What's cheaper - being a vegetarian or being a meat eater? This depends on you and what you like to eat. You can buy highly specialized vegetarian food from a fairly expensive health food store, or you can buy less expensive vegetarian options from a supermarket, etc. The range of vegetarian dishes is so vast, that it is possible to accommodate every budget. It's ridiculous to think that vegetarianism is "only for the privileged", or only for the poor.