This works out how much a dish costs per serving from its total ingredient cost, and optionally the profit margin if you’re pricing it to sell.
How it works
Cost per serving
cost per serving = total ingredient cost ÷ number of servings
What this doesn’t capture
Ingredient cost is the most direct number to gather, but a full cost picture for a business would also include labour, overhead, and waste or spoilage — real costs this calculator doesn’t ask about because they vary enormously by kitchen and aren’t a simple sum the way ingredient prices are.
How to use this calculator
- Add up your total ingredient cost from receipts or per-unit pricing.
- Enter the number of servings the recipe makes.
- Optionally, enter a selling price per serving to see the margin.
Frequently asked questions
How do I work out the cost of a partial ingredient, like half an onion?
Divide the ingredient’s total package price by how much of the package the recipe actually uses — half an onion from a $1 bag of onions containing four is roughly $0.125, not the full dollar.
Should I include the cost of oil, salt and seasoning?
For a fully accurate figure, yes, though the cost of small seasoning amounts is often negligible per serving and sometimes left out for simplicity in a rough estimate.
Why does this ask for a separate “other costs” field?
For costs that aren’t ingredients but still belong in the total — packaging for a takeaway dish, or a delivery fee for ingredients, for instance.
What’s a reasonable profit margin for a food business?
It varies enormously by business type and market — this calculator computes the margin for whatever selling price you enter; it doesn’t recommend one, since that depends on factors (rent, labour, competition) far beyond ingredient cost alone.
Does this account for ingredient price changes over time?
No — it uses whatever cost figure you enter, which reflects prices at whatever moment you gathered them. Food costs can shift meaningfully over time, so revisiting this calculation periodically keeps it accurate.
