9 cheap student meals in Birmingham under £6
Every price below was read off the venue's own published menu.
Yumma editorial — assembled from 9 venues' published menus, prices checked 2026-09-13
Steam rises from greaseproof paper as green herbs, charcoal-seared poultry, and spiced gravies are handed over stainless steel counters. These nine dishes are warm, solid ballast against cold weather, cheap, fast food handed straight across the glass when you need real calories on a stripped-back budget.
A griddled Hariyali Kebab Roll packed with herbs, a box of hot Thai Spicy Rice, and a heavy bowl of Mushroom Curry show how far a few pounds can go. None of them rely on sit-down service or grand presentation; they are built for quick eating and maximum fuel.
Every option here keeps the cost well under six pounds, giving you immediate, hot food in your hands without overthinking the math.
Where this fits in the city
Yumma tracks 361 priced meals across Birmingham, at 123 places. From that catalog, 5 of the 9 options on this list come to £4.39 or less, making up a specific low-cost pocket of what the city has on offer.
Hariyali Kebab Roll at Bismillah Bakery, Lozells Rd — £1.50
Green herbs and spices coat meat rolled tight inside flatbread, serving up a lighter, griddled hand-held meal to carry out the door.
Best for: a swift bite eaten while walking between back-to-back morning classes
91 Lozells Rd, Birmingham, B19 2TR price source
Spicy Chicken Salad at Butties Cafe, Forge Lane — £2.20
A cold, protein-packed bowl of mixed greens and spiced chicken, offering a crisp alternative to heavy griddled cafe food.
Best for: a quick desk lunch when you want something fresh and light
Forge Lane, Sutton Coldfield, B76 1AH price source
SAAG PANEER at Balti Spice, Aldridge Road — £3.95
Seared cubes of paneer cooked down with spiced spinach, served hot as a thick, protein-rich vegetable dish.
Best for: a late-afternoon meal to sit down with after a long seminar
1240 Aldridge Road, Oscott, Birmingham, B44 8PE price source
Double Egg Sandwich or Baguette at Rustic, Livery Street — £4
Two eggs cooked and layered into a crusty loaf or white baguette, handed over wrapped and hot to hold.
Best for: an early morning stop before an 8 AM laboratory session
35 Livery Street, Birmingham, B3 2PB price source
Pulled Pork, Red Onions, Cucumber & BBQ Sauce at Bon Bon, New Market Street — £4.39
Slow-cooked pulled pork coated in sweet barbecue sauce, stacked inside bread with raw red onions and sliced cucumber.
Best for: a substantial takeaway meal to eat during a short study break
3 New Market Street price source
Chicken shawarma wrap at The BBQ Hut, Warwick Road — £4.50
Warm chicken shawarma sliced into a tight flatbread wrap and finished with tangy pomegranate sauce.
Best for: a quick sit-down lunch when you need a hot meal fast
563-565 Warwick Road, Birmingham, B11 2EX price source
THAI SPICY RICE at Siamais, Birmingham — £4.50
Wok-fried rice tossed with Thai spices, packed tightly into a single dish that arrives steaming hot at the table.
Best for: a filling hot dinner before heading home for the evening
Birmingham price source
Brie & Cranberry at Village Kitchen, Greenfield Crescent — £4.95
Sliced brie and tart cranberry sauce pressed inside a panini and toasted until the cheese melts into the bread.
Best for: a mid-afternoon cafe pitstop on a rainy weekday
8a Greenfield Crescent, Birmingham, B15 3BE price source
Mushroom Curry (咖喱毛菇) at Chopsticks and Bowl, Pershore Road — £5.20
A hot takeaway container filled with mushrooms simmered in a spiced Chinese curry sauce.
Best for: a warm takeaway bowl to carry home after library hours
1481 Pershore Road, Birmingham, B30 2JL price source
What the list adds up to
All 9 together come to £35.19, spanning options where 6 are at places you can sit down in and 3 you carry away. The cheapest meal in this list is £1.50; the dearest is £5.20.
Prices change over time. Every dish listed here links directly to the venue's own published menu so you can check the current figure before setting off.
How this list was made
Nobody at Yumma has eaten these. Every price here was read off the venue's own published menu and each entry links back to the page it came from, so you can check before you go. The 9 were chosen from the 361 priced meals on our Birmingham map by price and by how many readers have Yummed them. No venue paid to appear here, and none can. How we choose.
Prices checked 2026-09-13. Menus move — the link on each entry shows what it says now.