By the unit or in bulk
Eggs by the unit, meat by the kilo and milk by the liter: the calculator converts grams, pounds and milliliters for you.
Free tool
Food cost calculator
Do you know what each dish leaving your kitchen really costs you? Add the ingredients and see the cost per portion, your food cost and the price that works for you.
Fast. Simple. Accurate. And best of all, free.
- No sign-up
- PDF recipe card
- Your data never leaves your browser
Instructions
Enter the dish name and add each ingredient: whether you buy it by the unit or in bulk, how much it costs you and how much you use in the recipe.
Calculator results
Recipe cost--
Cost per portion--
Suggested price--
1
Costo en la receta: --
Food cost and price
See the cost per portion, the percentage going to ingredients and the price you should charge.
PDF recipe card
Download the dish card with each ingredient and its cost, ready for your kitchen or your accountant.
What is food cost and why does it matter?
Food cost is the percentage of a dish's price that goes to ingredients. It's the number that tells you whether a dish makes you money or just makes you work.
Supplier prices change all the time. If you don't recalculate your recipes, your margin keeps shrinking without you noticing.
With each dish's cost clear, you set prices with confidence and know which dishes to push on your menu.
The formula
Food cost = cost per portion ÷ sale price × 100. With a cost of $6.000 and a price of $20.000, food cost is 30 %.
Don't forget waste
What's lost when cleaning, peeling or cooking also costs money. Include it in advanced settings for a more accurate cost.
Step by step
How to calculate a dish's food cost
Name the dish
Enter the name and how many portions the recipe yields.
Add ingredients
Choose whether you buy it by the unit or in bulk, its cost and how much you use.
See the results
The cost per portion, your food cost and the suggested price appear instantly.
Download the PDF
Save the dish card for your kitchen or your accountant.
We answer your questions
Frequently asked questions
What is food cost?
It's the percentage of a dish's sale price that goes to ingredients. If a burger costs you $6.000 in ingredients and you sell it for $20.000, its food cost is 30 %.
What's a good food cost for a restaurant?
As a reference, many restaurants work between 28 % and 35 %. It depends on the type of business: a coffee shop may run lower and a grill house higher. What matters is knowing it for each dish and reviewing it when prices go up.
How do I calculate the cost of a bulk ingredient?
Divide what the purchase unit costs you by its weight or volume, then multiply by how much you use. If a kilo of meat costs $28.000 and you use 150 g, the cost is $28.000 × 0,150 = $4.200. The calculator does the conversion for you.
What is waste, and why should I include it?
It's what you lose when you clean, peel or cook an ingredient. If you trim 20 % of bone and skin off a kilo of chicken, the chicken you actually use costs you more. Turn it on in the advanced settings for a more accurate cost.
How do I get the selling price from the food cost?
Divide the cost per portion by your target food cost. With a cost of $6.000 and a target food cost of 30 %, the suggested price is $6.000 ÷ 0,30 = $20.000.
Are my recipes saved?
No. The calculation runs in your browser and nothing is sent to a server. Download the PDF to keep each dish's recipe card.
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