You can eat well in Dubai for about AED 60-100 (about $16-$27) a day if you use cafeterias, shawarma counters and the cheap districts: Karama, Deira, Bur Dubai and Satwa. A biryani plate is AED 15-30, a shawarma AED 8-15 and a karak tea AED 1-3. This guide shows what a cafeteria is, which districts to use, a sample day with prices, and where cheap stops being good value.
By SB Excursions · Published 29 October 2026 · Updated 29 October 2026
Tour on this route: Old Dubai Walking Tour — From $35 per person, 3-4 hours.
How much does a cheap meal cost in Dubai?
About AED 15-30 for a plate of biryani or a set meal in a cafeteria or small restaurant, AED 8-15 for a shawarma and AED 1-3 for a karak tea. A mall food court meal with a drink costs about AED 30-50.
This guide also answers:
- How much should I budget for food in Dubai per day?
- Are mall food courts cheap in Dubai?
- Is cheap food in Dubai halal and vegetarian-friendly?
Five places that keep the bill low
#1
The neighbourhood cafeteria
A cafeteria in Dubai is a small local café with a counter, a few plastic tables and a menu board of sandwiches, rolls, parathas, omelettes, juices and karak tea. Prices are low, service is quick and the doors open early and close late. It is the cheapest reliable meal in the city, and the quickest answer to what to eat at 7 AM.
#2
Karama
The district where much of the city's workforce eats, so the prices are set for residents, not visitors. Expect small, plain restaurants serving Indian, Pakistani, Afghan, Filipino and Arab food, with plates for AED 15-30. It is not pretty, but it is honest, and it is a Metro ride and a short walk from Downtown.
#3
Deira: Al Ras, Naif and Baniyas Square
Deira packs shawarma counters, grill houses and bakeries around the souks, and the prices are low because the customers are locals and traders. A roll and a juice cost about AED 10-25, and the Spice Souk and the Creek are a few minutes away, which makes it the best district to eat cheaply and see something at the same time.
#4
Bur Dubai and Al Fahidi
The old Bur Dubai streets around the Textile Souk and Al Fahidi have cafeterias selling samosas, parathas and karak for a few dirhams, plus plates of biryani for AED 15-30. Pair a snack stop with the heritage lanes of Al Fahidi and the abra across the Creek, which costs a dirham or two.
#5
Mall food courts
A food court is not the cheapest meal in Dubai, but a meal with a drink at about AED 30-50 beats most tourist-area restaurants, and the air-conditioning is free. It is the sensible answer at 1 PM in July, with children who want familiar food, or when you need a quick, predictable meal near the Dubai Mall.
Cheap eats in Dubai: the short answer
Eat in cafeterias and in Karama, Deira, Bur Dubai and Satwa, and food costs about AED 60-100 (about $16-$27) a day. A cafeteria breakfast is AED 8-20, a shawarma AED 8-15, a biryani plate AED 15-30 and a karak tea AED 1-3. Sit-down restaurants in tourist areas, hotels and brunches cost several times as much, so the price difference is not in the food, it is in the address.
Dubai is cheaper to eat in than its reputation, because most of its population come from abroad, many of them from South Asia, the Philippines and the Arab world, and the food they eat sets the price at the bottom of the market. You will find the same cheap food as them if you go where they eat.
The prices here are rounded and approximate, and they rise in malls and tourist-facing cafés. Treat them as a guide and read the menu board before you order.
What a cafeteria is and how to use it
In Dubai, a cafeteria is a small, local, no-frills café, with a counter, a few tables, a menu board and a pot of tea always on the go. It serves karak, fresh juice, sandwiches and rolls, parathas, omelettes and often a plate of biryani or curry at lunch. It is open early and closes late, and it is where taxi drivers, shop staff and builders eat.
You order at the counter or from a waiter, pay at the till or at the table, and leave. Tipping is optional; see tipping in Dubai. Many places take cards, but carry some small notes for the smallest counters. Food outlets are licensed and inspected by Dubai Municipality, so choose by the crowd: a busy room with fresh food is better than an empty one.
