How Much to Budget for Food in Las Vegas (Average Cost to Eat!)
Food is an important part of the vacation experience for many Las Vegas visitors. The great news is that the city offers a wide variety of meal options for every taste. The not-so-good news is that food can be extremely expensive in Vegas.
How much you should budget for food in Las Vegas depends on where you dine and what you eat. The average cost of meals per person is around $125 a day. Food is most expensive on the Strip, where a lavish dinner with drinks can cost over $1,000. You can find cheap eats at off-Strip and downtown restaurants.
While a tight budget can limit your dining options, you may still enjoy great meals without spending a small fortune. Read on to find out how much you can expect to spend on food on your Las Vegas vacation.
How Much Is a Meal in Las Vegas? (Vegas Prices for Food)
Meals can vary in price greatly in Vegas. Las Vegas meals can be budget-friendly, moderately expensive, or luxurious. You can eat a meal for about $5 at a fast food location off the Strip or downtown, and a meal at a midrange restaurant can cost $25–$30.
A full-course dinner with cocktails at a high-end Strip restaurant can set you back more than $1,000 a night. It means that you could spend as much as $3,000 a day for three meals at an upscale restaurant. That would require budgeting $15,000 for food for a 5-day stay of lavish dining in Vegas. For most people, however, that would be more than a bit extreme.
For meals at moderate restaurants, you should budget around $125 a day for food. A study of Las Vegas visitors’ profiles shows that guests, on average, spend $100 – $130 a day on food and drinks. As a result, eating at a midrange restaurant would require budgeting about $646 per person for food for a 5-day stay in Vegas.
Las Vegas buffets can be a great option for someone on a budget. For around $30, you can enjoy a chunky buffet meal that can keep you full for a long time, allowing you to skip the next meal and save money.
Chain restaurants like McDonald’s, Chipotle, and Subway usually have cheap fast food. You can find pizza slices for less than $5 and burgers for around $10. If you’re aiming for super cheap eats, consider setting aside at least $150 for your food budget for a 5-day vacation in Vegas.
As for drinks, domestic beers on the Strip will cost $7-$10, while cocktails are usually more expensive at $12-$20 apiece.
RELATED: Find out how to get free drinks in Vegas casinos!
However, if you’re a fan of cocktails, you may want to adjust your budget to visit a unique bar as part of your itinerary. The Minus 5 Ice Bar has several locations across Vegas, and it’s a must-visit if you’re looking for an unforgettable experience.
Check out my post for more information on the Minus 5 Ice Bar and what you can expect when you visit. [Where Is the Minus 5 Ice Bar in Vegas? (Coolest Bar in Town!)] (Coming Soon).
How To Control Your Food Expenses in Las Vegas
From flights to accommodations to meals, Las Vegas can be expensive for visitors. In fact, Vegas is ranked among American cities with a high cost of living (personally, I think some of these numbers are skewed by what tourists to the city pay for things vs. what locals pay far away from the Strip), and many people overspend in general in Vegas. But if you know where to go for your meals, you could spend far less on food than you think while still having a great Sin City experience.
Below are some strategies that visitors can apply to help control their meal expenses and enjoy their time in Las Vegas without breaking the bank.
Choose a Budget Hotel
While off-Strip budget hotels may only offer the basics, they can save you a ton of money if you’re looking to stretch your food budget and are willing to sacrifice some hotel comforts. For example, some off-Strip hotels include free breakfast for guests who book a room.
Some budget hotels also have pocket-friendly onsite restaurants (or you can find them nearby). As a result, you can eat cheaply without hunting for cheap eats at far-off locations.
Below are some Vegas hotels that offer a complimentary breakfast in their room package, which will take care of one meal of the day:
- Hampton Inn Tropicana (TripAdvisor): This hotel is located only five minutes from the Strip and lies three miles (4.83 km) from the Las Vegas airport. Aside from a free breakfast, it offers guests free Wi-Fi access. Its other amenities are an outdoor pool, a business center, and a fitness center.
- Residence Inn (TripAdvisor): This Marriott property is located south of the Strip and lies minutes from the Las Vegas airport. Guests can choose from a broad range of room options, which includes complimentary breakfast.
