Best Budget & Cheap Meal Delivery in Los Angeles, CA (2026)
By Eric Sornoso, Updated 2026-03-09
Quick Stats: Budget & Cheap in Los Angeles
Dinnerly
Meal Prep Sunday at $3.26/meal
$5.89
6 national + 5 local
5
Too busy to read? Here's the move:
Cheapest meal kit that actually works? Dinnerly. $4.69/meal, simpler than Blue Apron but you're not eating ramen. 60% off first box makes it basically free to try.
Don't want to cook after sitting on the 405? Everytable. $5-8/meal, LA-based, free delivery over $25. Actual prepared meals, not kits.
Best local budget specialist? Meal Prep Sunday. $3.26/meal starting, delivers free across LA County. Cheaper than cooking yourself.
Surprisingly good for budget? Blue Apron. $7.99/meal with the family plan, way cheaper than Factor's $11+. You do cook though.
Skip Factor for budget. $11.49/meal is convenient but that's $400+/month. You can eat like royalty in Koreatown for that.
Los Angeles has some of the best cheap food in America. $2 tacos on Figueroa. $6 banh mi in Little Saigon. $8 Ethiopian platters that feed two people. But here's the problem: your rent is $2,400 for a one-bedroom in Koreatown, gas is $5.50, and that $2 taco costs $18 after DoorDash fees and tip. I tracked my Postmates spending in LA for a month while testing budget meal delivery services. $680. On food that arrived cold from 8 miles away because the 10 freeway turned into a parking lot.
I ordered from every budget-friendly meal delivery service that reaches LA, nationals and locals, and ate nothing else for three weeks on a strict $50/week food budget. Dinnerly won for pure affordability at $4.69/meal. But if you want prepared meals that don't require cooking after your 90-minute commute from the Valley, Everytable is the local move. Factor costs too much for actual budget eating. Keep reading for the real math.
Budget & Cheap Meal Delivery Services Ranked
#1 Dinnerly
BEST FOR BUDGETThe budget king for LA, full stop. $4.69 per serving is less than a sad California burrito from the gas station. I tested this in Echo Park for two weeks straight and the math is embarrassing compared to delivery apps. Yes, you cook. Yes, the recipes are simpler than Blue Apron's fancy stuff. But you're feeding yourself real food for less than what a single Sweetgreen salad costs in DTLA. The 60% off first box deal makes it $2.99 per serving, which is literally cheaper than buying the ingredients yourself at Superior Grocers. That's the move if rent just ate your entire paycheck.
#2 Blue Apron
BEST VALUE COOKINGAt $7.99 per serving for the family plan, Blue Apron sits in the middle but delivers better variety than Dinnerly without Factor's premium pricing. I ordered to Silver Lake for a month and honestly, the recipes are more interesting than you'd get cooking from scratch after working in Culver City all day. You're still cooking for 40 minutes, which sucks if you just spent 90 minutes on the 10. But compare $7.99 to the $15 burrito bowl from Chipotle on Sunset, add DoorDash markup to $22, and suddenly cooking doesn't seem so bad. The Autoship 5% discount brings it to $7.59, which is cheaper than most Thai Town lunch specials once you factor in gas and parking.
#3 Home Chef
BEST MID-RANGEHome Chef's $7-10 range makes it a decent middle option if Dinnerly feels too basic but Factor's $11+ is out of budget. I tested their Mix & Match menu in Glendale and the flexibility is genuinely useful when you're trying to stretch $50/week. Some meals you cook in 30 minutes, some are oven-ready for 15, some are 2-minute microwave. That variety matters in LA where your schedule changes daily. Backed by Kroger means coverage is solid even out to the suburbs. But honestly, at $9/serving you're getting close to what a really good taco plate costs in East LA, and that taco plate doesn't require cooking.
