Japanese is definitely the most expensive, out of all the Asian foods. Due to the raw fish factor. The cheapest, I think is Chinese, Thai, and Vietnamese. These food are heavy on rice. The meat is there to give you some nutrition but is not meant to be the main source for filling you up. That’s where rice comes in. I know that if you’re not used to eating this way, it might not work, but for me, it works well and save me a lot of $$. Also, one of the cheapest yet satisfying meal is when I boil http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ipomoea_aquatica. I eat this boiled veggie dipped in fish sauce and also use the water I boiled the veggie in as soup. This won’t give you the protein you’d need, so I wouldn’t do this everyday. But it’s a cheap way to get full, and for me, it’s delicious :-).
I agree that Asian markets are far away from you. So saving might not be as enticing. For me, there are 3 Asian supermarkets in Mira Mesa and 1 more on its way. We rarely go to 99 anymore. Zion is cheaper for veggie and we buy meat fresh at the supermarkets in MM when we’re ready to eat. There’s one 5 blocks away from me.
If you decide to try and eat inexpensive Asian food, you should also make sure you’re eating it Asian style. I.E. a lot of rice and a little meat, vs what you might have been accustom to, which is a lot of meat and a little carb.
