How much does each home-cooked meal cost per person? Add ingredients with quantities and costs, and compare to eating out.
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How This Works
Total meal cost = sum of all ingredient costs + energy cost. Cost per person = total ÷ number of servings. Ingredient costs should reflect only the portion used (e.g. if you use 300g of chicken from a 1kg pack at £6, the ingredient cost is £1.80). Energy cost for cooking on a gas hob is typically 20–40p per meal.
The UK average food spend is approximately £60–80/week for a family of 4 (ONS 2024), or £15–20 per person per week. This includes all food and non-alcoholic drinks but not eating out. Meal planning and batch cooking can reduce this to £10–12 per person per week without significant quality sacrifice. The biggest single saving is reducing food waste — the average UK household wastes £700 of food per year.