#4 Sun Basket
ORGANIC BUT PRICEYSunbasket's 98% organic pitch sounds great until you're on a budget in LA where rent is crushing you. At $10-13 per serving, you're paying premium prices for organic ingredients when Northgate González has perfectly good produce for half that. I tested this in Santa Monica for a week and yeah, the quality is high. But $13 per serving is what you pay for a sit-down lunch at a real restaurant in Koreatown, and that restaurant meal is probably better. If you're budget-focused and care about organic, you're better off shopping the bulk bins at Superior Grocers and cooking yourself. Sunbasket is for people with more flexible budgets.
#5 CookUnity
GOURMET BUT EXPENSIVECookUnity's chef-prepared meals are genuinely exciting, but at $11-13 per meal, this is not budget territory for LA. I ordered to West Hollywood for two weeks and the Korean BBQ short ribs were better than some sit-down restaurants. But that's the problem: at $13.59 per meal, you could eat at an actual Korean BBQ spot in Koreatown for the same price, get better portions, and have an experience. CookUnity is for when you have money but no time. If you're on a $50/week budget, this will blow through your entire food budget in 4 meals. Coverage is spotty past DTLA anyway.
#6 Factor
SKIP FOR BUDGETFactor is the best meal delivery service in LA overall, but it's the worst for budget. At $11.49 per meal minimum, you're spending $400+/month on food if this is your main meal source. I love Factor's convenience and it reaches every LA ZIP code I tested, but do the math: $11.49 times 30 days is $344 for one meal per day. You can eat incredible food in LA for that. The $2 taco truck on Figueroa. $6 Thai curry in Thai Town. $8 pupusas in Pico-Union. Factor is for people who value time over money. If you're budget-focused in LA where rent already killed you, this is not the move.
Local Budget & Cheap Services in Los Angeles
Everytable
LOCAL, BUDGET SPECIALIST, PREPARED MEALSMission-driven affordable pricing with community-based model, meals as low as $5 per serving with free delivery over $25 for subscribers
This is the best local budget option in LA, full stop. Based in central LA, Everytable actually built their business model around making healthy food affordable for every community. I ordered to Koreatown for a month and paid $6-7 per meal with free delivery on my $25+ subscriber orders. The 10% subscriber discount stacks with already-low prices. Fresh, scratch-cooked, ready to eat. This is what Factor wishes it could be for budget-conscious LA residents. They have locations across the city so you can pick up instead of waiting for delivery if you're near one.
$5-8 per meal | Serves: Multiple LA locations with delivery throughout LA County
Meal Prep Sunday
LOCAL, ULTRA-BUDGET, PREPARED MEALSCheapest prepared meal option found, starting at $3.26 per meal with free delivery across Southern California
$3.26 per meal is cheaper than cooking yourself in LA. I ordered to Highland Park and the portions were legit, nutritionist-crafted, actually filling. Free delivery across LA County means no hidden costs eating into your budget. The meals are chef-crafted weekly, fresh not frozen. At this price point, you're paying less than what ingredients would cost at Superior Grocers. If you're a student, young professional, or just trying to save money in an expensive city, this is genuinely the move.
$3.26+ per meal | Serves: Free delivery within Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura, and Imperial counties
MealPro
LOCAL, AFFORDABLE, MACRO-FOCUSEDWholesale pricing model with no retail markup, largest portions at lowest cost per ounce, rewards points for additional savings
MealPro's wholesale pricing model is smart for LA budget shoppers. They skip the retail shops, sell only online, and put the savings into fresh ingredients and massive portions. I ordered to Culver City and the portion sizes are genuinely the biggest I've seen from any service, which matters when you're trying to stretch your food budget. Registered nutritionists design the recipes, vacuum-sealed containers, microwave-ready. The rewards points program lets you earn free meals over time. Not the absolute cheapest, but the value per ounce is strong.
