Top Affordable and Cheap Eats in Dubai
Dubai, in general, is an expensive city, and cheap food in Dubai could be scarce. However, we provided 10 cheap eats in Dubai that you can enjoy eating while exploring the city. In Dubai, it’s somewhat hard to find cheap food since Dubai presents itself as an expensive city. However, you can find cheap places here and there if you search for them. Here are a few food options in relatively cheap places where you can find reasonable prices on a tight budget.
1. IKEA’s HotDog
Ikea is a good place to get cheap food in Dubai. While everything on IKEA‘s food menu tastes very good, the hotdog here is one of the best cheap eats in Dubai. In fact, the hot dog in this furniture store is something very special and famous around the world—also, this hot dog costs around AED 5. In addition, you can also get a full-cooked breakfast at IKEA for just AED 10. You know where you will have your breakfast on your trip. There are two locations where Ikea operates; one is at Festival City, and the other at Jebel Ali.
2. Vada Pav in Veg World Restaurant
This place offers some of the best cheap eats in Dubai at affordable prices if you are vegetarian. Veg World Restaurant is a famous spot for being one of the cheap places to eat in Dubai that sells Indian street food. Tourists find everything from Vada Pav for just AED 5.50 to Pani Puri for AED 6.50. This shop is in the Al Souq Al Kabeer area.
3. Bhel Puri from Chaat Bazaar
Another Indian street food place offering cheap food in Dubai is Chaat Bazaar. This restaurant has a large menu packed with tasty and affordable snacks. From Bhel Puri for AED 8.50 to Aloo Paratha for AED 10, you can try this Indian experience you can’t forget. Chaat Bazaar is close to Karama Centre at 6A Street.
4. Samosa Chaat in Bombay Chowpatty
Bombay Chowpatty is another one of the cheap places to eat in Dubai. You can have Pani Puri as well as Bombay Vada Pav in one of the Bombay Chowpatty shops in Dubai for some tasty Indian food. You can try Indian desserts & drinks on the menu, like Falooda ice cream, Gulab Jamun, as well as Masala Tea.
5. Falafel Balls from Falafel Farm
This store is an expert in making delicious falafels which are famous as delicious cheap food in Dubai. Also, Falafel Farm serves a long menu packed with falafel sandwiches, hummus bowls, salads as well as breakfast deals. You can order a side of six Falafel Balls for about AED 6 or 12 for AED 10 here.
*Update: Falafel Farm has been closed.
6. Zaatar Manakeesh from Zaatar w Zeit
Because this shop opens late and serves food at reasonable prices, Zaatar w Zeit is a go-to hangout after a night out in Dubai. They serve one of the most healthy cheap eats in Dubai, like freshly-baked Zaatar Manakeesh that has olive oil and sumac at AED 7. Zaatar Zeit has many branches all over the city as well as major malls in Dubai.
7. Muhammara Manakish in Man’oushe Street
If you want to try authentic Manakeesh, then you need to be at Man’oushe Street near Al Raha Beach. The menu includes many options, from chicken shawarma wraps to cheesy flatbreads. They also offer a more authentic Muhamara Manakeesh, which is made with red hot pepper, onion, and tomato spread.
8. Masala Dosa at Saravanaa Bhavan
Saravanaa Bhavan is known for being one of the cheap places to eat in Dubai that sells delicious. The menu is packed with traditional Indian cheap eats in Dubai for less than AED 10, like Onion Bajjis, South Indian Chappathis, Masala Dosas, and many more. You can find Saravanaa Bhavan at Karama and Al Qusais.
9. Small Mini Pizza at Al Reef Lebanese Bakery
Al Reef Lebanese Bakery is a famous Dubai shop that sells freshly-baked cheap food in Dubai and on the go. They offer wide varieties, from mini pastries like hotdogs and pizzas to cheesy manakeesh. Also, the prices are amazing, with most of the menu items costing less than AED 10. The location of Al Reef Lebanese Bakery is Al at Wasl Road, very close to Safa Park.
10. Egg Paratha at Karachi Darbar
Karachi Darbar is one of the best cheap places to eat in Dubai. This place is famous for some of the most delicious cheap eats in Dubai, like mutton, biryani, barbecue dishes, chicken and seafood curries, and paratha. Karachi Darbar is a go-to place in Dubai if you want some Pakistani cheap eats in Dubai. Karachi Darbar’s main branches are at Oud Metha Road, Cargo Village, Karama On, and Maktum.
Also, it is worth mentioning that this city has some fantastic places to shop. You can check out the best shopping malls in Dubai where there are many famous brands that most of the time have discounted clothes as well as nice food courts where you can try some amazing food in their affordable restaurants.
A guide to find Cheap Food in Dubai
To get very good quality cheap food in Dubai, you need to travel to places with a larger number of Southeast Asian crowds like Pakistanis or Indian available. This is because most of the shops there cater to individuals and blue-colored personnel working all over Dubai and therefore need to manage their spending on their daily food expenses. The portions are mostly adequate and very filling in such restaurants.
