Under AED 10 is easy — but snacks under AED 5 in Dubai? That’s the real budget sport. These are 12 named spots where a proper snack costs less than a bottle of water, from a AED 2 bun maska to a Filipino coffee bun. Every price is written down, most are vegetarian, and I’ve marked the veg ones with (V).
Cafeteria prices creep, so treat these as “around” — but every single one is a real, named place I can point you to, not a vague “find a stall.” A couple of the newer names I’m still working through.
Bur Dubai & Meena Bazaar
Mini Pizza & Chicken Tikka Roll — Caesars Confectionery (AED 5)
A childhood staple for anyone who grew up in Bur Dubai. The mini pizza and the chicken tikka roll are the AED 5 heroes; the whole counter is a nostalgia trip.
Indian Falafel Sandwich — Persian Cafeteria (AED 3.50) (V)
Falafel for AED 1 each or a full sandwich for AED 3.50 — spiced the Indian way, not the Levantine way. Parisian’s been at it for years and the quality holds. Near Choithram, Meena Bazaar.
Vada Pav — Vaibhav Vegetarian Restaurant (AED 3–5) (V)
The Mumbai working-class burger done right — spiced potato vada in a soft pav with green and garlic chutney. Simple, perfect, unstoppable, and under a fiver.
Cream Rolls — Habib Bakery (AED 2–4) (V)
Flaky pastry horns piped full of sweet cream — the after-school classic. A couple of dirhams of pure nostalgia from one of Bur Dubai’s old bakeries.
Al Karama
Samosa Roll — Al Hara Cafeteria (AED 4) (V)
A crispy samosa wrapped in soft paratha bread for AED 4 — the two-in-one carb hit you didn’t know you needed. Karama institution, 4.2★ over 4,000+ reviews, known for its disco chai too.
Disco Sandwich — Palace Restaurant / Doha Cafeteria (AED 4–5)
The legendary “disco” sandwich — a Karama cult snack of spiced filling grilled flat and crisp. Cheap, messy, and exactly what you want at odd hours.
Samosa Pav — Bombay Bites (AED 4) (V)
Samosa smashed into a buttered pav with chutneys — the lazy genius of Mumbai street food. Bombay Bites keeps it honest and under AED 5.
Mixed Juices — Chettagong (AED 5) (V)
Fresh mixed-fruit juices for AED 5 — the cheapest way to cool down in Karama. Order whatever combo the man behind the counter recommends.
Satwa, Deira & Al Rigga
Cheese Olive Manakeesh — Al Sultan Bakery (AED 4–5) (V)
Fresh manakeesh straight from the oven — cheese and olive folded warm for under AED 5. The Levantine answer to a grab-and-go breakfast.
Mixed Veggies Falafel Sandwich — Filafil Al Rabiah (AED 4) (V)
A falafel sandwich packed with pickles and fresh veg for AED 4 — one of Satwa’s reliable cheap fills. Crisp falafel, generous hand.
Chilli & Cheese Manakeesh — Duniya Al Sham Cafeteria (AED 5) (V)
Manakeesh with a kick — chilli and cheese baked bubbling. AED 5 of Levantine comfort, and open late.
Filipino Coffee Bun — Tita Julie’s Bakery (AED 4.50) (V)
Fluffy coffee buns with a sweet, crackly crust for AED 4.50, plus the famous pandesal. A little Filipino bakeshop by Al Rigga metro, open 24/7 — the late-night sweet fix.
How I found these snacks under AED 5 in Dubai
Every one of these snacks under AED 5 in Dubai is a real, named place I can point you to — not a vague “find a stall.” A couple of the newer names I’m still working through; the rest I’ve eaten more times than I’ll admit.
Questions people ask
What can you eat in Dubai for under AED 5?
The snacks under AED 5 in Dubai scene is worth knowing: plenty — a bun maska, a falafel sandwich (AED 3.50 at Persian Cafeteria), vada pav, cream rolls, cheese manakeesh, a samosa roll (AED 4 at Al Hara), or a Filipino coffee bun (AED 4.50 at Tita Julie’s). Most of Dubai’s cheapest snacks are in Karama, Bur Dubai and Satwa.
Where is the cheapest street food in Dubai?
The snacks under AED 5 in Dubai scene is worth knowing: meena Bazaar and Al Karama have the highest concentration of under-AED-5 snacks, from Indian chaat and vada pav to fresh juices. Satwa and Deira add Levantine manakeesh and falafel to the mix.
Is there cheap vegetarian street food under AED 5 in Dubai?
Yes — most sub-AED-5 snacks are vegetarian. Vada pav, falafel sandwiches, cheese manakeesh, cream rolls and fresh juices are all veg and all under AED 5, concentrated in Karama and Bur Dubai. For more on the city’s food districts, the official Dubai food guide is worth a look.
Want a little more room in the budget? See my snacks under AED 10 and desserts under AED 10 guides too.
