Enjoying Local Food on a Budget

When traveling, half of the fun and half of the “experience” of any particular culture, whether that’s Louisiana or Barcelona, is trying out and dining on local cuisine. However, when traveling on a budget, the feasibility of this sometimes seems questionable. Local cuisine, depending on the location, can be expensive itself, along with the simple fact that eating “out” is more expensive than buying and preparing one’s own food. So, how do the frugal enjoy local cuisine on a tight travel budget? Here are some tips!

Find Free Breakfasts
Whether you’re staying at hostels or hotels, make sure you look for places that include free breakfasts. If you’re not staying anywhere with food service, than try and pack along your own staples in advance. Have stashes of oatmeal packets, instant coffee, granola bars, etc. hidden away in your backpack. A euro for a croissant might not seem like much, but it won’t fill you up and when you add that up for a number of days, it will put a dent in your eating money.

Eat the Lunch Meal Out
If you’re on a budget and you want to eat out occasionally to take in the locally prepared goodies, do it for lunch. This can often be ½ the cost of doing dinner out and you’ll still get the same local food to try and experience.

Eat Like a True Local
Avoid the “touristy” places trying to lure you in with their versions of “local.” You’ll be almost guaranteed to pay for over-priced meals and you’ll just get “Americanized local.” Ask the locals where they actually go eat. You’ll likely be taken to hole-in-the-wall places you would never have discovered on your own that will offer genuine local food and at dirt cheap prices too.

Cook like a Local
One of the best ways to enjoy local food is to cook it! Ask locals what some of the more common recipes are, maybe even see if someone will share a family recipe with you. Hit up a local farmers market or supermarket, grab your ingredients and then go cook a meal at your hostel! You might even get asked in to dine with a family… and if nothing else, you’ll have fun and probably have food to share with your new friends in the hostel. You might even come back with a new recipe and favorite dish! Something like tortilla de patata in Spain will take few ingredients, but it’s a true treat.


Search the Specials
Ask around about Tuesday taco night, ½ off lunch on Friday, etc. There are bound to be deals and steals that you should take advantage of, you just have to ask! Look for fliers, coupons, signs, you name it.

Eat on the Street
Street vendors make legitimately the most authentic food you can find, and for super cheap too. You won’t want to miss out on street grub so look for the vendors with the biggest crowds and point at whatever looks the most appetizing! If you’re worried about safety, ask them to grill it fresh in front of you. The heat will kill anything.

Eat Picnic Style
One affordable way to eat is to do picnic style often. Stock up on a loaf of bread, some local cheese and some fruit. You’re set for multiple meals that will take no prep work and can be ridiculously delicious too. And you’ll learn a lot about how different bread and cheese is in different parts of the world.

Keep a Small Cooler
Keep a small, portable cooler in your backpack. This way you’ll be able to take your leftovers from your big meal out at lunch, stash it away and enjoy later for a small light dinner. You can also buy bigger quantities for better prices, like a whole pizza instead of 1 slice and then eat for a couple lunches.

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