Cheap Eats in Hurghada — The Budget Food Guide
Hurghada is an extraordinary destination for budget food — the gap between tourist prices and local prices is enormous. For visitors willing to explore beyond the hotel strip, world-class value food is available everywhere.
The Best Value Meal in Hurghada — Koshary
Koshary is Egypt's national dish and Hurghada's supreme cheap eat: rice, lentils, macaroni, chickpeas, crispy fried onions, vinegary tomato sauce, and chilli sauce on the side. A large portion costs £1–£2 and is filling, nutritious, and genuinely delicious. Koshary shops are concentrated in Ad Dahar and local residential areas — identifiable by the picture of the dish in the window and the rhythmic mixing sound from inside. This is not tourist food — this is what millions of Egyptians eat every day.
Breakfast Under £1
Egyptian breakfast is extraordinary value: ful medames (spiced fava beans) with fresh baladi bread from a street cart costs £0.50. Falafel sandwich: £0.50–£1. Fresh-baked baladi bread with feta-style cheese and olives from a local bakery: under £1. The Ad Dahar morning food scene (before 09:00) provides the best selection of cheap breakfast options — walk the market streets and follow where local workers are eating.
Street Grills
Street grill operators throughout Hurghada cook kofta (spiced minced meat skewers) and chicken directly over charcoal. Price: £1.50–£3 for a serving with bread and salad. The best grills are near mosques and local market areas — high turnover ensures freshness. Street grill food is one of the great sensory experiences of Egyptian food culture — the smell of charcoal, the sizzle, the combination of spiced meat and fresh bread.
Fresh Juice Bars
Hurghada's juice bars sell single-fruit fresh-pressed juices for £0.50–£1. Mango (May–September) is the outstanding option — Egyptian mangoes are world-class. Pomegranate, strawberry (November–March), and sugarcane juice are equally good. Significantly cheaper and better quality than any European juice bar equivalent. A juice bar stop should be part of every Ad Dahar exploration.
The Golden Rule
The golden rule for cheap eating in Hurghada: if it looks tourist-facing (English menu in the window, outdoor seating on the tourist promenade, someone outside trying to attract customers), the price has been adjusted accordingly. Walk 2–3 streets away from the tourist promenade, eat where you see Egyptian families eating, and your food cost drops 70–80% instantly.
Frequently Asked Questions
How cheap is food in Hurghada?+
What is the cheapest meal in Hurghada?+
Love Hurghada's Food Scene? Own Your Base Here
Apartments from £15,000 with 0% interest payment plans. Stop paying hotel prices every visit.