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Student eats · November 2026
Studying abroad in Florence
Every meal here costs €10 or less.
About $12 US. Typical prices, checked November 2, 2026.Florence is the most studied-abroad city in the world, and students here live on schiacciata, lampredotto and gelato. Eat lunch big and cheap at the old trattorias, and go to aperitivo for dinner.
A day of eating for €20
- Breakfast, €3: Pasticceria Sieni, cappuccino and a cornetto at the bar
- Lunch, €9: All'Antico Vinaio, la Favolosa schiacciata (salami, artichoke cream, pecorino)
- Dinner, €8: Gusta Pizza, the Gusta pizza or a plain margherita
Breakfast, lunch and dinner: €20, about $23.
Eat for €10 or less
1A photo like it
€3Breakfast
Pasticceria Sieni
Get: Cappuccino and a cornetto at the bar
Open since 1909, with market workers at the counter. Stand at the bar and it's three euros.
2A photo like it
€9Lunch
All'Antico Vinaio
Get: La Favolosa schiacciata (salami, artichoke cream, pecorino)
The sandwich that made Florence famous on TikTok. Huge, warm focaccia bread, and one feeds you until dinner.
3
€6Lunch
Da Nerbone
Get: Panino con lampredotto, dipped (bagnato), with green sauce
A market counter since 1872 serving tripe sandwiches to butchers and students. Try it once; most people order it again.
4
€10Lunch
Trattoria Mario
Get: Ribollita, or whatever pasta is on the paper menu
Lunch only, cash only, shared tables. A family trattoria since 1953 where you sit with strangers.
5A photo like it
€8Dinner
Gusta Pizza
Get: The Gusta pizza or a plain margherita
Neapolitan-style pizza in the Oltrarno, the neighborhood students actually live in.
6A photo like it
€3Late
Gelateria La Carraia
Get: A small cone, two flavors (try the ricotta and fig)
Big scoops, small prices, open late by the river. The after-dinner walk in Florence ends here.
The market
Monday to Saturday mornings until about 2pm
Mercato di Sant'Ambrogio
Sant'Ambrogio, Santa Croce
Get: Cheap seasonal produce outside; lunch at Trattoria da Rocco inside the hall
Locals shop here, not at the Mercato Centrale upstairs. Prices are lower and nobody's selling to tourists.
The supermarket to find
Conad, Coop or Carrefour Express
- A bag of dried pasta for under €1 and a jar of sauce
- Schiacciata bread by weight from the bakery counter
- Pecorino and salami sliced to order at the deli counter
Esselunga, a bit out of the center, is the cheapest big supermarket. The small 'Carrefour Express' shops cost more.
How students save in Florence
- Aperitivo (about 7 to 9pm): buy a drink for €8 to €10 and help yourself from the buffet. Many students make it dinner.
- Coffee at the bar costs about half of coffee at a table. Stand up and pay first.
- Ask about the DSU university canteens (mense): exchange students can often get a card for cheap hot meals.
More for Florence
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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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