Meal Cost Per Person Calculator
Whether you are hosting a dinner, costing a catered event, or pricing a supper club, the key figure is what the meal costs per person. This calculator takes the total ingredient cost, the number of guests, and the number of servings the recipe yields, then returns the cost per person, the cost per serving, and an optional target price per person from a markup you choose. It works in any single currency you use consistently. All inputs are user-editable, so you can model different guest counts and pricing instantly.
Meal cost formula
cost per person = total cost / number of guests
cost per serving = total cost / servings yielded
target price per person = cost per person * (1 + markup / 100)
target total revenue = target price per person * number of guests
Cost per person splits the total across guests; cost per serving splits it across recipe portions. The markup converts a cost into a target price, and revenue scales that price back across all guests.
Meal costing context
- Per person divides by guests; per serving divides by recipe yield.
- Use one consistent currency across all cost inputs.
- Add packaging, energy, and labor separately for a full cost.
- A 100 percent markup doubles the cost; 200 percent triples it.
- Extra servings lower cost per serving below cost per person.
Meal cost: frequently asked questions
How do I calculate meal cost per person?
Add up the cost of all ingredients to get the total cost, then divide by the number of people you are serving. This calculator does that and also shows cost per serving when a recipe makes more or fewer servings than guests, plus an optional markup for a target sell price.
What is the difference between per person and per serving?
Per person divides the total by the number of guests. Per serving divides by how many portions the recipe yields. They differ when some guests take more than one serving or when you cook extra. The calculator reports both so you can plan portions and pricing.
How does the markup work?
If you enter a markup percentage, the calculator multiplies the cost per person by one plus the markup divided by 100 to give a target price per person. A 200 percent markup, for example, triples the cost. This helps when costing a catered meal or a supper club.
Should I include non-food costs?
This tool focuses on ingredient cost. For a full cost you may want to add packaging, energy, and labor separately. You can fold a rough overhead into the total cost input, or use the markup to cover overheads and profit together.
Can I use this for any currency?
Yes. The calculator does not assume a currency; it simply divides and multiplies the numbers you enter. Use one consistent currency for all the cost inputs and the outputs will be in that same currency.
Official sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: CPI Food Price Data.
- USDA Economic Research Service: Food Price Outlook.
Reviewed by the CalculatorHub team, edited by James Graham, 16 June 2026. See our methodology.