Tips for eating out cheap in Orlando (2023)

FAQs

How can I save money on food in Orlando? ›

Average Daily Costs

While meal prices in Orlando can vary, the average cost of food in Orlando is $51 per day. Based on the spending habits of previous travelers, when dining out an average meal in Orlando should cost around $20 per person. Breakfast prices are usually a little cheaper than lunch or dinner.

Is It More Expensive to Eat Out? There's almost no way around it—eating out will almost always cost more than cooking a meal at home. While the average cost of eating out varies dramatically depending on the restaurant you go to, most restaurants charge about a 300% mark-up on the items they serve.

Because weekdays are quieter, many chain restaurants have happy hours and weekday specials to drum up business. This means you can take advantage of promotions and save money by dining out on a Tuesday, especially if you opt for lunch or early dinner.

For those who want a quick and easy answer: It's generally cheaper to cook food at home than eat out. The reason so many people can get stuck on the question is the human psychology variable. People don't always spend wisely, and it isn't as if prices are always the same at a supermarket or a fast food restaurant.

But how much money do you really need when going to this attraction-packed city? We'd recommend budgeting an average of $100 per person, per day for your Florida vacation.

January and parts of early February are some of the cheapest times to visit Orlando because many families have just gone home after the holiday season. You're likely to find cheaper flights and accommodation during this quieter time of year.

What is a realistic eating out budget? ›

The average American dines out 5.9 times per week and according to BLS data, the average household spends about $3,500 on eating out every year, or just shy of $300 per month. But before you go setting your budget at a neat and tidy $300/month and move on, there's a more important question you should be asking.

According to the USDA website, the average cost for a family of four with two children under 11 is $235 weekly or $8.39 per person per day on a THRIFTY PLAN (Up $0.70/per day since the last quarter). This would assume using coupons and price comparison while shopping.

How much do we spend eating out? The most recent data available from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show that the average American spends roughly $3,000 per year eating out.

When you consider all of the various ways you can eat at Disney World, a family of four should expect to spend roughly $200 – $250 per day on dining. This estimate is based on one Quick Service meal, one Table Service meal, and one purchase of snacks and drinks for all four people.

With table service, restaurants often costing an additional 50% when compared to quick-service options. As a result, most families having lunch, dinner, drinks, and snacks inside Universal Studios Orlando will spend on average $50 per person, per day.

If you really want to save money, Gidus recommends limiting yourself to once a week. But, she adds, “if you can get a nice nutritious lunch from the deli next door, you can do it every day.” You can also make the most out of your meals out by saving leftovers and getting more meals out of them.

According to a report from Wellio, It costs nearly 5 times more money per serving to eat at a restaurant than cooking the same meal at home. Cooking your meals through a Meal Kit service is a slightly less terrible financial decision, where the average cost per serving is nearly 3 times more than cooking from scratch.

Single persons spend a larger portion of their food budget on meals away from home than any other family type. In 1997, single persons allocated 36.7 percent of their total food expenditures to meals at eating places.

Most studies and reports from other restaurant owners say that the slowest restaurant days are Mondays and Tuesdays. The social suggestion is, then, that most people are feeling too tired and are suffering from post-weekend blues to consider going out to eat on Monday and Tuesday nights.

How do I choose a menu for the week? ›

Every restaurant experiences a slow season and for many, it's the post-holiday lull of January and February.

With table service, restaurants often costing an additional 50% when compared to quick-service options. As a result, most families having lunch, dinner, drinks, and snacks inside Universal Studios Orlando will spend on average $50 per person, per day.