The 8 Best Street Food Cities, Ranked by Locals and Budget Data
When people say "you have to try the street food," they usually mean one of two things: either the street food is genuinely better than restaurant food, or it's so cheap that the experience alone is worth it. The best food cities deliver both.
We scored 65 travel destinations on street food quality (1–10) and cross-referenced with daily budget costs. Here are the cities where the streets feed you best — and cheapest.
Top 8 Street Food Destinations
| City | Food Score | Budget/Day | What to Expect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bangkok, Thailand | 10/10 | $40 | The global benchmark. Yaowarat, Victory Monument, every soi |
| Oaxaca, Mexico | 10/10 | $40 | Tlayudas, mole, mezcal markets, chapulines |
| Vietnam | 10/10 | $25 | Pho, banh mi, bun cha — the world's cheapest great food |
| Tokyo, Japan | 10/10 | $80 | Depachika, ramen alleys, tsukiji outer market, konbini |
| New Orleans, USA | 10/10 | $70 | Po'boys, beignets, crawfish, gumbo — no passport required |
| Portland, USA | 9/10 | $75 | Food cart pods turned permanent institutions |
| San Juan, Puerto Rico | 9/10 | $80 | Alcapurrias, mofongo, piraguas, Loiza street vendors |
| Bali, Indonesia | 9/10 | $35 | Warungs everywhere, $1.50 nasi goreng, jimbaran seafood |
The Price-Per-Meal Champion: Vietnam
At $25/day budget, Vietnam is the cheapest destination in our entire database of 65 cities. A bowl of pho costs under $2. Banh mi from a street cart is under $1. And the quality isn't "cheap food" quality — it's the same recipes that have been perfected over generations, served from the same family stalls for decades.
Hanoi for bun cha and egg coffee. Ho Chi Minh City for banh xeo and com tam. Hoi An for cao lau. Each city has its own specialties, and the food alone is a reason to plan a multi-city trip.
Best Street Food Without a Long Flight: New Orleans
Scoring a perfect 10/10 on street food, New Orleans is the best food city you can reach with a domestic flight. Daily budget of $70 includes eating extremely well: a po'boy for lunch ($8–12), red beans and rice for a snack ($5), and a proper crawfish boil for dinner. Plus the nightlife scores 10/10 too — Frenchmen Street after dinner is a full second act.
The Surprising Score: Tokyo at $80/Day
Tokyo feels expensive, but budget travel there is surprisingly doable at $80/day. The secret is depachika (department store basement food halls) and konbini (convenience stores with genuinely excellent food). An onigiri from 7-Eleven for $1.50 is not a compromise — it's a legitimate meal. Ramen for $8. Sushi at a standing counter for $10. The food score of 10/10 is earned at every price point.
Data Note
Street food scores come from our destination database, which rates each city on 15 different activity categories. Budget/day figures represent what a cost-conscious traveler spending mostly at street stalls and local spots would spend including accommodation, food, local transport, and basic activities.
Looking for a food-focused trip? Tell Wantgo what you want to eat and we'll find the destinations — with real flight prices from your city.
The Wantgo Team
We build tools that match travelers with destinations based on what they actually want to do — not just what's trending.