How to Eat Cheap When You Travel the World (Updated 2023)

Final Up to date: 3/17/23 | March seventeenth, 2023

I like to eat.

In truth, consuming is one in every of my favourite actions, and in addition one in every 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 that tradition.

I’m at all times disillusioned after I meet vacationers who prepare dinner all their meals in a hostel kitchen.

Why come to Italy and never have pasta?

No sushi in Japan?

Avoiding steak in Argentina?

Skipping paella in Spain?

When you don’t have to eat each single dish while you go to a brand new nation, it’s vital to be as open as attainable to their meals tradition.

After all, many vacationers have a legitimate concern relating to meals. For one, consuming out on a regular basis is pricey. Think about if you happen to ate out each day — your meals price range could be astronomical!

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

As a backpacker, folks usually assume that I, like different backpackers, prepare dinner all my meals.

Nonetheless, I don’t truly prepare dinner fairly often after I’m on the highway. Whereas I like cooking at residence, I hate poorly outfitted hostel kitchens.

To verify 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 economize.

Sure, it takes a little bit of intelligent considering, but it surely undoubtedly is feasible. Right here’s how one can eat out on a price range when you journey the world:

1. Eat at Buffets

Whereas they don’t at all times serve the perfect meals, buffets supply nice worth in your cash, particularly since they’re all-you-can-eat. Most of the time, you possibly can refill on one meal for all the day. They’re an excellent economical alternative and provide the most meals in your buck (whereas permitting you to pattern loads of completely different meals).

2. Go to Out of doors Avenue Distributors

Small stands that promote sizzling canines, sausages, sandwiches, and comparable meals nice locations to get an affordable and fast meal. Whereas in Sweden, I lived off some of these distributors. Whereas they’re nothing fancy, they’re tasty and low-cost!

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.

These fast and cheap meals received’t win any Michelin stars (though there are Michelin star food stalls in Singapore!) however, they are going to preserve you full with out emptying your pockets.

3. Eat Avenue Meals

In most locations world wide (and especially 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. Avenue meals is among the finest meals on this planet. Meals at avenue stalls (completely different from avenue distributors, who’ve a bit extra everlasting set-up) value lower than a greenback more often than not and are a good way to essentially expertise the native delicacies.

Many locations — like Thailand and Vietnam, for instance, wouldn’t be the identical if the road meals disappeared.

4. (Generally) Eat Quick Meals

Quick meals isn’t the perfect for you, however it’s an alternative choice in order for you an affordable meal in cheap components of the world. For as little as $5 USD (extra in costly international locations like Norway, residence of the $15 Whopper), you may get a filling (and vastly caloric) meal.

Furthermore, the native greenback menu will prevent much more. 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 can assist you rein in your spending. (Nonetheless, be aware: in Asia, quick meals is commonly costlier than native meals.)

5. Go Native

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 positive, generally 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 desire a burger.

And that’s OK.

We reside in a globalized world — eat what you need. Nonetheless, non-local meals is sort of 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!).

Go native and you’ll save your self a ton of cash in the long term!

6. 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 a tremendous afternoon meal for a fraction of the fee you’d pay for a similar meal within the night.

I often 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 often be extra restricted, however the financial savings greater than justify it.

7. Skip the Soda

Grabbing a refreshing can of Coke or Pepsi may seem to be an affordable method to quench your thirst, but it surely’s a alternative that provides up (very like shopping for a espresso each day). Certain, I’ll splurge now and again on a Coke, however I hardly purchase soda as a result of it’s so costly (and it’s so dangerous for you!).

If you’re visiting a tropical location, an ice-cold soda is unquestionably interesting. However spending a few bucks each day can actually add up over the course of a long-term journey!

8. Refillable Water Bottle

Water won’t be as costly as soda, however shopping for a bottle (or three) each day can add up. As you stroll round and sightsee, it’s essential keep hydrated. However shopping for a bottle of water shouldn’t be solely environmentally wasteful — it additionally makes silly price range journey sense.

Assuming every bottle is about $.75 USD and you purchase three a day, over the course of a month you’ll spend $67.50!

That’s some huge cash spent on water! (Plus, in some components of the world, bottled water prices much more than that!)

Carry a refillable bottle of water (with a filter) with you as a substitute and simply use the faucet water. I recommend a Lifestraw bottle. It ensures your water is at all times clear and protected.

9. Don’t Snack

A gelato right here, a gelato there. A soda. A sweet bar. An ice cream. A small pastry. All of it provides up.

For the reason that worth is so small (“It’s solely a euro!”), we don’t consider snacking as having a big effect on our price range. However shopping for snacks a couple of instances a day will slowly add up and throw your price range out of whack. Even if you happen to simply purchase two little snacks for 1.50 EUR per day, that’s going to be a minimum of 90 EUR (over $100 USD!) by the top of the month.

It’s not one thing many vacationers consider, however snacking actually does add up over the long run. Keep away from snacks and stick with massive, filling meals as a substitute. When you do have to snack, be sure to account for it in your price range.

When you’re somebody who loves snacking all through the day, think about shopping for snacks on the grocery store like fruits, crackers, vitality bars, and many others., to take with you to munch on over the course of the day so that you’re ready as a substitute of splurging on an overpriced vacationer lure snack.

10. Prepare dinner Usually

I don’t prepare dinner so much 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 transportable kitchen so I can have all of the elements I would like.

But when I’m in a single place for some time (or if I’m Couchsurfing), I prepare dinner a couple of meals.

Cooking is without doubt one of the finest methods to maintain your journey prices down, and supermarkets are additionally nice locations to go to see what the native folks eat. The one place the place cooking your individual 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 approach, I’ll nonetheless get to strive the native delicacies however I’ll additionally get to maintain my price range intact. Double win!

11. Picnic

One other good self-cook methodology is to picnic. That is one thing I do so much for lunch if I’m someplace the place the climate is good. I often 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), but it surely affords me an excellent likelihood to look at the locals scurry about their each day lives.

When you’re staying at a hostel, it is 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!

12. Use Tourism Playing cards

Most individuals consider vacationer playing cards just like the iAmsterdam card or the VisitOslo 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 generally lunch specials will 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 if you happen to simply take the time to be taught in regards to the tourism cross. it’s a worthwhile funding!

13. Discover Free Breakfast

If you’ll find hostels or motels that embrace 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 definately 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 economize and decrease your meals prices.

14. Eat With College students

The place there are universities, there are college students, and since college students are often broke, meaning there are probably 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 probably have low-cost drinks and comfortable hours too, so it can save you much more.

15. Use Grocery store Offers

In lots of international locations, supermarkets supply lunchtime specials for employees 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. Purchase groceries within the night and you may probably end up some discounted (however nonetheless completely protected and edible) meals.

I like a pleasant eating places. 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 top quality meal every now and then.

And that’s what is absolutely vital — discovering the precise steadiness.

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