2-3 times takes a toll almost everywhere, I am a grad student in Iowa where costs are not that high. Eating out more than once a week seems like a luxury to me.
We spend more money cooking than when we eat out, just because getting access to decent produce is a bit difficult. But I live in Beijing right now, and know this combination of crappy grocery stores and decent/cheap eateries can't last when I move back to the states.