Free Cost Per Meal Calculator: Home Cooking vs Takeout
List what a recipe's ingredients cost and how many servings it makes to get the cost per meal. Add what you'd usually spend on takeout to see what cooking at home saves per week, month and year.
It runs in your browser. Nothing you type is saved or sent anywhere. The rows filled in below are a made-up example; clear them and add your own.
| Ingredient | Cost of the part you use ($) |
|---|
How the math works
- Cost per meal = total ingredient cost ÷ servings. For big packages, count only the share you use (half a bag of rice = half its price).
- Saved per meal = takeout price − cost per meal.
- Per year = saved per meal × meals per week × 52. Per month is the yearly number ÷ 12.
Example (made up): $5.50 chicken + $1.20 rice + $2.00 broccoli + $1.10 onion and garlic + $1.60 sauce and spices = $11.40 for 4 servings, or $2.85 a meal. Against a $13 takeout meal that's $10.15 saved each time; 4 meals a week is $40.60 a week, about $175.93 a month and $2,111.20 a year.
Prices vary by store and season. This is a planning estimate, not financial or nutrition advice.
Plan the week, not just one meal
The Meal Plan + Grocery Budget ($5) is a spreadsheet with a 4-week meal plan (drop-downs from your own go-to meals list), a grocery list by store section with estimated prices, a spending log and a budget tab that shows what's left each week. Prices are your own estimates. Works in Excel and Google Sheets.
Get the planner on Gumroad – $5
This template is also in the Complete Household Money Bundle (what's inside): all 13 home money spreadsheets for $29 (about $69 if bought one by one).
We make this template, so take that into account. The calculator above is free to use either way.
Related free guides
- How to Batch Cook on a Budget (Example Week)
- How to Spend Less on Takeout and Delivery (Example Numbers)
- How to Pack Lunches for Work on a Budget (Example Numbers)
- How to Meal Plan on a Grocery Budget
More free tools: all calculators.
See all Cedar & Ledger templates