RMIT’s main campus sits in the CBD, which means cheap eats are abundant if you know which streets to walk - and a tourist-priced trap if you don’t. The under-$15 lunch around RMIT comes from three sources: Chinatown food courts, the Queen Vic Market deli hall, and the international student strips on Swanston Street and Russell Street. This is the breakdown.
Chinatown Food Courts: Under $13 Daily
Three food courts in Chinatown deliver consistent under-$13 meals. The Old Town Hong Kong food court (corner Russell and Little Bourke) has dim sum and roast meats. The Crown Cafe and HuTong (Market Lane, $13-$18) are the dumpling pillars. Sichuan House on Russell does $14 mapo tofu rice bowls. All within 5-10 minutes’ walk of the RMIT main campus building.
Queen Vic Market Deli Hall: $8-$10 Lunch Boxes
The QV Market deli hall (Therry Street and Queen Street, open Tues-Sun morning) has multiple stalls selling cooked-meat-and-rice lunch boxes at $8-$10. Borek and pastries: $5-$7. The deli sandwiches: $9-$12. The market closes Mon and Wed (variable in 2026 schedules) - check before walking. RMIT to QV Market is 15 minutes’ walk; tram routes 19 and 57 cover it.
Swanston Street North: Korean and Japanese
Swanston Street between RMIT and Melbourne University has a dozen $14-$16 Korean and Japanese spots. Don Don (Swanston, multiple branches) does $14 don bowls. Boba Tea House. Hakata Gensuke (when there’s no queue, otherwise budget 30 minutes). Pho Bo Ga 2 in Russell. Easy walking distance from any RMIT building.
Lygon Street Cheap Italian
Lygon Street Carlton (10-15 minute walk from RMIT) has the cheap Italian options. Brunetti slices: $8-$12. Tiamo’s pasta lunch specials: $14-$18. The Lygon Street pizza-by-the-slice places: $5-$8. Brunetti’s bigger sit-down meals run higher; stick with the takeaway counter for budget.
Footscray-Style Vietnamese in the CBD
Vietnamese pho in the CBD: Pho Bo Ga 2 (Russell, $14), Co Thu Quan (Swanston, $13-$15), Hong Hoa (Russell, $13-$16). All under $16 for a generous bowl. For the truly cheap version, Footscray itself ($8-$12 pho) is a 10-minute Metro train ride from Flagstaff Station, free with student concession capped at $9.20/week.
Cheap-Drink Strategy
RMIT campus has free water refill stations across all buildings. Coffee: campus cafes $3.80-$4.50; specialty cafes around the campus $4.50-$5.50; CBD chains $5-$6. Bottled drinks at 7-Eleven cheaper than campus shops. The Queen Vic Market wine bar sells $8 glasses on Friday afternoons (legal drinking only).
What to Skip
Skip Bourke Street Mall food (over-priced, low-quality, $20-$25 sandwiches). Skip the food court chains for daily lunch ($14-$16 average for a chain meal that costs $11 better elsewhere). Skip RMIT building food - acceptable in a hurry, but generally $1-$2 above the equivalent street option.
What This Means for You
Under-$15 daily is genuinely doable - rotate through Chinatown, QV Market deli hall, Swanston Street, Lygon Street. Average lunch budget at $13/day across 5 days is $65/week, much cheaper than CBD chains. Pair with the best share houses near RMIT for a complete student-life cost picture, or see late-night study spots near RMIT for the post-dinner study-and-snack run.
Jack Carver covers Melbourne food, drink, and city life for MELBZ.
