Correction (5 October 2026): an earlier version of this page listed places and details we could not stand behind. It has been rewritten from scratch: every place below was confirmed at two independent sources on 4 October 2026, and every price was copied from the page it was published on.
Twenty dollars is a real budget, and it goes further at a price board than a menu. This page covers six takeaway-style spots in the Melbourne CBD, from salad rolls and pies to banh mi, Taiwanese street food and burgers. Every price shown is under twenty dollars.
Each price is copied as printed on the page linked under Sources, on the day we checked. Hours appear only where a listing names them, and we say whose listing it is. Each entry ends with one move.
The quick picks
| If you’re after | Head to | Order this | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salad rolls and pies | Kenny’s Bakery & Cafe | Chicken Schnitzel Salad Roll | $11.50 |
| Taiwanese street food bites | Hot-Star Taiwanese Street Food | Sweet Potato Fries | $5.70 |
| Vietnamese with a takeaway tag | Pho Nung 123 | Phở | $17.50 |
| Banh mi and drink combos | Oh! Banh Mi | 1 Banh Mi + 1 Coke or water | $15.90 |
| A mini banh mi | Lucky Lane | Mini Banh Mi | $6 |
| Burgers with a vegan option | Simpons Burgers | SIMPSONS BURGER | $14.50 |
Kenny’s Bakery & Cafe — 53-57 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
Kenny’s Bakery & Cafe prints Chicken Schnitzel Salad Roll at $11.50 and Steak Pie at $7.20. Its site also lists Sausage Roll at $5.40 and Egg Salad Roll at $9.90. The site gives hours of 6:00 AM to 4:00 PM Monday to Friday and 7:00 AM to 2:00 PM on Saturday, and says it is near Parliament Station.
On the menu (copied from kennysbakerycafe.com.au/menu.html on 4 October 2026):
- Chicken Schnitzel Salad Roll: $11.50
- Bacon and Egg Salad Roll: $11.50
- Steak Pie: $7.20
- Egg Salad Roll: $9.90
What it is: A salad roll is a bread roll filled with salad and a protein, so the Chicken Schnitzel Salad Roll at $11.50 is a full lunch in one hand.
Hot-Star Taiwanese Street Food — 321 Swanston St, Melbourne VIC 3000
Hot-Star Taiwanese Street Food prints Sweet Potato Fries at $5.70 and King Mushrooms at $6.00. The menu also lists Crispy Wings (6pcs) at $8.70 and Chicken Pop at $8.70. The hours we print are the OpenStreetMap tag, 11:00 to 21:00 daily, which may be out of date, so check the store list on its site.
On the menu (copied from hotstarmelb.com.au on 4 October 2026):
- Sweet Potato Fries: $5.70
- Hot Star Large Chicken: $12.10
- Crispy Wings (6pcs): $8.70
- King Mushrooms: $6.00
The move: Go for the Hot Star Large Chicken at $12.10.
Pho Nung 123 — 123 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
Pho Nung 123 prints Gỏi Cuốn at $4.80; those are rice-paper rolls, served cold. Its menu lists Phở at $17.50 and Cà Ri Gà at $19.50, which is a chicken curry. The AGFG tags it for takeaway, and its site lists Monday 09:00 am to 04:00 pm, Tuesday to Friday 09:00 am to 08:00 pm, and Saturday 10:00 am to 04:00 pm.
On the menu (copied from phonungvn.com.au on 4 October 2026):
- Phở: $17.50
- Gỏi Cuốn: $4.80
- Bánh Mì: $11.50
- Cà Ri Gà: $19.50
What it is: Bánh Mì at $11.50 is a baguette stuffed with filling and pickles.
Oh! Banh Mi — 34 Equitable Place, Melbourne VIC 3000
Oh! Banh Mi prints Banh mi roll with aromatic Pate at $5.00. Its menu also lists 1 Banh Mi + 1 Coke or water at $15.90 and 1 Banh Mi + 1 Viet Iced Coffee at $18.50. For a plant-based roll, its menu describes soy glaze tofu with mushroom pate, pickles, coriander and vegan hoisin sauce. We could not find published hours.