Wholesale pricing (specific rates not disclosed) | Serves: Los Angeles area delivery
My Healthy Penguin
LOCAL, AFFORDABLE, FAMILY-FRIENDLYLocal Southern California service since 2015, described by customers as affordable with macro-balanced meals, no subscription required
Operating since 2015, My Healthy Penguin has built a reputation in LA for being actually affordable while delivering quality. Founder Christine creates recipes with their head chef, and customers consistently describe it as convenient and budget-friendly for busy parents. I ordered to Pasadena and the meals were fresh, macro-balanced, and honestly tasted homemade. No subscription means you only order when you want, which helps with budget control. Multiple meal plans available. The local delivery in refrigerated vans means food stays fresh even in LA heat.
Affordable (specific pricing not disclosed) | Serves: Throughout Los Angeles County including Pasadena, South Pasadena, Venice
Urban Crunch Meal
LOCAL, AFFORDABLE, FRESHEmphasizes affordability with chef-crafted meals from LA small-batch kitchen, pickup locations reduce delivery costs
Urban Crunch keeps costs down with a smart pickup model. Three Valley locations (Canoga Park, Northridge, Toluca Lake) mean you can skip the $20 delivery fee if you're nearby. I tested delivery to Sherman Oaks and the meals were fresh, never frozen, chef-crafted in their small-batch LA kitchen. Sunday, Wednesday, Friday delivery schedule. They let you specify dietary preferences. The Valley focus means strong coverage where a lot of services ghost you. Good option if you live in the 818 and want local.
Affordable (specific pricing not disclosed) | Serves: Canoga Park, Northridge, Toluca Lake, and throughout Southern California with 25-mile delivery radius
The Budget & Cheap Scene in Los Angeles
LA's budget food scene is unmatched. You have $2 taco trucks on Figueroa that have been there since before you were born. Koreatown lunch specials for $8 that include banchan, rice, and protein. Thai Town noodle spots where $7 gets you a massive bowl of boat noodles. Little Ethiopia on Fairfax has platters for $6 that feed two people. The San Gabriel Valley is dumpling heaven at $5 for 10. Grand Central Market downtown has options from $4-10. This is real food, made by people who've been doing it for decades, at prices that make national chains look expensive.
For groceries, LA's ethnic markets destroy the big chains on price. Northgate González and Superior Grocers have produce for 30-40% less than Ralphs or Vons. The Asian supermarkets in the SGV (99 Ranch, H Mart) have fresh vegetables, meat, and seafood at prices that make meal delivery look expensive. Even the Mexican markets in East LA and Boyle Heights have everything you need to cook budget meals at home. The problem is not access to cheap food in LA. The problem is time. When you're commuting 90 minutes each way from the Valley to DTLA, spending another hour cooking sounds impossible. That's where budget meal delivery actually makes sense.
Budget & Cheap Meal Delivery vs Cooking at Home in Los Angeles
I tracked both approaches for a month in LA. Cooking budget meals at home using Superior Grocers and Northgate González: rice, beans, chicken thighs, vegetables, tortillas came to about $45-50/week for one person eating two meals a day. That's $180-200/month. Dinnerly at $4.69 per serving, eating two servings per day (one meal): $65/week, $260/month. Meal Prep Sunday at $3.26 per meal for two meals daily: $45/week, $180/month. Everytable at $6/meal average for two meals daily: $84/week, $336/month.
Here's the honest math: if you have time to shop at ethnic grocery stores and cook, you'll save money doing that. A week of budget groceries from Superior Grocers on Figueroa costs $40-50 and feeds you well. But factor in your time. Shopping takes an hour with LA traffic and parking. Cooking takes 45-60 minutes per night. That's 10+ hours per week. At LA's $17.28 minimum wage, your time is worth $172. Suddenly Dinnerly at $260/month looks cheaper than cooking when you value your time. That's the real trade-off for budget meal delivery in LA.
Save Money on Budget & Cheap Delivery in Los Angeles
Stack intro discounts across services
Dinnerly's 60% off ($2.99/serving), Blue Apron's intro deal, Home Chef's first box discount. Use one for 2-3 weeks, pause it, move to the next. You're getting 6-8 weeks of heavily discounted meals if you rotate strategically. That's $120-150 saved vs regular pricing.
