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.

Actually, consuming is one in every of my favourite actions, and likewise 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 that tradition.

I’m all the time dissatisfied after I meet vacationers who cook 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?

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

After all, many vacationers have a sound concern in the case of meals. For one, consuming out on a regular basis is pricey. Think about in the event you ate out on daily basis — your meals funds can be astronomical!

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

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

Nonetheless, I don’t really cook dinner fairly often after I’m on the highway. Whereas I really like cooking at house, I hate poorly geared up hostel kitchens.

To ensure I can eat out with out breaking the financial institution, I’ve needed to discover ways to steadiness consuming 99% of my meals out whereas nonetheless discovering a means to save cash.

Sure, it takes a little bit of intelligent pondering, but it surely undoubtedly is feasible. Right here’s methods to eat out on a funds whilst you journey the world:

1. Eat at Buffets

Whereas they don’t all the time serve the most effective meals, buffets provide nice worth to your cash, particularly since they’re all-you-can-eat. As a rule, you possibly can refill on one meal for all the day. They’re a very good economical alternative and provide the most meals to your buck (whereas permitting you to pattern plenty of totally different meals).

2. Go to Outside Avenue Distributors

Small stands that promote scorching canines, sausages, sandwiches, and related meals nice locations to get an inexpensive and fast meal. Whereas in Sweden, I lived off all 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 may maintain you full with out emptying your pockets.

3. Eat Avenue Meals

In most locations all over the world (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 just a little plastic chair, and luxuriate in a scrumptious meal. Avenue meals is a few of the finest meals on the planet. Meals at road stalls (totally different from road distributors, who’ve a bit extra everlasting set-up) value lower than a greenback more often than not and are a good way to actually expertise the native delicacies.

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

4. (Typically) Eat Quick Meals

Quick meals isn’t the most effective for you, however it’s another choice if you need an inexpensive meal in cheap components of the world. For as little as $5 USD (extra in costly international locations like Norway, house of the $15 Whopper), you may get a filling (and massively 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 all over the world solely to eat McDonald’s to say that it’s low cost and simply one other means that will help you rein in your spending. (Nonetheless, be aware: in Asia, quick meals is commonly costlier than native meals.)

5. Go Native

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

And that’s OK.

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

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, provide lunch specials, the place objects on the dinner menu are supplied at an enormous low cost. You may get a tremendous afternoon meal for a fraction of the price 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’d 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 would possibly appear to be an affordable strategy to quench your thirst, but it surely’s a alternative that provides up (very similar to shopping for a espresso on daily basis). Certain, I could splurge from time to time on a Coke, however I infrequently purchase soda as a result of it’s so costly (and it’s so unhealthy for you!).

Once you’re visiting a tropical location, an ice-cold soda is certainly interesting. However spending a few bucks on daily basis 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) on daily basis can add up. As you stroll round and sightsee, it’s essential to keep hydrated. However shopping for a bottle of water just isn’t solely environmentally wasteful — it additionally makes silly funds 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 an alternative and simply use the faucet water. I counsel a Lifestraw bottle. It ensures your water is all the time 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 funds. However shopping for snacks just a few instances a day will slowly add up and throw your funds out of whack. Even in the event you 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 tip 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 keep on with large, filling meals as an alternative. In the event you do have to snack, be sure you account for it in your funds.

In the event 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 so forth., to take with you to munch on over the course of the day so that you’re ready as an alternative of splurging on an overpriced vacationer entice snack.

10. Cook dinner Usually

I don’t cook dinner quite a bit on the highway as I don’t like hostel kitchens. They by no means have every part I want, and I hate touring with a transportable 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 just a few meals.

Cooking is among 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 personal meals isn’t essentially the most economical choice is Asia, the place road 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 means, I’ll nonetheless get to attempt the native delicacies however I’ll additionally get to maintain my funds intact. Double win!

11. Picnic

One other good self-cook methodology is to picnic. That is one thing I do quite a bit for lunch if I’m someplace the place the climate is good. I often 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), but it surely affords me a very good probability to observe the locals scurry about their day by day lives.

In the event you’re staying at a hostel, this can be a nice ice-breaker for assembly new folks. Simply invite everybody alongside to affix 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 go as only a means to save cash on transportation and sights. However these playing cards additionally provide reductions at many eating places. Usually, reductions are round 15-25%, however typically lunch specials could 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 have the ability to save much more cash in the event you simply take the time to be taught concerning the tourism go. it’s a worthwhile funding!

13. Discover Free Breakfast

If you’ll find hostels or resorts that embody breakfast, you’ve already eradicated the price of one meal. Plus, when you 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 all over the world additionally provide free dinners, free espresso and tea, and different food-related perks. Search them out to save cash 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 doubtless 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 doubtless have low cost drinks and completely happy hours too, so it can save you much more.

15. Use Grocery store Offers

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

I really like a pleasant eating places. 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 ideas above, I can afford to maintain my prices down whereas nonetheless having the ability to afford a top quality meal occasionally.

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

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