On the menu (copied from ohbanhmi.bitebusiness.com on 4 October 2026):
- 1 Banh Mi + 1 Coke or water: $15.90
- Banh mi roll with aromatic Pate: $5.00
- 1 Banh Mi + 1 Viet Iced Coffee: $18.50
The move: Take the 1 Banh Mi + 1 Coke or water combo at $15.90 and you are fed and watered.
Lucky Lane — 147 Victoria Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
Lucky Lane prints Mini Banh Mi at $6. Its site lists 10am to 4pm, closed Mondays and Wednesdays. The site also says the tofu skewers are “perfect for vegan cravings”.
On the menu (copied from luckylanemelb.com.au/menu on 4 October 2026):
- Mini Banh Mi: $6
What it is: A mini banh mi is a small baguette roll, and at $6 it is a snack or a side to something else.
Simpons Burgers — 143 Russell Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
Simpons Burgers prints SIMPSONS BURGER at $14.50 and CLASSIC SCHNITZ at $13.50. Its menu also lists BACON SMASH at $17.50 and GARDEN DREAM at $15.50. The site lists 7 days, 11am to 9pm, and tags its menu “Veggie · Vegan option”.
On the menu (copied from simpsonsburgers.com.au on 4 October 2026):
- SIMPSONS BURGER: $14.50
- BACON SMASH: $17.50
- CLASSIC SCHNITZ: $13.50
- GARDEN DREAM: $15.50
The move: CLASSIC SCHNITZ at $13.50 is the lowest of the four burger prices printed here.
Quick answers
Where can I get a banh mi in Melbourne CBD for under twenty dollars?
Lucky Lane prints Mini Banh Mi at $6. Oh! Banh Mi prints Banh mi roll with aromatic Pate at $5.00. Pho Nung 123 prints Bánh Mì at $11.50. All three prices are as printed on each place’s own page.
What are the lowest prices on this Melbourne CBD list?
Pho Nung 123 prints Gỏi Cuốn at $4.80, the lowest price we copied. Oh! Banh Mi prints Banh mi roll with aromatic Pate at $5.00. Kenny’s Bakery & Cafe lists Sausage Roll at $5.40.
Which cheap eats in Melbourne CBD have vegan options?
Oh! Banh Mi’s menu describes a soy glaze tofu roll with vegan hoisin sauce. Lucky Lane’s site says its tofu skewers suit vegan cravings. Simpons Burgers tags its menu “Veggie · Vegan option”. The AGFG also tags Pho Nung 123 with Vegan Options.
What time do cheap eats in Melbourne CBD close?
Simpons Burgers’ site lists 7 days, 11am to 9pm. Kenny’s Bakery & Cafe lists 6:00 AM to 4:00 PM Monday to Friday. Lucky Lane lists 10am to 4pm, closed Mondays and Wednesdays. We could not find published hours for Oh! Banh Mi, so check before you go.
How we checked
We checked every place on this page against at least two independent sources on 4 October 2026: OpenStreetMap, the places’ own websites and the Australian Good Food Guide. Every price is copied exactly as printed on the page linked under Sources, on 4 October 2026. Menus, prices and opening hours change, so check with the venue before you go. The cover photo is illustrative, from Unsplash, and does not show any place on this page.
Seen something out of date? Email [email protected] with the page link and what has changed, and we will check it again.
Sources
- Kenny’s Bakery & Cafe: openstreetmap.org/726966568, kennysbakerycafe.com.au/contact.html, kennysbakerycafe.com.au/menu.html, kennysbakerycafe.com.au
- Hot-Star Taiwanese Street Food: openstreetmap.org/11104138607, hotstarmelb.com.au
- Pho Nung 123: phonungvn.com.au, agfg.com.au/pho-nung-123-85000, phonungvn.com.au/contact
- Oh! Banh Mi: openstreetmap.org/4542118797, ohbanhmi.cafe, ohbanhmi.bitebusiness.com
- Lucky Lane: openstreetmap.org/13821330870, luckylanemelb.com.au/contact, luckylanemelb.com.au/menu, luckylanemelb.com.au/about
- Simpons Burgers: openstreetmap.org/1375371370, simpsonsburgers.com.au