For the finger-food side of this, street food in Dubai lists the dishes and prices, and shawarma in Dubai covers the one dish you will eat most.
Where to eat cheaply: the districts
Four districts do most of the work, and mall food courts cover the gaps. Check the nearest Metro station before you go.
| Area | What you find | Typical price | Getting there |
|---|---|---|---|
| Karama | Indian, Pakistani, Afghan, Filipino and Arab plates; small restaurants | AED 15-30 a plate | BurJuman Metro, then a short walk |
| Deira (Al Ras, Naif, Baniyas Square) | Shawarma, grills, bakeries, juice bars around the souks | AED 8-30 | Green Line to Al Ras or Baniyas Square |
| Bur Dubai and Al Fahidi | Samosas, parathas, karak, biryani near the Textile Souk | AED 3-30 | Green Line to Al Fahidi |
| Satwa | Shawarma counters, Pakistani and Lebanese restaurants | AED 10-30 | Taxi; no Metro in the middle of the district |
| Mall food courts | Every chain and cuisine under one roof | AED 30-50 with a drink | Metro to the mall |
Rounded and approximate; menus change. Karama is covered in more detail in the Karama guide.
Read the Karama guide for the district itself and Deira vs Bur Dubai for the two sides of the Creek. Satwa's long-running Pakistani and Lebanese restaurants are worth the taxi; Ravi and Al Mallah are old names there, but opening hours and menus change, so check before you go.
A cheap day on a plate
Here is a day that stays near AED 60-100. It uses the rounded prices above, and your own choices will move the total up or down.
| Meal | What | About how much |
|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | Manakish with zaatar or cheese and a karak at a bakery or cafeteria | AED 10-20 |
| Lunch | A biryani plate in Karama or Deira, plus a juice | AED 25-40 |
| Afternoon | A samosa and a karak in Bur Dubai | AED 3-6 |
| Dinner | Shawarma, a falafel roll and a drink in Deira or Satwa | AED 20-35 |
| Total | Four meals | AED 58-101 |
Add a few dirhams for water. Fresh juice and dessert push the total up.
How to order well and not overpay
A few habits keep the bill down without costing you the good food.
- Read the board. Cafeterias post their prices, often with photos. If a place has no prices, ask before you order.
- Share a plate. Biryani and curry plates are generous, and two light eaters can share one with extra bread.
- Buy water at a baqala. A baqala is a small neighbourhood grocery; a big bottle of water there costs far less than in a café.
- Eat off the peak. The 1 PM lunch rush fills the best places; at 11:30 AM or 3 PM you get a table and fresh food.
- Check the meat and the menu. Meat in cafeterias is halal; vegetarians can ask for vegetable dishes, and the vegetarian and vegan food guide and halal food and pork in Dubai explain the details.
In Ramadan, opening hours change: many cafeterias close or serve discreetly in the daytime and fill at sunset, so check before you go. Ramadan in Dubai for tourists says what stays open.
Where cheap stops being good value
Cheap does not mean convenient. The Marina, JBR, Downtown and Al Seef have the views, and their menus are priced for the views: the same shawarma can cost two or three times as much. If you are staying there, ride the Metro to the cheap districts for one meal a day, or look at JLT, around the DMCC Metro station, where cafeterias are cheaper. A big bottle of water from a supermarket costs a fraction of café water.
Brunch is the opposite of cheap, and the Friday brunch guide shows the price bands. For the daily picture, Dubai on a budget and what a Dubai trip costs put food next to hotels, transport and tours, and the delivery apps in five apps you need in Dubai list cafeteria menus with prices.
Cheap meals and cheap days out
Food is only part of a cheap day. Our Old Dubai walking tour costs $35 and includes Arabic coffee or tea, dates and bottled water, plus the abra across the Creek and entry to a heritage house; at $55 it adds street-food tastings. It runs 3-4 hours through the same districts as the cheap eats above, so you can pair it with a cafeteria lunch afterwards.
The one-hour shared yacht tour in Dubai Marina is from $32, with full prepayment, and the full-day desert safari, from $45, includes a BBQ buffet with vegetarian and meat dishes and unlimited water, soft drinks, tea and Arabic coffee, so you need no dinner that night. For free and low-cost sights, see best free things to do in Dubai.
