Cheap food in Vancouver is available if you know where to look. While you can enjoy fine food at expensive restaurants, I recommend saving your cash for another city.

There are many cheap eats in Vancouver, and I will tell you about my favourite spots.

The best cheap eats in Vancouver are found in small, cosy places, often hidden away from the main streets and packed with serious food lovers.

I’ve just spent a long weekend in this vibrant and hip city, and cheap food in Vancouver is everywhere. As usual, I only wanted to satisfy my hunger for incredible food.

Vancouver over-delivered in this category, and I’m seriously contemplating a temporary move here, so that I can eat my way across this city at an average person’s pace.

If you’re wondering whether to visit Vancouver, don’t wonder any longer, go! Even if you go to taste the food from Vancouver, it’s a great idea.

If you’re interested in gaining some insider tips on where to eat and stay, check out my foodie trail here and discover the best cheap eats in Vancouver.

Insider Tip: Consider purchasing a ticket for the Hop-On Hop-Off Bus to explore the city and eat!

Where to Eat Breakfast – The Best Cheap Eats in Vancouver

Breakfast is the day’s most important meal, so make it a good one!

Twisted Fork Bistro – This busy little place makes its fresh bread every day, and it serves excellent breakfast and brunch to match. The location is on Granville St, a real winner if you are happy to line up for a table, cos it’s super popular.

Café Medina is a super popular place in downtown Vancouver, known for its amazing breakfast and brunch options.

You can build your own waffles, which I can tell you are delicious. Their lavender latte is famous in Vancouver, so you should swing by here to find out why.

Yolk’s – A restaurant in East Vancouver, but it’s pretty tough to get a seat here. For a quick and really delicious breakfast, find their food truck (open Tuesday-Friday).

Their specialty is breakfast sandwiches and egg bennies, and believe me, they are something to rave about. (exactly what I’m doing now!).

Where to Eat Lunch – The Best Cheap Eats in Vancouver

Vancouver has some amazing food trucks which are dotted around the city. Check out this directory to find their location and when they’re open. We tried and loved Kaboom Box (delish yet casual fresh seafood).

Another great place to eat cheap food in Vancouver is Kintaro Ramen. We found this little Japanese restaurant by chance. It was the best thing we ever did! The place was packed, the huge bowls of ramen were under ten dollars, and I left here with the most satisfying smile ever. 

If I’m being honest with you, it felt like I was sitting in a secret little restaurant in Kyoto, Japan. I love how food can transport you like that, don’t you?

Anyway, let’s continue by telling you about all the best cheap eats in Vancouver.

Japadog Food Truck is another must-have on your list of the best cheap eats in Vancouver. These guys take hotdogs to a new level!

Expect Japanese fusion-style dogs pimped out with yummy sauces, Japanese flavours, and crispy seaweed for crunch. Yum! Check out the menu on the Japadog website for inspiration. This place rocks – don’t miss it! Delicious and cheap food in Vancouver; what a combination.

As I mentioned, you cannot leave this city without eating sushi at least once. Some of the world’s best sushi chefs live here, along with the freshest seafood around, which means the sushi is fantastic and very affordable.

Start here or ask a local at your hostel or accommodation which is their fave.

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Where to Eat Dinner – The Best Cheap Eats in Vancouver

My favourite sushi place was The Eatery. It is a delicious and quirky place for dinner and drinks, with Astro boy cartoons painted on the walls and funky sculptures hanging from the roof.

The sushi here was excellent—some of the best sushi I have ever eaten. This place is the perfect addition to our list of the best cheap eats in Vancouver.

Their website gives you a good indication that these guys are different and fun, for sure! I love that sushi is delicious and cheap food in Vancouver.

Pho Goodness – Unpretentious little Vietnamese restaurant located on Davie St in downtown Vancouver.

Fantastic Pho Bo here, and it is really affordable, too. It deserves a top spot on the list of cheap eats in Vancouver, so don’t miss it!

Where To Go For Drinks?

It’s always hard to choose the right place to go for a drink in a new city. There’s always so much choice, but you want to make the right ones. Am I right?

Whether you want a great coffee or are keen on a few drinks to celebrate all the best cheap eats in Vancouver you’ve eaten, we’ve got some suggestions.

The list below gives you a few tips about where the locals recommend having a drink.

Coffee lovers – Matchstick is a specialty roastery and coffee retailer with an emphasis on hand-crafted preparation and delivery of single-origin coffees. Revolver is about two things: Coffee, and the experience that should go with it. I enjoyed the coffee and atmosphere here.

Cocktail lovers – The Keefer Bar and the Diamond. – Both have a great atmosphere and fantastic cocktails.

Beer Lovers – St Augustine’s. 60+ Tap Beers — Many from locally sourced microbreweries. This place has a full patio, a lounge, and also a gastropub menu.

I hope this delicious dose of foodie options gives you a satisfying smile as you indulge in some of the best cheap eats in Vancouver.

Where To Stay In Vancouver

Delicious and cheap food is everywhere in Vancouver. Still, if you’re backpacking or travelling independently and relying on public transport, then accommodation in the downtown area is super handy.

• 🔥 Hot Tip: Book accommodation on Booking.com
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Budget-Friendly Accommodation

I stayed at HI Vancouver Downtown Hostel. This hostel had everything I needed. It was clean, very affordable, and had great facilities. The cheap food in Vancouver listed in this post was usually within easy walking distance from here.

They serve a variety of choices for breakfast each morning, and the staff was super knowledgeable about where to go out, where they love to eat, and where to find cheaper food in Vancouver.

The hostel is perfectly located on Granville St, near all the bustling food joints in downtown Vancouver. You can find so many fantastic cheap eats right here, although there are way too many to mention here.

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Granville Island is a 20-minute walk from this hostel. The food markets here are brimming with farm-fresh produce, artisan cheese, bread, beautiful delicatessens, and small eateries cooking excellent meals and treats. You can easily spend a few hours here simply eating and enjoying the harbour views.

Behind the market building are also many independent boutique shops with bars and places of interest.

Also, Stanley Park is a 30-minute walk away from the hostel. The location is really on point here. Restaurants and nightclubs in historic Gastown are only 1 km away; it’s a great place to find many options for cheap food in Vancouver.

Mid-Range Hotel

The Sylvia Hotel: This hotel is good value for money. We love that it has an on-site restaurant and good Wi-Fi. It is located in Vancouver’s English Bay, with views of the ocean. Robson Street shopping district is 1.5 km away, where you can find many options for cheap food in Vancouver.

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High-End Hotel

The St Regis Hotel: This hotel is nice! If you’re going to go ‘all-out’ and stay at one of the best places in downtown Vancouver, consider this hotel. It’s a locally owned boutique hotel with a fantastic breakfast, which is included in the rate.

Not to mention a great bar and two on-site restaurants, we guarantee you will enjoy your stay at The St Regis Hotel. If you choose to stay here, it’ll balance out with all those cheap eats you’ll be chowing down on in Vancouver.

Best Food Tours Vancouver

I LOVE to do food tours when I travel, I believe they’re one of the best ways to get a good feel and taste of a new destination. If you’re keen to join a passionate food guide as he/she takes you around to taste the best of Vancouver, I have some recommendations.

The Gastown Walking Food Tour is fantastic! This 2.5-hour walking food tour of Vancouver’s historic Gastown includes 8 eateries where you can enjoy some fantastic food.

This Food Tour of Granville Island Market is another great choice. Bring your appetite for this two-hour walking tour of this bustling market, which offers some of the freshest food you’ll taste.

Make sure you get Travel Insurance before hitting the road. We recommend Heymondo & SafetyWing

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Best Things to Do in Vancouver

Where do we even start? This city has it all. I highly recommend this popular Vancouver Highlights Bike Tour and this half-day Whale Watching Tour. 

Check out these other top-selling day tours in Vancouver below.

Do you have a favourite place that should be featured on our Best Cheap Eats in Vancouver list? Where do you eat cheap food in Vancouver? Let us know in the comments below.

Travel Tips for North America

We have many travel guides and tips for North America— a fascinating continent!

We love travelling in Mexico and have many food and detailed guides. Read them here. 

These top 6 travel hacks to save money are great to read when planning your travels.

Are you interested in visiting these 15 best places to travel in the USA,  the ten best foods in New York, or searching the 12 best cheap eats in Vancouver?

If you plan to travel long-term after leaving North America, these 21 cheapest countries to visit will help you make your hard-earned dollars stretch a bit further.

For food lovers, don’t miss our top 10 countries for foodies; one is in North America.

You’ll need to stay connected while travelling in North America. We recommend eSIM. They’re easy, reliable and affordable. View eSIMs for individual countries, or consider a regional eSIM for North America.

If your travels in North America are part of a much larger global adventure, then a Global eSIM may be the answer. It connects you in 124 countries, offering data-only eSIM and data/call/text eSIM. The Global eSIM has been a game-changer; we couldn’t imagine travelling without it now.

If you want to travel with like-minded travellers, consider joining a group tour. Check out our Group Tours first for any upcoming departures in North America, or view these deals on Tourradar for group tours in North America.

Check out our best-ever travel tips compiled from more than twenty years of experience.