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Student eats · November 2026
Studying abroad in Bologna
Every meal here costs €10 or less.
About $12 US. Typical prices, checked November 2, 2026.Bologna has the oldest university in Europe and it feeds its students better than anywhere: fresh tortellini to go, mortadella sandwiches, and the 1465 tavern where you bring your own food and buy a glass of wine.
A day of eating for €19
- Breakfast, €3: Forno Brisa, a cardamom bun or a slice of focaccia
- Lunch, €6: Salumeria Simoni, a mortadella sandwich, cut to order
- Dinner, €10: Osteria dell'Orsa, tagliatelle al ragù
Breakfast, lunch and dinner: €19, about $22.
Eat for €10 or less
1A photo like it
€3Breakfast
Forno Brisa
Get: A cardamom bun or a slice of focaccia
The bakery young Bologna loves: sourdough, local flour, and pastries at a few euros.
2
€6Lunch
Salumeria Simoni
Get: A mortadella sandwich, cut to order
A deli counter in the old market streets. Mortadella is from Bologna, and this is where to have it.
3A photo like it
€7Lunch
Pasta Fresca Naldi
Get: Lasagna or tortellini in a box to go
A tiny fresh pasta shop with no tables. Buy a box and eat it at the bar across the street with a glass of wine.
4
€10Dinner
Osteria dell'Orsa
Get: Tagliatelle al ragù
Long shared tables in the student quarter, loud and cheap, with the dish Bologna is named for.
5
€4Late
Osteria del Sole
Get: A glass of wine. Bring your own food from the market outside
Open since 1465. It serves only wine, so everyone brings a picnic from the shops next door. The cheapest great night out in Italy.
6
€4Snack
Cremeria Funivia
Get: A cone with the pistachio
Some of the best gelato in a city that takes gelato seriously.
The market
Monday to Saturday; the food court runs into the evening
Mercato delle Erbe
Via Ugo Bassi
Get: Produce, cheese and fresh pasta in the morning; cheap food stalls and bars in the evening
The covered market turns into a hangout at night. Grab a piadina and a spritz.
The supermarket to find
Coop, Conad or Pam
- Fresh tortellini in the chiller for a quick dinner
- Parmigiano Reggiano, cheaper here than at home
- A bottle of local Lambrusco for a few euros
Coop is the local co-op chain and usually the best value in the center.
How students save in Bologna
- Aperitivo in the university quarter (Via Petroni, Piazza Verdi) comes with free snacks and costs a few euros.
- Ask about the ER.GO student canteens: hot meals for students at low prices.
- The porticoes cover 40km of streets, so you can walk everywhere, even in the rain. No need for buses in the center.
More for Bologna
Studying somewhere else?
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Prices are typical, checked November 2, 2026, and move; places with branches all over (chains) are named so you can use any of them. "A photo like it" is the same kind of food, not from that place. Chef Amazing is not paid by any place on this page.
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