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 (Generally)

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

Certain, 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 approach that will help you rein in your spending.

6. Stick with Native Substances

If you’ve been touring for some time, it’s solely regular to crave a style of residence 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 occasions, I can’t eat any extra Thai meals and simply desire 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 thrice as a lot (or extra!). Attempt to keep on with the native delicacies as a lot as doable and likewise attempt to keep away from any meals that’s imported as that can 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 a tremendous afternoon meal for a fraction of the price you’d pay for a similar meal within the night.

I normally are likely 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 normally be extra restricted, however the financial savings greater than justify it.

Sadly, there isn’t a one web site the place you could find all of the eating places on this planet that supply lunch specials. They range 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 executed that) is to ask the vacationer workplace or the employees 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’ll want to keep hydrated. However shopping for a bottle of water daily shouldn’t 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 recommend a Lifestraw bottle. It ensures your water is all the time clear and protected — even when the faucet water isn’t.

9. Prepare dinner 50% of Your Meals

I don’t prepare dinner loads on the highway 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 prepare dinner just a few meals.

Cooking is without doubt one of 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 choice is Asia, the place avenue 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 may normally imply for dinner I’ll be cooking my very own meals. That approach, I’ll nonetheless get to strive the native delicacies however I’ll additionally get to maintain my funds intact. Double win!

10. Have a Picnic

One other good choice is to picnic. That is one thing I do loads for lunch if I’m someplace the place the climate is good. I normally head to an area meals market, choose up a bunch of meals, and go picnic within the park. Not solely am I saving cash (sandwiches aren’t costly), nevertheless it affords me a great 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 folks. Simply invite everybody alongside to hitch you and also you’ll be making new associates 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 approach to save cash on transportation and points of interest. However these playing cards additionally supply reductions at many eating places. Usually, reductions are round 15–25%, however typically lunch specials might be as much as 50% off.

Go to the native tourism workplace while you arrive and ask what meals reductions are included. Chances are high you’ll have the ability to save much more cash when you simply take the time to be taught in regards to the tourism cross. It’s a worthwhile funding!

12. Get Free Breakfast

If you could find hostels or inns that embody breakfast, you’ve already eradicated the price of one meal. Plus, if in case you have an enormous breakfast that fills you up for many of the day then you definitely don’t must 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 normally broke, which means there are seemingly 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 seemingly have low cost drinks and blissful hours too, so it can save you much more.

Moreover, use Google to seek for locations. Sort in “Pupil pleasant eating places in [X]” to get a lot of recommendations on the place to eat. You can too ask your resort/hostel for data too.

14. Use Grocery store Offers

In lots of nations, supermarkets supply lunchtime specials for employees within the surrounding areas. These normally entail recent 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 maintain 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 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 really like a pleasant restaurant. I don’t thoughts paying cash for a great 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 top quality meal occasionally.

And that’s what is basically vital — discovering the fitting steadiness.

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

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