I only ever travel on a budget – how I find the cheapest place to eat in every city I visit

The Irish Sun

10-06-2025

WHETHER a foodie or not, when away on holiday you have to eat - but you may not always want to splash out.
Whilst you might want to splash out on one boujee meal during your holiday, spending hundreds on food is not always the aim of a trip away.
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I have travelled all over the world, but always on a budget
Credit: Cyann fielding
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As a result, I have found some top ways to make sure I get to eat great food but on the cheap
Credit: Cyann fielding
But finding cheap places to eat, whilst still maintaining quality or feeling the experience of a place can be hard to find in a city you don't know.
Over the years I have travelled, I am usually on an extremely
As a result, I have collated my go-to resources for finding good eats, on a budget.
Too Good to Go and Olio
Food
apps
have been around a while now, and if you aren't already using Too Good To Go you are missing out.
Read more about restaurants
There are others too like Olio, but I do find Too Good To Go is the best.
I have used the app both in and around the UK, but also in
Barcelona
, New York and San Francisco.
Whilst some places have better offerings than others, new restaurants, cafes and eateries are constantly partnering with the app.
In New York, I managed to pick up two stuffed-to-the-brim salad boxes with rice, lettuce, meat, and veggies for just $6.
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I have used the app multiple times whilst living in London too and my best purchases have included a Toby Carvery for £4 and a box of six Crispy Creme doughnuts of my choosing, for £3.59.
Too Good To Go operates in 19 countries including many European, North America (Canada and the United States) and Australia.
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Olio on the other hand is a food-sharing app used in over 49 countries.
Lots of the time, instead of full meals or cafe treats you can get on Too Good To Go, on Olio you can get free food like veggies and bread.
Markets and Street Food
There is no question that markets and street food are great places to grab a bite.
And whilst some markets can be expensive, there are many that offer great deals and the food is still top notch.
Each city tends to have a least one food market, but also in places like
dogs
for a few dollars.
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This includes using a variety of apps, like Too Good To Go
Credit: cyann fielding
Most market finds in and around Europe have cost me less than €10, and typically if you watch out for portion sizes before ordering - one meal can be shared between two.
This is something I often do when travelling with my sister to cut down costs.
Tastecard, Appetite and Neotaste
New deal apps arise all the time - especially if you are like me and live in the capital.
Ones like Tastecard have been around for a while and give customers a discount to many restaurants in the UK and Ireland.
Typically, the discount is up to 50 per cent or two meals for the price of one.
Two newer kids on the block are Appetite and Neotaste - and I am already using both apps.
Appetite is like a social media-slash-dating site for food.
You essentially have offerings on the app that you swipe on 'to try', 'skip' or 'been'.
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Going down less tourist-y streets is often having lower prices
Credit: cyann fielding
There is also a map function, to see place near you.
Prices are indicted by '£', with more '£' meaning more expensive.
Neotaste, on the other hand, comes from foodie content creator,
You do need to pay for a membership which starts from £2.99 a month, but it gives you discounts and even some freebies at some great places across different cities.
The app currently operates in five UK cities,
Google Maps
Whilst many know you can search for places to eat on
Google
Maps, many also forget that you can filter these places by price.
Simply find the city you are in on Google Maps, and search something like 'restaurant', 'food market' or 'cafe' depending on what you want.
Once searched, in the top left hand corner of the map, you will see a price tab.
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But eating on the cheap doesn't mean you don't get the same experience as spending more money
Credit: cyann fielding
Click on it and you will get a drop down menu of different pound signs.
I tend to select '£' and '££' to filter out the more expensive places, and see the cheaper spots near to where I am at the time.
Bib Gourmand
I only discovered Bib Gourmand recently and have quickly become obsessed.
Via Michelin Guide's website or app, you can filter for an option called 'Bib Gourmand' which Michelin Guide describes as "good quality, good value
cooking
".
These places have not quite received a Michelin star - but this means they are still great spots.
The award recognises restaurants that offer high-quality, satisfying meals at an okay price.
Bib Gourmand is still a mark of excellence for restaurants, but you will be getting food for way less than you would at a Michelin star restaurant.
Also, after selecting the filter, each restaurant will have either '£' or '££', indicting even the cheapest sites.
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Some sites like Bib Gourmand allows you to eat at top places for less
Credit: cyann fielding
Area/Profession specific discounts
Area and profession specific discounts are a great perk to be more aware of.
If you are a student with an ID card, this will be accepted in most countries as proof you are a student.
Not only will this help you get into attractions for less, but particularly at big chains, get food for less too.
In the UK, Blue Light discount also gives emergency service workers great deals.
Depending on where you work too, there may be area discounts.
For example, if you work in and around London Bridge - there are discounts and offers available via a London Bridge virtual discount card.
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There are also specific discounts depending on your profession
Credit: Cyann fielding
Backstreets
I'm not telling you to go down dark alleys in search of cheap eats, but often the streets behind main tourist thoroughfares have the same food options for a fraction of the value.
In
With my tummy rumbling, I dived into a deli and picked up a large sandwich for around €5.
When then cutting back on to the next street, I walked past a similar eatery selling sandwiches for €10.
Keeping your eye out and taking different routes certainly does sometimes pay off.
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It is worth looking at portion sizes too, to see if you can split a meal between two people
Credit: Cyann Fielding
TikTok and Instagram
If you are an avid pre-planner like myself, then
TikTok
and
Instagram
are great resources for finding cheap places to eat.
It might be a little time consuming, but after 10 minutes of scrolling on the a hashtag 'X' city cheap eats, you will find a few places.
I will then go onto Google Maps, pre-save the place and keep doing that until I feel I have enough places saved.
Then when in that city, and hungry, I will simply open my Google Maps and see the pre-saved eating spots closest to me and head to one.
MealPal
Each time I head to the states, I find it trickier than imagined to find cheap eats.
Typically, portion sizes are bigger.
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Food markets are also a great option for quick eats
Credit: Cyann fielding
But often I find I am spending an excessive amount of
money
, to throw half the dish away as I can't carry it around with me.
Whilst MealPal is now available in London too, it is widely available across America - including Boston, Chicago, Miami, Washington D.C and Seattle.
You can also use it in Sydney, Singapore and Toronto.
What is great about MealPal is it champions itself on meals under a certain price - for example, less than £5 in London and less than $6 in America.
Plus, the
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Just because you have a budget, doesn't mean you will miss out
Credit: cyann fielding