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

I like to eat.

The truth is, consuming is certainly one of my favourite actions, and in addition certainly one of my favourite features 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 at all times disillusioned 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 numerous 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 the event you ate out each day whereas at residence — your meals funds could be astronomical! And, when you’re touring long run (or simply on a good funds), it’s important to take into consideration making your cash final.

Moreover, many individuals have dietary considerations that forestall them from totally embracing new meals. And many travelers are vegan or vegetarian, as nicely, which could impression their choices.

To verify I can eat out with out breaking the financial institution, I’ve needed to learn to stability consuming 99% of my meals out whereas nonetheless discovering a approach to save cash. Right here’s methods to eat out on a funds whilst 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 significant vacationer attraction or space. I merely stroll in any route 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 once you wish to begin wanting.

Positive, you may discover a good meal in a vacationer space, however you’ll discover a higher, cheaper meal exterior 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 Data

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 publish evaluations. I take advantage of them usually to search out suggestions for meals within the cities and cities I go to. You can even 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 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

You’ll want to ask locals the query, “The place do you eat?” not “The place ought to I eat?” Should 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 can be what involves thoughts. They’ll assume, “Hmmm the place do guests go eat? What’s well-liked on the town?”

Nonetheless, by asking the place they eat, you’re going to get suggestions for extra native eating places as a result of they may let you know 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 overtly on the road. You seize a plate, sit down in a little bit plastic chair, and revel in a scrumptious meal. Avenue meals is a number of the greatest meals on the planet. Meals at road stalls and distributors value 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 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 protected. 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 another choice if you’d like an affordable meal in cheap elements of the world. For as little as $5 USD (extra in costly international locations like Norway, residence of the $13 Whopper), you will 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 will help you rein in your spending.

6. Follow Native Substances

If you’ve been touring for some time, it’s solely regular to crave a style of residence now and again. That signifies that positive, typically I get sick of Greek meals after 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.

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 thrice as a lot (or extra!). Attempt to persist with the native delicacies as a lot as potential and in addition attempt to keep away from any meals that’s imported as that may enhance the worth 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 may get an incredible afternoon meal for a fraction of the associated fee 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’d 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’ll 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 apart from wander aimlessly across the metropolis in hopes of discovering a spot (although I’ve performed 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. Convey a Refillable Water Bottle

As you stroll round and sightsee, it’s worthwhile to keep hydrated. However shopping for a bottle of water each day isn’t 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 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 rather a lot on the highway 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 number of meals.

Cooking is likely one of the greatest 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 personal 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 after 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 possibility 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 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 every day lives.

Should 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 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 approach to save cash on transportation and sights. However these playing cards additionally supply reductions at many eating places. Sometimes, reductions are round 15–25%, however typically lunch specials might 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 of save much more cash in the event 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’ll find hostels or motels 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 a lot 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 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, meaning there are seemingly low cost locations to eat close by. Verify Google Maps for native post-secondary establishments and see what you’ll find within the close by space. Many bars within the space will seemingly have low cost drinks and glad 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 a number of ideas on the place to eat. You can even ask your resort/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 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 hold it in a single day. Tight meals legal guidelines in Scandinavia additionally signifies 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 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 an excellent 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 once in a while.

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

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

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