Cheap eats in Cox's Bazar under $10

Breakfast: Poushee Restaurant

Near the police box on Kolatoli Road, Poushee opens at 6:30 AM and serves the best budget breakfast in town. Paratha with vegetable curry and daal costs 80 taka ($0.75). Add a boiled egg for another 20 taka. The parathas are fried to order, flaky and hot, and the curry is made fresh every morning. Wash it down with cha (milk tea) for 15 taka. Total: 115 taka, under $1.10.

The restaurant has no English menu but pointing works. Seating is plastic chairs on a concrete floor, fans overhead, and a view of the street. Locals pack it from 7-9 AM, a good sign. The cook works in full view, so you can judge cleanliness. Go early for the freshest parathas; by 10 AM they start reheating leftovers.

Lunch: Jhauban Hotel

Jhauban Hotel sits near Laboni Point and feeds port workers, CNG drivers, and budget travelers. The specialty is beef tehari: rice cooked with beef, potatoes, and spices, served on a metal plate with a boiled egg and cucumber salad. A heaping portion costs 180 taka ($1.70). It is heavy, oily, and will fuel you through the afternoon. Order a glass of borhani (spiced yogurt drink) for 30 taka to cut the richness.

The dining hall is loud and crowded at lunch—find a seat where you can. Service is fast, portions are huge, and the food is reliably good. Hygiene is acceptable by street-food standards. Avoid dinner; the kitchen slows down and leftovers get reheated. Stick to lunch when turnover is high and everything is fresh.

Street snacks: Kolatoli Circle vendors

Kolatoli Circle has a rotating cast of street vendors selling fuchka (6 for 30 taka), singara (10 taka each), and jhalmuri (20 taka per cone). The fuchka vendor sets up at 5 PM daily near the bus stand; his tamarind water is perfectly balanced between sweet and spicy. Singara are fried fresh throughout the day—grab two mid-afternoon when hunger hits. Jhalmuri is best bought from beach vendors while you walk; it is lighter than fried snacks.

Total snack budget: 80-100 taka ($0.75-$1) for enough to hold you between meals. These are not sanitary by Western standards, but they are what locals eat daily. If you have a sensitive stomach, skip fuchka (the water is tap-based) and stick to fried singara. Wash hands or use sanitizer before eating.

Dinner: Panshi Restaurant

On Ziaur Rahman Road, Panshi operates from 6 PM to midnight and caters to families and solo diners. The chicken bhuna with two parathas costs 250 taka ($2.30). The curry is thick, mildly spiced, and comes with enough sauce to soak the bread. Upgrade to beef rezala for 300 taka if you want richer flavor. Add plain rice for 40 taka and daal for another 60. A full meal totals 350-400 taka, well under $4.

Panshi has ceiling fans, clean tables, and a menu in Bengali and broken English. Point at another table if you are unsure what to order. They also do fried rice with vegetables (150 taka) and fish curry (200 taka). Portions are generous—order one dish and share if you are with someone. Service is slow during peak hours (7-9 PM); arrive early or late.

Budget seafood: market stalls

Walk to Laboni Fish Market in the late afternoon (4-6 PM) when vendors cook unsold fish on charcoal grills. Grilled pomfret, hilsa, or prawns with rice costs 200-350 taka depending on the fish. They serve it on a banana leaf with lime wedges and green chilies. The fish is fresh, smoky, and cheaper than any restaurant version. Eat standing up or sit on a plastic stool; there are no tables.

This is as real as it gets—no menus, no frills, no English. Vendors will show you the fish and quote a price; bargain down 20-30%. Bring your own water since drinks are not sold here. The setting is chaotic and the smell intense, but the food is excellent. Go with a local if possible; they will get better prices and help navigate.

Daily budget breakdown

Breakfast at Poushee: 115 taka. Mid-morning snack (singara and cha): 40 taka. Lunch at Jhauban: 210 taka. Afternoon jhalmuri: 20 taka. Dinner at Panshi: 300 taka. Total: 685 taka, about $6.50. Add bottled water (60 taka for three liters) and you are still under $7.50 for the day. Splurge on market grilled fish one night and you hit $9. Three meals plus snacks for under $10 is completely doable if you eat where locals eat and avoid resort restaurants.