Rangapukur Food Diaries: Eating Like a Broke Student on a 500 Taka Budget

look, i’ve been in rangapukur for three weeks and my stomach still doesn’t know whether to be excited or file a formal complaint. i’m a budget student, which means my entire food philosophy is: find the thing that costs less than my morning chai and fills the void. this town? it’s a masterclass in that. not “vibrant” or “nestled”-just loud, spicy, and everywhere.

first, the map thing so you don’t get lost like i did for an hour trying to find the good jhalmuri guy.

so yeah, the scene. forget fine dining. you want the real talk? it’s all about the haats (markets) and the streets near the college. that’s where the magic happens-and where i’ve eaten 80% of my meals. my gear list is basically: one empty stomach, a water bottle i keep refilling, and a willingness to eat with my hands. pro-tip: cash only. always.

*cost of living dump (because someone has to say it):
- street snack (fuchka, jhalmuri): 10-30 taka
- full meal at a dine (rice, dal, vegetable): 60-90 taka
- rent for a box room in a shared flat: 5,000-7,000 taka/month (i found mine on a subreddit, link below)
- job market? mostly agri-based, seasonal. don’t move here thinking you’ll find a tech gig. unless you’re into farming tech, i guess?

safety’s pretty chill, honestly. cops are around but not itching to shake you down. just don’t wander down pitch-black alleys at 2am like a dummy. the air, though? man, it’s like breathing wet wool most afternoons, then the monsoon hits and it’s a whole soup kitchen outdoors. and yeah, darjeeling’s just a bus ride away if you need hill air and strong tea. my lungs remember.

here’s where it gets spicy (literally). there’s this one misti doi (sweet yogurt) shop off the main road that some rando on r/banglatravel swears is the best in the division. i tried it. it was… fine? overhyped. the real deal is the old lady by the bus depot who sells rosogolla soaked in a syrup that’s been boiling since the bush administration. she doesn’t have a yelp page. she has a line.

> "the student eat too much, no money left for tea. but the panta bhat with tenga-that is medicine for hot head."
- overheard from a rickshaw-wallah arguing with his friend about leftover rice. he was right. fermented rice with tangy fish curry at 11am? a revelation.

let’s talk specifics. you have to get fuchka from the guy with the blue cart near the chourasta (crossroads). he cracks the puri right in front of you, stuffs it with potato, chickpeas, and a chili-water that could wake the dead. i saw a tourist cough for five minutes straight. he nodded in approval. that’s the review.

bhuna khichuri-a sort of toasted rice and lentil thing-is my secret weapon when i’m broke but need protein. it’s 70 taka and comes with a piece offried eggplant that’s so good i’ve considered writing poetry. not my strong suit, but still.

some drunk british guy on a tripadvisor forum warned me about the “dangerous spice levels.” ignore him. he probably ordered a mild korma. the danger is in assuming you can handle the morich. you can’t. embrace the sweat.

one rumor i’ve chased: there’s a place that does beef tehari (spiced rice) that’s only open 4-6pm. i found it. it’s a cinder block room with a fan that’s seen better days. the beef is fall-apart tender, the rice is yellow with spices that make your nose run. worth every drop of snot.

the thing you won’t read in glossy guides: the best meal is often the one you eat standing up, paper plate in hand, while a motorbike splashes through a puddle next to you. it’s not about ambiance. it’s about the kachchi (raw) green chili you bite into on accident and how it makes the whole world feel alive.

i linked below to a local fb group where they argue about the best singara (samosa) in town. it’s more heated than politics. also, this subreddit helped me find my pad-scroll for the horror stories about landlords.

r/bangladeshtravel thread on rangapukur eats
local fb group "rangapukur khabor" (food news)

final thought: skip the places with english menus. if they have a photo of “butter chicken” on the wall, run. you want the dark little hole-in-the-wall with a scribbled bengali sign and a cat sleeping on the rice pot. that’s where you’ll eat for 80 taka, be full for four hours, and have a story about the time you tried shutki* (fermented fish) and your taste buds staged a protest.

rangapukur doesn’t care about your foodie cred. it cares about hunger. feed it cheap, feed it loud. mission accomplished.

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