Khao Kha Moo Chang Phueak (Cowboy Hat Lady) ★ 4.4
The Cowboy Hat Lady's braised pork leg over rice at the North Gate market is the classic 50-baht Chiang Mai dinner, soft, sweet and reliably packed.
Try: Khao kha moo over rice
Eat well in Chiang Mai for under €15 a plate: the places locals on a budget actually use.
Cheap eats worth seeking out
SP Chicken ★ 4.2
Charcoal gai yang, papaya salad and sticky rice near Wat Phra Singh make SP Chicken one of the Old City's best-value Isan-style lunches under 150 baht.
Try: Grilled chicken and som tam
Khao Soi Mae Sai ★ 4.3
A Bib Gourmand bowl of coconut khao soi for 50 to 75 baht near the Ratchaphuek lane, proof the city's best noodles cost less than a coffee in Nimman.
Try: Khao soi
Khao Soi Islam ★ 4.1
Beef khao soi, roti and biryani for well under 100 baht in the Ban Haw quarter, a cheap, filling window into the dish's Yunnanese-Muslim origins.
Try: Beef khao soi and roti
Aroon Rai ★ 3.9
One of the oldest northern kitchens in the Old City keeps most plates under 100 baht, a no-frills, decades-deep option for hang lay and larb on a budget.
Try: Northern curries and rice
Guay Jub Chang Moi Tat Mai ★ 4.1
A Bib Gourmand bowl of peppery rolled-noodle guay jub near Warorot for 40 to 60 baht, one of the best cheap late-afternoon feeds in the old town.
Try: Guay jub noodle soup
gO NENG (Wichayanon) ★ 4.1
Crisp pa thong ko fried to order at Ton Lamyai Market, dipped in pandan custard for a few coins, the cheapest Bib Gourmand snack in the whole city.
Try: Fried dough with custard
Cherng Doi Roast Chicken ★ 4.2
Herb-roasted chicken and northern-Isan grills at student prices off Nimman, where a smoky half-chicken with sticky rice still lands well under 200 baht.
Try: Roast chicken and larb
Kiat Ocha ★ 4.2
A packed Old City morning canteen famous for Hainanese chicken rice and charcoal pork satay, a classic khao man gai counter near the market.
Try: Khao man gai and pork satay
Dan Chicken Rice ★ 4.1
A no-frills Nimman khao man gai shop serving poached or fried chicken over rich rice for about 45 baht, a fast, filling budget lunch locals rely on daily.
Try: Chicken rice