Bangkok, Thailand

Bangkok's streets form the world's most dynamic open-air kitchen, offering over 100 stalls per square kilometer in areas like Chinatown. Vendors serve pad thai at dawn and charcoal-grilled satay past midnight, with average meal costs below $2. This affordability and variety outperform #2 Mexico City's street food scene, where tacos average $1.50 but lack Bangkok's 24-hour availability. The city's 50,000+ licensed street vendors ensure extraordinary diversity, from som tam to mango sticky rice, making it the definitive global street food capital.