Grocery Unit Price Calculator
Compare the cost of the amount you can actually use, rather than the price printed on a package. Check two sizes of rice, two bottles of oil, or drained-weight alternatives using your own prices.
Prices use one currency chosen by you. This tool does not fetch prices or exchange rates. Use the same unit and comparable ingredients; enter the final price after any discount.
Worked example: which rice bag offers better value?
Suppose package A costs 300 for 500 g and package B costs 550 for 1,000 g. These are hypothetical prices, not a current market quote. With both usable percentages at 100, A costs 60 per 100 g and B costs 55 per 100 g. B is about 8.33% cheaper per unit even though its checkout price is higher.
What the usable percentage means
Usable quantity = package quantity × usable percentage ÷ 100. If a 400 g can includes 240 g drained beans, the usable share is 240 ÷ 400 × 100 = 60%. Enter the 400 g package quantity and 60%. Alternatively, enter 240 g and 100%. Both methods describe the same usable amount. Do not adjust both the package quantity and the percentage for the same loss; that counts the loss twice.
The unit cost is package price ÷ usable quantity. Grams and milliliters are displayed per 100 units for easier comparison; countable items are displayed per item. A kitchen scale can help measure edible quantities, but this calculator does not estimate peeling loss or drainage for you.
When the cheaper package is not the better purchase
A larger package can cost less per gram but more at checkout, use more storage space, or leave food you will not consume. Compare the usable amount you expect to finish, not an ideal amount you might waste. Avoid comparing different ingredients as if price alone captured nutrition, flavor, convenience or dietary suitability.
How percentage savings are calculated
The difference between the two unit costs is divided by the higher unit cost. That gives the saving when switching from the more expensive option to the cheaper one. The comparison uses unrounded numbers and rounds only the display. An equal unit cost is reported as a tie. A zero package price is allowed; a zero usable quantity is not.
Before you compare
- Read both labels and note whether their quantities describe dry, net or drained amounts.
- Use the same unit. Convert kilograms to grams or liters to milliliters before entering the amounts.
- Enter prices in the same currency and on the same tax or delivery basis.
- Adjust the usable share only when you have a reliable amount, such as stated drained weight.
- Consider checkout cost and pantry stock alongside unit price.
Continue with the unit-price guide or use the complete recipe-cost calculator to price the quantities your recipe needs.