The best meals I've had while travelling cost under $3. A perfect khinkali dumpling in Tbilisi for $0.50. A fish sandwich on Istanbul's Eminönü Bridge for $2. Ćevapi with bread and ajvar in Sarajevo for $3.50. Budget food and great food are not opposites — in most of the world, they're the same thing.
The Taxi Driver Rule
Ask where taxi drivers eat. They work long hours, eat at least two meals a day in the city, and cannot afford tourist restaurant prices. They know every good cheap lokanta, canteen, and street food stall in their part of the city. This advice works in every country I've tested it in.
Central Markets
Every city has a central market hall or outdoor market. In Sofia it's Zhenski Pazar. In Istanbul it's Kadikoy market. In Sarajevo it's the old bazaar area. Markets have the freshest food, the widest selection of local specialities, and the cheapest prices — because they're where locals buy food, not tourists.
The Set Lunch Hack
In Eastern Europe, the Balkans, and the Caucasus, restaurants offer a fixed-price lunch menu (called "business lunch" in many places) from 12–3pm. Typically $3–6 for soup + main + bread. This is how office workers eat. The same meal ordered à la carte in the evening costs $8–12. Eat your main meal at lunch.
Supermarket Breakfasts
Never buy breakfast from a hostel or café when a supermarket is nearby. Fresh bread, local cheese, fruit, yoghurt, and juice costs $1.50–2.50 and is often superior to a hostel's $4–5 "continental breakfast." Save eating out for meals that matter — dinner with something worth drinking.
What to Look For
- Handwritten menus on the wall or chalkboard (locals, not tourist menus)
- No English menu displayed outside
- Full tables at 1pm on a Tuesday (office workers)
- Queues at street food stalls (freshness signal)
- No photos of food on the menu (restaurants with photo menus mark up 40–60%)