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The 20 Most Affordable Places to Grab Cheap Meals Abroad

When it comes to studying abroad, we know that cost is a common concern for students. There’s a lot of information to unpack when it comes to program costs and fees, but you might have also wondered what to expect once you’re on-site in your host city. As you travel, food expenses can add up fast. Keeping them in mind helps, from grabbing a bite out to picking up groceries.

 

Whether you’re daydreaming of trying the local cuisines nearby one of our Centers or debating about which expenses to include in your budget, we’ve got you covered. Based on recent exchange rates of our program locations to the U.S. dollar we calculated how far your money can take you.* 

 

Get ready to discover what everyday food costs might look like abroad—from grocery runs to coffee breaks.  

Minimum Suggested Grocery Cost (per day)

  1. Galápagos Islands, Ecuador - $5.80 
  1. Quito, Ecuador - $6.51 
  1. Rabat, Morocco - $6.62 
  1. Cape Town, South Africa - $7.18 
  1. Santiago, Chile - $8.73 
  2. Salamanca, Spain - $8.92 
  3.  Buenos Aires, Argentina - $9.10 
  4.  Granada, Spain - $9.65 
  5.  Christchurch, New Zealand - $10.75 
  6.  Athens, Greece - $10.79 

Cost of a Regular Size Cappuccino

  1. Rabat, Morocco - $1.95 
  1. Siena, Italy - $ 1.98 
  1. Nagoya, Japan - $2.26 
  1. Tie: Milan & Rome, Italy - $2.34 
  1. Granada, Spain - $2.38 
  2. Cape Town, South Africa - $2.40 
  3. Salamanca, Spain - $2.57 
  4. Galápagos Islands, Ecuador - $2.58 
  5. Madrid, Spain - $2.98 
  6. Barcelona, Spain - $3.11  

Looking for recommendations from someone who’s been there? In her blog ‘Bar’ Crawl with Me in Milan, Lyla A. shares her go-to spots for studying and the perfect cup of coffee. 

Cost of One Meal Out Per Week

  1. Galápagos Islands, Ecuador - $3.5 
  1. Rabat, Morocco - $4.60 
  1. Quito, Ecuador - $5.00 
  1. Tie: Tokyo and Nagoya, Japan - $8.00 
  1. Seoul, South Korea - $9.00 
  1. Santiago, Chile - $11 
  1. Cape Town, South Africa - $12.20 
  1. Salamanca, Spain - $14.15 
  1. Auckland, New Zealand - $14.77 
  1. Christchurch, New Zealand - $15.95 

These lists are just scratching the surface. There are so many ways to enjoy your time abroad without breaking the bank. If you're looking for more inspiration, check out our piece on "Unpacking How to Pay for Study Abroad: Ambassadors Talk Scholarships, Budgets, and More!".

 

Here’s a few ways to get started:  

  • Discover what life actually looks like in these cities, through blogs and social posts from our Correspondents.  

 

*Groceries were determined by Numbeo's daily recommended amount of money for food per person, one meal out per week was determined by Numbeo's Meal at an Inexpensive Restaurant and a regular sized cappuccino was determined by Numbeo's Cappuccino (Regular Size) as of 4/15/2026 16:00 UTC.  

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