FAQ
How much does a cheap meal cost in Dubai?
About AED 15-30 for a plate of biryani or a set meal in a cafeteria or small restaurant, AED 8-15 for a shawarma and AED 1-3 for a karak tea. A mall food court meal with a drink costs about AED 30-50.
What is a cafeteria in Dubai?
A small, local, no-frills café with a counter and a menu board, serving karak tea, juices, sandwiches, rolls, parathas and often biryani at lunch. It is the cheapest reliable place to eat in the city and is open early until late.
Where are the cheapest places to eat in Dubai?
Karama, Deira (Al Ras, Naif, Baniyas Square), Bur Dubai around the Textile Souk and Satwa. Prices there are set for residents, so a meal costs a fraction of one in the Marina, JBR or Downtown.
How much should I budget for food in Dubai per day?
About AED 60-100 (about $16-$27) if you eat in cafeterias and cheap districts, and about AED 150-250 (about $41-$68) if you mix them with a restaurant dinner. Brunches, hotel restaurants and tourist-area cafés cost much more.
Are mall food courts cheap in Dubai?
They are mid-price: about AED 30-50 for a meal with a drink. They cost more than a cafeteria, but they are air-conditioned and predictable, which makes them a good choice in summer and with children.
Can I eat cheaply near Dubai Marina or Downtown?
Less easily. The Marina, JBR and Downtown are priced for the views. JLT, around the DMCC Metro station next to the Marina, has cheaper cafeterias, and a ride to Karama, Deira or Bur Dubai for one meal a day brings the bill down quickly.
Is tipping expected in a cafeteria?
No. Tipping is optional in cafeterias; many people round up the bill or leave a few dirhams for good service. The tipping guide covers restaurants, taxis and hotels.
Is cheap food in Dubai halal and vegetarian-friendly?
Meat in cafeterias and shawarma counters is halal, and pork is not sold at them. Vegetarians do well on falafel, manakish, vegetable samosas and Indian vegetarian dishes, which cost AED 4-25.
Recommended Dubai tours for this guide
Old Dubai Walking Tour
It is the Dubai that is walked rather than driven: the Creek where the city began as a trading port, the restored wind-tower quarter and the souks that still trade spices and gold. A local guide tells the story along the way. The $35 walk includes the abra, Arabic coffee or tea, dates and water; the $55 option adds street-food tastings.
- Duration
- 3-4 hours
- Area
- Old Dubai: Bur Dubai and Deira
- Format
- Shared group walk
- Best for
- first-time visitors, food lovers and anyone who wants the old trading side of Dubai on foot
From $35 per person Full prepayment
View tour
Dubai Marina Shared Yacht Tour
It is the most stylish way to see the skyline without paying for a private charter: a premium yacht with spacious decks and 5-star hospitality, a red carpet at the pier and the crew helping with photos against JBR and Ain Dubai. Full pre-payment secures your slot — the hourly departures sell out — and the yacht leaves strictly on time.
- Duration
- 1 hour
- Area
- Dubai Marina
- Format
- Shared 1-hour sightseeing cruise
- Best for
- families, couples and anyone who wants the Marina skyline from the water without a private charter
From $32 per person Full prepayment
View tour
Full-Day Desert Safari in Dubai
It is the slow-travel version of the classic safari: more time on the dunes, sunset without the crowds and a full evening programme at a premium camp with air-conditioned tents, unlimited drinks and a large BBQ buffet with vegetarian and gluten-free options. Everything is arranged from the hotel door — a licensed English-speaking driver, the 4x4, the camp and the shows.
- Duration
- 7 hours
- Area
- Lahbab Desert, Dubai
- Format
- Full-day desert safari
- Best for
- families, couples and first-time desert visitors who want the full evening programme
From $45 per person No prepayment
View tour📚 Keep reading
Photos: Deira: Al Ras, Naif and Baniyas Square — Guilhem Vellut from Annecy, France, CC BY 2.0, Mall food courts — Dakstor, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons).