A lunch subscription in Valencia is usually cheaper than a daily menú del día and noticeably cheaper than delivery apps: «Смачно жити»'s "Home Lunch" costs from 11 € on a monthly plan, whereas a menú del día typically costs roughly 12–15 € and a delivery-app lunch with fees often comes to 15–20 €. A subscription also saves time: lunch arrives hot between 12:00 and 14:30, and you don't have to choose it every day.
But price isn't the only factor. Below we honestly compare four weekday lunch options by cost, time and what you actually get for your money.
How much does lunch cost in Valencia? Four options
Here's the approximate cost of one weekday lunch. Restaurant and app prices vary by area, venue and time, so these are rough ranges, not exact data.
- Menú del día — typically around 12–15 €. Often includes a starter, a main, dessert or coffee, bread and a drink.
- Delivery app — the dish plus delivery and service fees often comes to 15–20 €.
- «Смачно жити» subscription — from 11 € per meal on a monthly plan, 12 € on a weekly plan, and from 10.50 € for offices with 3+ people. IVA included; current delivery terms are on the packages page.
- Cooking yourself — cheapest in terms of ingredients, but it takes time to shop, cook and wash up.
What does that add up to per month?
Let's take 21 working days — roughly the number of weekdays in a month.
- Subscription: 21 × 11 € = 231 €.
- Menú del día: 21 × 12–15 € = roughly 252–315 €.
- Delivery app: 21 × 15–20 € = roughly 315–420 €.
So compared with a menú del día the difference is about 20–85 € a month, and compared with delivery apps about 80–190 €. Add soup (+2 € a day) and the subscription comes to 273 € — still within the menú del día range.
What about an office, or dinner too?
For a team of 3+, the office price from 10.50 € works out at 21 × 10.50 € = 220.50 € per person per month. The "Lunch + Dinner" package from 19 € covers two meals in one delivery: 21 × 19 € = 399 € a month. That's about the same as lunch alone through a delivery app at the top of the range — except dinner is included too.
If you cook yourself, count not just groceries but the hidden costs too: leftovers that go uneaten, impulse orders on days you're too tired to cook, and your own time.
How much time does each option take?
Money is easy to count; time is often forgotten. Here's what the lunch break looks like in each case:
- Menú del día. Walking to the restaurant, waiting for a table and service, three courses — it can easily take an hour or more. Lovely as a break, but it doesn't always fit into a working day.
- Delivery app. Choosing a place and a dish, then waiting for the courier, which can drag on at peak times. Plus the daily "what shall I order?" decision.
- Subscription. You look at the weekly menu once, between Thursday and Sunday. After that lunch simply arrives between 12:00 and 14:30, and it only takes as long as you spend eating.
- Cooking yourself. Shopping, cooking, packing containers and cleaning up — even if you batch-cook for several days, it's a few hours a week.
Time is also mental load. Deciding what to eat every day is a small thing that adds up to a couple of dozen little decisions a month.
A useful exercise: estimate what an hour of your time is worth and add it to the price of lunch. For many people, the time saved — not the few euros of difference — ends up being the main argument.
What do you get for your money?
Comparing on price alone isn't fair — the options give you different things.
Menú del día: more courses and atmosphere
It's a proper restaurant lunch with several courses, often with a drink and dessert, shared with colleagues or friends. If lunch is also a social occasion and a break from the screen for you, a menú del día has value a subscription won't replace.
Delivery apps: maximum choice
Hundreds of restaurants and cuisines, from sushi to burgers. Great when you fancy something specific or want something different every day. The downsides are fees, unpredictable delivery times and ingredients that aren't always transparent.
Subscription: balance, transparency and predictability
A nutritionist plans the weekly menu: a hot main, a garnish of your choice (mash, buckwheat, rice, bulgur) and a salad. Every label shows calories, macros (kcal, protein, fat, carbs), allergens, storage and reheating. The price is fixed, with no peak-time surcharges. The downside is less choice: you pick your garnish and your order, but not a different cuisine every day.
When is a subscription not the best choice?
Let's be honest: a subscription doesn't suit everyone.
- If you only eat lunch out once or twice a week, one-off orders may be more convenient.
- If a daily choice of cuisines matters to you, apps give you more freedom.
- If you love cooking and have the time, home cooking from your own groceries will be cheapest.
- If you follow a medical diet, talk to your doctor first — we list ingredients and allergens, but we don't design therapeutic meal plans.
But if you eat lunch on weekdays regularly, want home-style food and don't want to think about lunch every day, a subscription usually wins on both price and time.
How can you try it without risk?
To compare for yourself, start with a weekly plan at 12 € per meal. We publish the menu every Thursday, you can change your garnish or pause until Sunday 20:00, and cancelling takes two clicks in your account. Pay by Bizum or bank transfer.
If you like the format, a monthly plan brings the price down to 11 € per meal. And if you want dinner sorted too, the "Lunch + Dinner" package from 19 € brings both meals in one delivery.
Compare for yourself: see packages and prices or check this week's menu.