Cheap eats in New York
You do not need to spend much to eat well here. The city's cheapest food is also its most characteristic: a slice, a bagel, a plate of dumplings, a taco eaten standing up.
What $10 still buys
New York is expensive, but cheap food never disappeared. It moved to the counter, the cart and the bakery — and it is often better than the restaurant two doors down.
The trick is to eat what the city eats every day rather than what it serves visitors. A plain slice is $4–5.50, a bagel with cream cheese $4.50–7, eight dumplings about $7. Add coffee at $3.50–5 and you can have a good day's eating for the price of one mid-range main course.
Prices below are typical 2026 figures and exclude the 8.875% sales tax. They are a guide, not a quote — menus move, and portions vary by neighbourhood.
Checked 2 November 2026. Prices, opening hours and transport details were verified against official sources. Things change — confirm before you book. How we check.
What still costs under $10
Eight orders that stay cheap, and where to find the canonical version of each.
| Order | Typical price | Where to find it |
|---|---|---|
| Plain pizza slice | $4–5.50 | Joe's Pizza, Greenwich Village |
| Bagel with cream cheese | $4.50–7 (classic about $5.50) | Ess-a-Bagel, Midtown East and Flatiron |
| Dumplings | about $7 for eight | Vanessa's Dumpling House, Lower East Side and Chinatown |
| Halal cart | a platter is $12–15; a sandwich is the under-$10 order | The Halal Guys, W 53rd & 6th, and carts citywide |
| Taco | $5–6 each | Los Tacos No. 1, Chelsea Market and Times Square |
| Banh mi | budget — usually under $10 | Bakery counters in Chinatown and the Lower East Side |
| Falafel sandwich | $7–9 | Mamoun's Falafel, Greenwich Village |
| Hot dog | about $8 for the Recession Special (two dogs and a drink) | Gray's Papaya, Upper West Side |
Ten cheap spots that earn their queue
Long-running, well-known places rather than discoveries: reliable, fast and priced for people who live here. Not every one is strictly under $10 — the two noodles-and-rice platters run higher — but all are cheap for what they are.
| Place | Neighbourhood | Order this | Typical price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joe's Pizza | Greenwich Village | A plain slice | from ~$4.50 |
| Prince Street Pizza | SoHo | Pepperoni square | from ~$5.50 |
| Ess-a-Bagel | Midtown East / Flatiron | Bagel with cream cheese | $6–8 |
| Los Tacos No. 1 | Chelsea Market & Times Square | Two tacos | $5–6 each |
| Vanessa's Dumpling House | Lower East Side / Chinatown | Eight dumplings | about $7 |
| Mamoun's Falafel | Greenwich Village | Falafel sandwich | $7–9 |
| Gray's Papaya | Upper West Side | Recession Special: two dogs and a drink | about $8 |
| Peter Pan Donuts | Greenpoint, Brooklyn | Doughnuts | about $5 |
| Xi'an Famous Foods | Several locations | Cumin-lamb hand-pulled noodles | $12–15 |
| The Halal Guys | W 53rd & 6th | Chicken or gyro platter | $12–15 |
Eat cheaply like a local
Five habits that keep a food day under budget without making it feel like a compromise.
-
01
Make lunch the main meal
Counters and neighbourhood restaurants charge less at midday, and many run a lunch special. Eat properly at 1pm and keep dinner light.
-
02
Eat where people work and live
Midtown office blocks at lunchtime, outer-borough high streets at any time. Prices fall as soon as you leave the tourist axis.
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03
Order by the piece, not the combo
A slice, two tacos, eight dumplings, a falafel sandwich. The piecemeal order is usually the cheapest and the freshest.
-
04
Drink tap water
New York's tap water is free and good. A $5 soft drink or bottled water is the easiest way to double the cost of lunch.
-
05
Carry some cash
Most places take cards, but a few old-school counters and market stalls still prefer cash. Twenty dollars is enough for a day of eating.
Where to head for a cheap meal
You never need to cross the city for a good cheap lunch. Pick the area you are already in.
| Area | What to eat | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Greenwich Village | Slice and falafel | Joe's Pizza, Mamoun's Falafel |
| SoHo | Pepperoni square | Prince Street Pizza |
| Lower East Side / Chinatown | Dumplings | Vanessa's Dumpling House |
| Midtown | Tacos and halal | Los Tacos No. 1, The Halal Guys |
| Upper West Side | Hot dogs | Gray's Papaya |
| Greenpoint, Brooklyn | Doughnuts | Peter Pan Donuts |
| Queens | Noodles, dumplings and street food | Flushing and Jackson Heights |
Cheap eats, answered
Can you eat cheaply in New York City?
Yes. A bagel breakfast, a slice or taco lunch and a casual dinner costs roughly $45–70 a day. That is food only; our budget guide puts a whole budget day at $130–200 including transport and one paid attraction.
What is the cheapest meal in New York?
A plain slice ($4–5.50), a bagel with cream cheese ($4.50–7) or eight dumplings (about $7). Coffee is $3.50–5, so breakfast can cost less than $10.
Do cheap places take cards?
Most do, including the counter spots on this page. A few old-school places are cash-first, so carry $20–40 rather than relying entirely on your phone.
Is street food safe to eat?
New York's food carts are regulated and busy, and turnover keeps the food fresh. Choose the cart with a queue at lunchtime. Avoid anything that has clearly been sitting out.
Where can I eat cheaply near Times Square?
Los Tacos No. 1 has a Times Square branch with tacos at $5–6 each, and The Halal Guys cart at 53rd and Sixth is a few blocks away. Both are far cheaper than the restaurants on the square itself.
Where to go next
Cheap food is one half of the picture. These guides cover the rest of it.
What to eat in New York
Bagels, pastrami, tacos and dumplings — prices, institutions and neighbourhoods.
The best pizza in New York
Nine pizzerias worth the trip, the four styles and how to order like a local.
The New York budget guide
Daily costs, hotel bands and the money-saving tactics that actually work.
More by area: West Village for slices, falafel and café lunches, and the neighbourhood guides for where to walk it off.
Eat well without blowing the budget
Cheap food is a planning decision as much as a menu one. Work out the daily numbers before you arrive.