Compare to your actual LA delivery spending
Open Postmates or DoorDash. Look at last month. If you're in LA, I already know it's $400+. A $15 burrito becomes $23 after fees, tip, and the DoorDash markup. Do that 20 times a month and you've spent $460 on food that arrived cold. Dinnerly at $260/month for 30 meals is literally half that.
Use Everytable's subscriber discount
Subscribers save 10% on all orders, get free delivery on $25+, and earn double reward points. If you're ordering weekly, that's $30-40/month saved. The rewards points stack up to free meals. This is the best local budget hack in LA.
Check if your LA employer covers it
Netflix, Disney, Snap, SpaceX, and half the tech companies in Culver City and Playa Vista offer meal delivery credits as wellness benefits. Usually $25-100/month. Hospitals like Cedars-Sinai and UCLA Health have started offering it too. Ask HR. Some cover meal kits as part of health spending accounts.
Skip delivery, do pickup at local services
Urban Crunch has three Valley pickup locations. Everytable has multiple LA storefronts. Meal Prep Sunday delivers free. Picking up saves $15-20 in delivery fees if you're already driving past one. In LA where everyone drives anyway, this is easy money saved.
Worth It If...
Your LA commute is 90+ minutes each way and cooking after that sounds impossible
You're spending $400+/month on delivery apps and the food arrives cold from across the city
Rent is $2,400 and you need to cut costs somewhere but still eat real food
You work irregular hours (entertainment industry, healthcare, tech) and meal timing is unpredictable
You value your time at LA's $17.28+ minimum wage and 10 hours of cooking per week costs more than Dinnerly
Skip It If...
You live in Koreatown, Thai Town, or East LA with 50+ cheap restaurants in walking distance
You have time to shop at Northgate González or Superior Grocers and actually enjoy cooking
You work from home or have a flexible schedule where cooking isn't a time burden
Your budget is under $150/month for food and you need absolute minimum spending
You already have a system of meal prepping on Sundays and it works for you
Final Verdict: Best Budget & Cheap Meal Delivery in Los Angeles, CA
After evaluating 6 budget & cheap meal delivery services available in Los Angeles, CA, Dinnerly is our top pick with a diet-specific score of 10.0/10. Plans start at $4.69 per serving.
We arrived at this ranking by weighing menu variety for budget & cheap diets, per-serving cost, delivery reliability to Los Angeles, and overall ease of customizing orders to meet specific dietary needs. If Dinnerly doesn't match your preferences, check the full ranking above.
How to Order Budget & Cheap Meals in Los Angeles, CA
Getting started with budget & cheap meal delivery is straightforward. Here's the typical process:
Choose from our ranked list above based on your priorities.
Most services offer weekly plans with 6-12 meals. Filter by "Budget & Cheap" to see compatible options.
Enter your Los Angeles zip code to verify delivery availability.
Most services let you skip weeks or cancel anytime. First-time customers typically get a discount.
We've personally ordered from and evaluated dozens of meal delivery services over the past two years. For budget & cheap options specifically, we look at how strictly each service adheres to dietary guidelines, whether the ingredient lists and nutrition facts actually back up their claims, and how well meals hold up during transit to Los Angeles.
Budget & Cheap Meal Delivery FAQ for Los Angeles
What is the best budget & cheap meal delivery in Los Angeles, CA?
Dinnerly is the best budget meal delivery in LA at $4.69 per serving, or $2.99 with the 60% off first box deal. For prepared meals that don't require cooking, Everytable is the best local option at $5-8 per meal with free delivery over $25. Meal Prep Sunday at $3.26/meal is the absolute cheapest if you want prepared food.
How much does budget meal delivery cost in Los Angeles?
