Whether it’s Vancouver rent, gas or groceries, prices are going up on just about everything, meaning that finding a cheap meal at a restaurant is hard to come by.
However, it’s not impossible to eat on a budget in Metro Vancouver, you just have to know where to look.
We scoured a variety of restaurants or local stores to see where you can find a delicious snack or meal that will fill you up for $5 or less.
Here are 11 cheap eats you can get in Vancouver.
BBQ Pork Bun or Wiener Bun from Bao Bakery
Price:
- BBQ Pork Steamed Bun $4
- Wiener Baked Bun for $2.75
Cuisine: Chinese
Address: 5115 Joyce St, Vancouver
Why You Need To Go: Bao Bakery offers delicious steamed buns, baked goods and pastries. The bakery and cafe is known for its popular BBQ Pork (Asado) and Chicken Deluxe (Bola Bola) steamed buns, according to their website. The best part? The majority of their menu offers foods for under $5.
You can also get Spicy Pork Siu Mai (4 pieces) which are homemade dumplings for $5, a ham and egg with cheese baked bun for $4 or a wiener baked bun for $2.75.
Taco from Gringo Gastown
Price: Between $3.75 and $4.75 per taco (depending on which one you order)
Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Address: 27 Blood Alley Square, Vancouver
Why You Should Go: If you’re looking for a quick and hearty snack you can drop by Gringo in Gastown. The Tex-Mex restaurant serves a variety of tacos for cheap.
Each taco is filled with your choice of protein on a warm corn tortilla and you can add some extra toppings like guac, salsa or cheddar (for an additional charge).
Inari, Sushi Hand Roll or Ramen from Grab N Go Yaletown
Price:
- Wide selection of Inari from $2 to $3.75 each
- Dynamite hand roll $4.50
- Tuna Avocado hand roll $4.25
- Spicy Crab hand roll $3.95
- Instant ramen bowl $3.99
Cuisine: Korean
Address: 1207 Hamilton St, Vancouver
Why You Should Go: This Korean convenience store in downtown Vancouver is the ultimate spot if you want a variety of delicious foods for cheap.
Grab N Go lives up to its name with a selection of sushi hand rolls for under $5, triangle kimbap and sandwiches if you want a quick bite. It’s most well-known for its sushi inari selection and instant ramen bowls.
If you want to spend a little over $5, you can get a combo of three inari sushi pockets and a comforting bowl of ramen for $6.99 during their 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. happy hour.
Burger from Wak Wak Burger
Price: $4.45
Cuisine: Japanese
Address: Multiple locations
Why You Should Go: Wak Wak Burger is a food truck that serves Japanese-style hamburgers and corn dogs. You can grab a regular burger with beef, lettuce, onion and ketchup for $4.45 and for $5.45 you can spruce it up with some cheese.
This fast-food joint is a popular one with locals, including Stranger Things actor Finn Wolfhard who has been spotted eating there on multiple occasions when he’s back home in Vancouver.
Slice from AJ’s Brooklyn Pizza Joint
Price:
- New York slice $4 – $4.50
- Sicilian slice $5
Address: 325 E Broadway, Vancouver
Cuisine: Pizza
Why You Should Go: AJ’s in Vancouver serves authentic Brooklyn-style pizza and you can buy a slice for a quick meal for under $5. The restaurant highlights that everything here is homemade, including the dough that takes three days to prepare and the ingredients are sourced from local suppliers.
Jamaican Patty from Rise Up Marketplace
Price: $4.75
Address: 704 Vernon Dr, Vancouver
Cuisine: Caribbean
Why You Should Go: Rise Up Marketplace is a convenience store that serves fresh meals like sandwiches and their famous Jamaican patties which you can get for $4.75 each.
The patties come in beef, chicken and veggie flavours. If you have an extra dollar you can also grab a $1 cookie for dessert.
Steam Buns, Wonton Soup or Potstickers at Kam Wai Dim Sum
Price:
- Steamed buns $4.75 (4 pieces)
- Wonton Soup $5 (6 pieces)
- Pork & Vegetable Potstickers $5 (5 pieces)
Address: 249 E Pender St, Vancouver
Cuisine: Chinese
Why You Should Go: Kai Wai Dim Sum specializes in fresh dim sum. The shop also serves a variety of steamed buns, pot stickers, and dumplings.
The majority of what’s on their menu is under $5 so you can get a filling meal on a budget.
Inari Sushi Or Maki Rolls from Fujiya
Price:
- Inari Sushi $1.95 each
- Kappa Maki $4.95
- Oshinko Maki $3.95
Address: Multiple locations
Cuisine: Japanese
Why You Should Go: This grocery store is full of authentic Japanese products, including fresh sushi rolls that are ready for pick-up anytime you need a quick meal. While some rolls with salmon and chicken are bit pricier, you can still find options for $5.
Breakfast from Bon’s Off Broadway
Price: $2.95
Address: 2451 Nanaimo St, Vancouver
Cuisine: Breakfast
Why You Should Go: If you want a cheap breakfast then you have to check out Bon’s Off Broadway. The restaurant has become a staple in the city with its all-day breakfast that only costs $2.95 per plate.
The breakfast comes with eggs, toast, potatoes, a slice of ham and jam, making it the ultimate breakfast after a night out.
Roti or Vegetable Fritters from Hawker’s Delight Deli
Price:
- Roti Prata (1 piece) with curry dipping sauce $3.95
- Vegetable Fritters (2 pieces) $1.99
Address: 4127 Main St, Vancouver
Cuisine: Singaporean/Malaysian
Why You Should Go: Hawker’s Delight is a Vancouver restaurant serving Singaporean and Malaysian cuisine. While most of its noodle and curry dishes are over $10, you can still get a snack of vegetable fritters or roti for under $5!
Fries or Hot Dog from Fritz European Fry House
Price:
- Small Fritz $4
- Hot Dog $4.50
Address: 718 Davie St, Vancouver
Cuisine: European fast food
Why You Should Go: Fritz European Fry House is known for its poutine which unfortunately is over budget since it’s $7. However, this Vancouver restaurant serves up other dishes that are under $5 and make for a great snack or light meal, including small fries and hot dogs.
This article’s cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.
These prices are confirmed at the time of publishing, but they can change at any time. Taxes and fees may not be included.
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