OSRS Best Cheap Food: Affordable Options for Healing in Old School RuneScape

OSRS Best Cheap Food: Affordable Options for Healing in Old School RuneScape


In Old School RuneScape (OSRS), food is a vital resource for surviving combat, completing quests, and training skills. Whether you’re a free-to-play (F2P) adventurer or a pay-to-play (P2P) veteran, finding the best cheap food can save you gold while keeping your hitpoints topped up. With the Grand Exchange (GE) prices fluctuating and countless food options available, it’s easy to overspend on expensive items like sharks or anglerfish. This guide dives into the most cost-effective food choices in OSRS, balancing healing power with affordability. Let’s explore the top picks, how to get them, and why they’re perfect for budget-conscious players.

Food in OSRS isn’t just about healing—it’s about efficiency. Expensive options like manta rays or tuna potatoes heal more hitpoints, but their cost can drain your bank, especially during long slayer tasks or PvM sessions. Cheap food allows you to stretch your gold further, leaving room for gear upgrades, potions, or other essentials. For F2P players, the options are limited, making affordability even more critical. By choosing the best cheap food, you can maintain your health without breaking the bank.

Balancing Cost and Healing

The key to selecting affordable food is finding the sweet spot between cost per hitpoint healed and availability. High-healing foods like sharks (20 HP) might seem appealing, but at around 900 gp each, they’re overkill for casual training. Cheaper alternatives, like lobsters or monkfish, offer solid healing at a fraction of the price.

Accessibility for All Players

Not every player has 99 Fishing or Cooking, so accessibility matters. The best cheap foods are either easy to buy from the GE or simple to gather and cook yourself. This guide prioritizes options that work for low-level players, ironmen, and budget-focused accounts alike.

Top Cheap Food Options for F2P Players

Free-to-play worlds in OSRS limit your food choices, but there are still excellent affordable options. These foods are perfect for training in Lumbridge or battling Hill Giants without spending a fortune.

Swordfish: The F2P All-Rounder

Swordfish heal 14 hitpoints and are a staple for F2P players. Priced at around 200-250 gp on the GE, they’re affordable and effective for mid-level combat.

  • How to Get: Fish with a harpoon at Musa Point (level 50 Fishing) or buy from the GE.
  • Cooking Level: 45
  • Cost per HP: ~15-18 gp
  • Best For: General combat training, Wilderness bosses

Anchovy Pizza: High Healing on a Budget

Anchovy pizza is the king of F2P healing, restoring 18 hitpoints over two bites (9 HP each). At roughly 500-600 gp, it’s a steal for its healing potential.

  • How to Get: Cook at level 55 (pizza base + tomato + cheese + anchovies) or buy from the GE.
  • Cost per HP: ~28-33 gp
  • Best For: Combo eating, prolonged fights

Lobster: The Classic Choice

Lobsters heal 12 hitpoints and remain a go-to for F2P players. They’re widely available and cost around 100-150 gp each.

  • How to Get: Fish with a lobster pot at level 40 Fishing or purchase from the GE.
  • Cooking Level: 40
  • Cost per HP: ~8-12 gp
  • Best For: Early-game combat, slayer tasks

Best Cheap Food for P2P Players

Pay-to-play opens up a wider variety of food options, many of which offer excellent value for P2P activities like bossing, slayer, and skilling. Here are the standout choices for members on a budget.

Monkfish: Affordable Mid-Tier Healing

Monkfish heal 16 hitpoints and strike a perfect balance between cost and effectiveness. They typically sell for 400-450 gp on the GE.

Potato with Cheese: The Underrated Gem

Potato with cheese heals 16 hitpoints and is one of the cheapest P2P options at around 50-70 gp each.

  • How to Get: Cook a baked potato (level 7 Cooking) and add cheese (buyable from Port Sarim or Warriors’ Guild).
  • Cost per HP: ~3-4 gp
  • Best For: Budget PvM, ironmen

Pineapple Pizza: High Healing, Low Cost

Pineapple pizza heals 22 hitpoints over two bites (11 HP each) and costs around 600-700 gp. It’s a fantastic alternative to sharks.

  • How to Get: Cook at level 65 (pizza base + tomato + cheese + pineapple) or buy from the GE.
  • Cost per HP: ~27-32 gp
  • Best For: Bossing, combo eating

How to Source Cheap Food Efficiently

Getting your hands on affordable food doesn’t have to be a grind. Here’s how to stock up without wasting time or gold.

Fishing and Cooking Yourself

For ironmen or players looking to save even more, fishing and cooking your own food is the way to go. Lobsters, swordfish, and monkfish are all catchable with moderate Fishing levels, and cooking them boosts your Cooking XP while keeping costs at zero (aside from time invested).

Grand Exchange Bargains

The GE is your best friend for bulk purchases. Use a price tracker like GE Tracker to buy when prices dip. Stocking up on potatoes with cheese or monkfish during a market low can save hundreds of thousands of gold over time.

Drops from Monsters

Some monsters drop food directly, cutting out the middleman. For example, killing minotaurs in the Stronghold of Security often yields raw meat, which can be cooked into a cheap 3 HP snack. Higher-level slayer monsters like fire giants occasionally drop lobsters or swordfish too.

Comparing the Best Cheap Foods: A Handy Table

To make your decision easier, here’s a comparison of the top cheap foods in OSRS based on healing, cost, and availability.

Food Healing (HP) GE Price (gp) Cost per HP (gp) F2P/P2P How to Obtain
Lobster 12 100-150 8-12 F2P Fish (40 Fishing) or GE
Swordfish 14 200-250 14-18 F2P Fish (50 Fishing) or GE
Anchovy Pizza 18 500-600 28-33 F2P Cook (55 Cooking) or GE
Potato with Cheese 16 50-70 3-4 P2P Cook (7 Cooking) or GE
Monkfish 16 400-450 25-28 P2P Fish (62 Fishing) or GE
Pineapple Pizza 22 600-700 27-32 P2P Cook (65 Cooking) or GE

Tips for Using Cheap Food Effectively

Cheap food is only as good as how you use it. Here are some pro tips to maximize its value in OSRS.

Combo Eating for Faster Healing

Pair slow-healing foods (like pizzas) with fast-healing ones (like cooked karambwan, if you can afford a few) to recover HP quickly in clutch moments. For F2P, anchovy pizza’s two-bite mechanic can be timed with swordfish for a similar effect.

Stockpiling for Long Sessions

Buy in bulk during price dips and store food in your bank. A full inventory of potatoes with cheese (448 HP total healing) costs less than 2,000 gp—perfect for a day of slayer or skilling.

Avoid Overhealing

Don’t waste food by eating when you’re near full HP. For example, if you’re down 10 HP, a lobster (12 HP) is more efficient than a monkfish (16 HP). Save higher-healing foods for bigger hits.

Finding the best cheap food in OSRS is about more than just price—it’s about fitting your playstyle and goals. Whether you’re a F2P warrior sticking to lobsters or a P2P slayer munching on pineapple pizzas, these options keep you alive without emptying your coin pouch. Stock up, cook smart, and enjoy your adventures in Gielinor on a budget!