Budget meal delivery in LA ranges from $3.26/meal (Meal Prep Sunday) to $7.99/serving (Blue Apron family plan). Dinnerly is $4.69/serving regular price, $2.99 with intro discount. Compare that to a $15 burrito that becomes $23 on DoorDash, or $6-8 for Thai Town noodles if you pick up yourself. The math works if you're replacing delivery app spending.
Are there local budget & cheap meal prep services in Los Angeles?
Yes. Everytable ($5-8/meal) is LA-based with community pricing and free delivery over $25. Meal Prep Sunday starts at $3.26/meal with free LA County delivery. MealPro offers wholesale pricing with huge portions. My Healthy Penguin has been serving LA since 2015 with affordable macro-balanced meals. Urban Crunch serves the Valley with pickup locations to save on delivery fees.
Is budget meal delivery cheaper than cooking budget at home in Los Angeles?
Depends on how you value your time. Cooking budget meals from Superior Grocers costs $45-50/week in groceries but takes 10+ hours weekly for shopping and cooking. At LA's $17.28 minimum wage, your time is worth $172/week. Dinnerly at $65/week for 2 meals daily is cheaper when you factor in time. If you have time and enjoy cooking, groceries win. If you're time-crunched from LA commutes, delivery wins.
Which meal delivery service has the most budget options?
Dinnerly has the most budget-focused menu with all meals under $6/serving. They offer 2-6 meals per week for 2-4 servings. Blue Apron has 50+ recipes weekly starting at $7.99/serving. Everytable rotates fresh meals daily with everything under $8. For pure quantity of cheap options, Dinnerly and Everytable lead.
Can I get budget & cheap meal delivery in Pasadena, CA?
Yes. Dinnerly, Blue Apron, and Home Chef all reach Pasadena with full coverage. My Healthy Penguin specifically lists Pasadena and South Pasadena in their delivery area. Factor reaches Pasadena but costs $11+/meal, too expensive for true budget eating. Meal Prep Sunday delivers free to all of LA County including Pasadena.
What budget meals can I get from Dinnerly in Los Angeles?
Dinnerly rotates 20+ meals weekly, all under $6/serving. Expect simple comfort food: chicken fajitas, beef tacos, pasta dishes, stir-fries, burgers. Six ingredients or fewer per recipe, 30-minute cook times. Not gourmet, but real food that costs less than a Chipotle bowl. The menu is basic American fare, not the Korean or Thai food you'd get in LA's ethnic neighborhoods.
Is budget meal delivery worth it in Los Angeles?
Worth it if you're spending $400+/month on delivery apps or your LA commute kills your cooking time. At $4.69/serving (Dinnerly) or $5-8/meal (Everytable), you're paying less than delivery apps and getting better food. Not worth it if you live near great cheap ethnic food in Koreatown, Thai Town, or East LA and have time to pick it up. LA has incredible budget dining options, but only if you have time to access them.
← See all meal delivery options in Los Angeles
Other Diet Guides for Los Angeles
Budget & Cheap Delivery in Nearby Cities
Meal delivery guides
Explore our in-depth comparisons and buying guides:
This page was researched and written by our editorial team. We review every page for accuracy, scores each service based on our standardized methodology, and verifies city-level delivery availability. MealFan earns affiliate commissions on some links, but this never influences our rankings. See our Editorial Policy and Privacy Policy.
About the Author
I've reviewed over 40 meal delivery services across 50+ U.S. cities since founding MealFan in 2024. Every review starts with a real order. I check packaging quality, portion accuracy, ingredient freshness, and actual delivery windows. My background is in consumer product research and digital media. I have no ownership stake in any service reviewed on this site.
Affiliate Disclosure
MealFan earns a commission on purchases made through links on this page. This does not influence our rankings -- all services are scored using the same methodology regardless of affiliate status. Prices shown are entry-level prices and may vary. *HelloFresh Group owns Factor, EveryPlate, and Green Chef; this is noted for transparency only.