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Food cost & menu price calculator

Enter the ingredients of one recipe with their purchase price and the quantity used. Get the cost per portion, your food cost percentage, the margin per dish and a suggested price for the food cost target you choose, with or without VAT.

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  • ✓ No sign-up
  • 🔒 Calculated in your browser: your contact is only sent if you unlock the full report.

Ingredients · Units: kg, g, L, ml or pieces · Example recipe: replace every price with yours

$0.50
$1.50
$0.20
$0.08
$0.11
Your own target; choose it from your concept, rent and labour.

Cost per portion · Chicken burger

$2.69

Enter your current price to see your food cost %

Suggested price (30 %)$8.95excl. VAT · $8.95 incl. VAT
Margin per portion$6.27Suggested price

ℹ️ Assumptions: purchase prices excl. VAT; waste % = share of the bought quantity that cannot be used; margin = price excl. VAT − cost per portion (before labour, rent and other costs).

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How food cost is calculated

Cost of one ingredient = purchase price ÷ purchase quantity × quantity used ÷ (1 − waste %). Waste covers peeling, trimming and cooking loss: if 20 % of a kilo of onions is lost, you pay for 1 kg to use 800 g.

Cost per portion = cost of all ingredients ÷ portions, plus packaging or other costs per portion. Food cost % = cost per portion ÷ selling price excluding VAT.

Suggested price = cost per portion ÷ your target food cost %. The target is your decision: it depends on your concept, rent and labour. The tool shows several targets side by side so you can choose.

How to use the calculator

  1. Name the dish and enter how many portions the recipe makes.
  2. Add each ingredient: purchase price, purchase quantity and unit, quantity used and waste %.
  3. Add packaging or other costs per portion, your VAT rate and your current menu price if you have one.
  4. Read the cost per portion and food cost %; change the target to see the suggested price.
  5. Unlock the full report: price table by target, margin per month and a printable recipe cost card.

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Frequently asked questions

What is a good food cost percentage?

It depends on your concept, prices, rent and labour, so set your own target. Track it per dish and per month, and compare the theoretical cost (recipes) with the actual cost (purchases and stock counts).

Should I calculate with prices including VAT?

Compare cost with the selling price excluding VAT, because VAT is not your revenue. The tool shows the price excluding VAT and the price to display including VAT.

How do I count waste?

Weigh what is usable after preparation, then waste % = 1 − usable weight ÷ bought weight. Do it once per ingredient and update it when your supplier or recipe changes.

Can this be automatic?

Yes. With recipes in a POS such as Dawwerni, each sale deducts the ingredients and the cost and margin of every product update from your real purchase prices.

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