Cost Per Serving Calculator
Total recipe cost and cost per serving. Add ingredients with prices and units. For home meal planning or restaurant menu costing.
Ingredients
Restaurant menu pricing
Biggest cost driver
Chicken breast: AED 15.00
How to use
- 1
Add each ingredient with: amount used, unit (g, ml, count), and price per unit.
- 2
Price per unit example: if 1kg of rice costs AED 10, enter 0.01 (AED/g).
- 3
Enter how many servings the recipe makes.
- 4
For restaurant pricing: set your target food cost % (typically 25-35%) to get a suggested menu price.
Frequently asked questions
Take the price you paid divided by the quantity. AED 10 for 1kg rice = 10 / 1000 = AED 0.01 per gram. AED 20 for 500g chicken = 20 / 500 = AED 0.04 per gram. UAE supermarkets show per-kg prices on shelf tags — just divide by 1000.
Cost of ingredients ÷ menu price × 100. A restaurant burger that costs AED 8 in ingredients and sells for AED 32 has a food cost of 25%. Target ranges: casual restaurants 28-35%, fine dining 30-40%, fast food 25-30%, beverages 15-25%.
Operating model. A restaurant with high rent (Dubai Marina) needs lower food cost % to stay profitable; one with lower rent (industrial area) can run higher. Volume helps too — buying 100kg of chicken weekly is cheaper per kg than buying 10kg. Track your trend over time, not just the snapshot.
No — this calculator covers FOOD cost only. Restaurant total cost includes: food (target 30%), labour (target 25-30%), overhead/rent (target 15-20%), profit (target 10-15%). For full menu pricing, multiply ingredient cost by 3-4× to land in the typical menu range.
Real-world recipes waste ingredients — chicken bones, vegetable peels, evaporation. Industry standard: add 5-15% to ingredient amounts to account for trim and waste. For high-trim items (whole fish, bone-in meats), use 25-30%. The calculator handles whatever amounts you enter — adjust based on your actual usage.
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Source: Standard food cost accounting · Last verified 2026-06. This tool provides estimates only and is not legal, tax or financial advice. Always verify your specific situation with the relevant UAE authority or a licensed advisor before taking action.