- Best Western McCarran Inn (TripAdvisor): This hotel lies five minutes from the Strip. It offers spacious guest rooms in a package that includes complimentary breakfast and Wi-Fi access. Moreover, the hotel offers a free shuttle service to the nearby Las Vegas airport.
Note: While at first glance, these properties may not seem all that budget-friendly, keep in mind that in addition to a free breakfast, these hotels don’t charge a daily resort fee and also offer free parking. Together that can save you $78 dollars a day or more.
Check out our full list of hotels in Las Vegas without resort fees here.
Select Vegas Hotels With Kitchens in the Rooms
If you’re planning on spending several days or more in the city, you may want to consider booking a hotel room with a kitchen. That way, you can cook some or all of your own food and save a lot of money on meals compared to eating out.
This is something to consider if you’re not a foodie and would rather save your money to experience Las Vegas in other ways.
By cooking your food in your hotel room, you can enjoy a high-quality meal for a tiny fraction of what it would cost to eat out at an upscale restaurant.
Here are a few Vegas hotels with kitchens for guests to consider:
- Sonesta Simply Suites Las Vegas Convention Center (Check room rates at TripAdvisor) This all-suite hotel is located one mile (1.61 km) from the Strip and one mile (1.61 km) from Las Vegas airport. The suites include full kitchens complete with pots and pans. The hotel also offers free laundry facilities.
- Palms Place (TripAdvisor): This property offers various room options. In addition to its many amenities, the hotel’s suites include a kitchenette and vital appliances for guests to prepare their meals.
- Signature at MGM Grand (TripAdvisor):This luxurious hotel offers suites with kitchenettes equipped with a fridge, microwave, and coffee maker. Guests can take advantage of these features to cook their own meals and save money on food expenses.
Eat off the Strip to Maximize Your Food Budget
You can also save money on food in Vegas by eating out at off-Strip restaurants. These locations usually offer competitive prices to draw customers from their Strip rivals. You’ll be amazed by how much you could save by simply going to a restaurant a block or two (or even further) off the Strip for your meals.
There are even some restaurants on the Strip that offer a good value. See: 16 Cheap Places To Eat on the Las Vegas Strip (Map)
Take Advantage of Free Stuff
You can bolster your food budget by cutting costs on your other Vegas travel experiences. For example, you can use the city bus to explore the Strip and downtown and use the savings on the transport cost to fund your dining adventures.
Additionally, you can save money on sightseeing to fund your food budget for a better Vegas dining experience by going to free attractions. The Bellagio fountains, Flamingo Wildlife Habitat, and Mirage Volcano are some of the popular spots that won’t cost you extra to visit. You can also check out Fremont Street Experience and Venetian Grand Canal Shoppes for free.
Experiencing Budget and Lavish Dining in Las Vegas
Many people who visit Las Vegas like to keep their food experiences varied. They may eat a cheap breakfast and lunch at an off-Strip or downtown location but splurge on dinner with cocktails at an upscale restaurant on the Strip.
This strategy allows visitors to experience Vegas food from both sides of the spectrum, which is a more balanced approach to a Sin City trip.
Budget Eateries in Las Vegas
If you’re on a modest budget, there are many places around the Strip and downtown where you can go for cheap eats. Just because you’re on a budget doesn’t mean you can’t have a great meal!
There are many places in Las Vegas where you can eat delicious food at a more reasonable price. Here are just a few:
BabyStacks Café
BabyStacks Café is best known for its pancakes. Although this restaurant is a popular stop for people looking for cheap breakfast meals, its menu also includes lunch items such as sandwiches, burgers, and salads, each for around $10-$12. The red velvet pancakes (Full $10.75 / Short $7.50) have been a customer favorite for a long time.
This restaurant has multiple locations across Vegas. You’ll find the one closest to the Strip here.
RELATED: 9 Spots To Grab a Cheap Breakfast on the Vegas Strip
Tacos El Gordo
Tacos el Gordo is particularly famous for its delicious tacos. Located on the Strip just north of Encore by Wynn (