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Copyright © 2025 Foodies Only
Copyright © 2025 Foodies Only
7 min
24/11/2025
Mumbai, the city of dreams, is also known for being expensive. But the city has two sides; on one hand, you can go to high-end restaurants to taste the chef’s speciality, on the other, you can eat delicious food by the roadside, which will hardly cost you anything, and your stomach will be full! Read this article to know how you can have budget-friendly meals in Mumbai, which will cost you less than 100 rupees. Dive deeper to know more.
Mumbai might be India’s financial capital, but it is also one of the few cities where you can still eat well without having to check your pocket. Amid rising prices and economic jitters, its street food culture remains gloriously democratic; it is a place where CEOs, students, and cabbies queue up for the same vada pav.
Eating in Mumbai, under ₹100, is not just about saving money, but about being a part of the city and tasting its spirit. Every local station, every neighbourhood has its hidden gems; from a dosa tucked into a Matunga lane to a spicy misal pav in Dadar or a pav bhaji by Juhu beach. These meals fill more than just stomachs; they give you a taste of the city, and make a place in your heart forever! Read this article to understand how you can have the most satisfying and budget-friendly meals in Mumbai!
If Mumbai had a national dish, this would be it. For ₹20 or less, the vada pav is a complete meal in itself! There is a spicy and hot potato vada tucked inside a pav, served with dry garlic chutney and a green chilli on the side. Vada pav is a fast food with a soul, found outside railway stations, colleges, and in many neighbourhoods across the city. Try the iconic Anand Stall near Mithibai College or Ashok Vada Pav in Dadar for that perfect crunch-meets-soft combo. It is cheap, filling, and pure Mumbai in every bite.
Misal pav is what you eat when you want flavour and fire in a single plate. Misal pav is priced between ₹60–₹100 in most local joints. It is a hearty mix of sprouted lentils, spicy gravy, and crunchy farsan, served with pav. A must-try spot for Misal pav is Prakash Uphar Gruha, Aaswad in Dadar, the place that once won the world’s best vegetarian dish award. If you like spicy food, you can try the famous Mamledar misal in Thane. Pair it with a glass of chaas, and you have got a full meal that wakes up every taste bud without emptying your pocket.
Matunga’s traditional South Indian cafés, like Café Madras and Ramashraya, have been serving students and office-goers for decades. A plate of idli-vada-sambar still costs around ₹80, and a crisp plain dosa just hits ₹90. Add a small steel tumbler of filter coffee, and you are still under ₹100. These meals are simple, soothing, and deeply satisfying, and prove that comfort food does not need fancy presentation, just fresh batter, good chutney, and an empty stomach. Tourists and even locals still queue up for hours in the morning in front of these restaurants to start their day on a healthy and budget-friendly note!
Walk into an Irani café like Kyani, Yazdani, or Sassanian, and you will find timeless charm with marble tables, old clocks, and affordable comfort food. A buttery bun maska with Irani chai will set you back less than ₹60. Add a plate of omelette pav or chicken pattice, and you have still got change left. This food is not just filling but full of old-world Mumbai character; it is quiet, comforting, and recession-proof since the 1940s. Most of these cafes do not accept digital payments, so make sure you have cash on you, which will also remind you to spend less and save more!
Few dishes represent Mumbai’s street-food generosity like pav bhaji. For around ₹80–₹100, you get a plate of buttery mashed vegetables, mixed with the pav bhaji masala, served with toasted pav. The aroma alone is enough to make you full! Sardar Pav Bhaji near Tardeo is legendary, but smaller stalls around Juhu Beach or Ghatkopar serve equally addictive versions. This dish is high in carbs, low in cost, and big on comfort, which makes it the city’s favourite dinner on a budget!
Mumbai’s love affair with Indo-Chinese food runs deep, and even budget eaters can join the party. Look for local stalls serving Chinese food like fried rice, noodles, triple schezwan rice and Manchurian gravy all under ₹100. The stalls also give you the freedom to take half a plate if your appetite is low and if you want to try multiple things at the same stall! It is the ultimate value-for-money combo, especially near office hubs. The portions are generous, the flavours are familiar, and the price tag, you do not have to worry about!
When you eat on a budget in Mumbai, you are not compromising, but having something that the city breathes on! The city’s streets prove that good food can be budget-friendly and local, whether it is a ₹20 vada pav or a ₹90 dosa. In tough times or good ones, Mumbai’s kitchens, humble or iconic, make sure everyone eats well.
