Philly on a budget: Cheap eats and activities for $25 or less

Philly’s known as an affordable city on the East Coast, and it’s for a reason.

Not only is housing relatively cheaper than other major cities, but the restaurants, events, public and rec spaces are often affordable as well, if not out-right free. Everyone’s got their own tricks to a cheap day in the city, as many Twitter users have pointed out:

Philly knows how to make a dollar stretch! Here are some of the best bites and activities to do in Philadelphia for under $25.

Next In Line Comedy is a weekly comedy night that showcases some of the region’s and country’s best upcoming comics who have appeared on Comedy Central, Netflix, HBO, MTV, and even current Saturday Night Live players. There’s a $10 to $15 show every Saturday at the Victoria Freehouse in Old City, and a free show every second Wednesday of the month at Tattooed Mom on South Street.

💵 $20 or less,📍Victoria Freehouse, 10 South Front St., 🌐 nextinlinecomedy.eventbrite.com, 📷 @nextinlinecomedy

Doro Bet is one of Philly’s best restaurants in 2022, according to The Inquirer’s food critic, Craig LaBan. The best part? It’s affordable. With a fried chicken platter for around $10 that includes a drumstick, thigh, and wing fried in buttermilk batter, you and a friend can grab a bite for under $25. It’s right in University City, where you can take it to go and enjoy some local greenery like Cira Green’s free rooftop park.

💵 $25 or less,📍4533 Baltimore Ave., 🌐 alifamilyrestaurants.com/doro-bet, 📷 @dorobetphl

Philly Goat Project is a nonprofit goat service organization that provides fun, educational programming about goats and sustainability. They offer free events every month to hang out with goats, learn about the importance of our local waterways, nature and the well-being of animals, plus have fun with others.

💵 Free, 🌐 phillygoatproject.org, 📷 @phillygoatproject

A South East Asian marketplace that has set up shop in Franklin Delano Roosevelt Park every week for decades became a permanent fixture in 2022 after a grant from the city. Stroll through aisles of vendor tents offering delicious food, fresh produce, clothing, and jewelry from the Philly-area Cambodian, Thai, Vietnamese, and Indonesian communities, among others. Open on Saturdays and Sundays 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Closed for winter, but reopening in spring 2023.

💵 Free to enter, 📍 1500 Pattison Ave. and South Broad Street, 🌐 fdrseamarket.com, 📷 @seamarket_fdrpark

The inventors of Philly’s famous beer and shot special, the “Citywide,” Bob & Barbara’s on South Street is a dive bar landmark. Grab a Pabst Blue Ribbon and a shot of Jim Beam for $4 — yeah, it’s a cheap beer and shot, but it’s beloved. Every month there are free live jazz shows and every Thursday night is the one of the city’s best drag shows, Miss Lisa Lisa’s, for an $8 cover.

💵 $15 or under, 📍 1509 South St., 🌐 bobandbarbaras.com, 📷 @bobandbarbs

Free Library of Philadelphia is one of the most important resources the city has for education, free programming, and providing a safe space to relax. But, it’s also one of the most gorgeous buildings in the city. An expansive building with marble staircases, elaborate murals, and flooded with natural light — cozy up with a book in their comfy chairs and don’t forget to bring a coffee or tea from Sabrina’s Cafe around the corner.

💵 Free or under $10 if you buy a drink beforehand,📍1901 Vine St., 🌐 freelibrary.org, 📷 @freelibrary

Atop the the 60th floor of the Four Seasons Hotel at the Comcast Center sits Jean-Georges restaurant and bar. Take the elevator up — the ride is low-key the best part — and grab a drink at the sky lounge or stroll around for a bit taking in the almost 360 degree view of Philadelphia. It’s breathtaking and a different skyline view than the usual City Hall or One Liberty observation decks.

💵 $25 or under, 📍 1 N. 19th St., 🌐 jgskyhigh.com, 📷 @jgskyhigh

While living in Philadelphia, Edgar Allan Poe wrote some of his most famous works, like “The Tell-Tale Heart” and “The Pit and the Pendulum.” The house he lived in while here is now a designated historical site where you can visit for free with no reservations required. It’s right in Old City, too, where you can take that $25 and spend it on some good eats.

💵 Free, 📍532 N. Seventh St., 🌐 nps.gov/edal

Located mere blocks from Clark Park in West Philly, Saad’s Halal Restaurant has a slew of different sandwiches from halal to American classics, and even vegetarian options. Grab a sandwich for $8 to $14 and take a stroll through Clark Park — where on Saturdays there is a weekly farmers market from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

💵 $15 or under per person,📍 Saad’s, 4500 Walnut St.,📍Clark Park, 4300-4398 Baltimore Ave., 🌐 saadhalal.com