Free Food Cost Calculator
Know exactly what a dish costs to make. Pick a recipe, set your portions, and get the ingredient cost, food cost % and a suggested menu price — priced with Indian ₹/kg rates and live mandi.
Live ₹/kg prices are for the raw, untrimmed produce. Waste % lifts the real cost.
Some weight is lost to cooking. 100% means the whole batch is served.
Total ingredient cost
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Cost per portion
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Suggested menu price @ 33%
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Curated ₹/kg prices (Aug 2026) · live mandi when available. Editable prices live in your browser.
Suggested menu price
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Selling price incl. GST at your target food cost %.
Gross margin
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0% after GST on suggested price
The Food Cost Formula
Food Cost % = (Cost of Ingredients ÷ Selling Price) × 100
Example: a paneer butter masala costs ₹120 in ingredients and sells for ₹320 → (120 ÷ 320) × 100 = 37.5%. A healthy range for Indian restaurants is 28–35%.
Recipe Cost Calculator →
Calculate per-serving ingredient cost using mandi prices
Tiffin Service Cost Calculator →
Price tiffin meals with per-plate cost and margins
Healthy Food Cost % by Restaurant Type
| Restaurant type | Target food cost % |
|---|---|
| Quick-service / fast food | 25 – 30% |
| Casual dining | 28 – 35% |
| Fine dining | 30 – 40% |
| Cloud kitchen / delivery | 22 – 28% |
| Bakery / café | 20 – 25% |
Above ~40% a dish usually needs re-pricing or a cheaper ingredient swap. Move the slider in the calculator to test any target instantly.
Which Ingredient Is Eating Your Margin?
Paneer
50%+ of a paneer butter masala cost — buy block paneer, negotiate wholesale, or trim portion grams.
Cashews & cream
The two biggest add-ons in rich curries; a light squeeze of cream and crushed cashew paste stretches cost.
Boneless chicken
~40–50% of butter chicken cost; bone-in cuts cut cost but change plate appeal.
Ghee & oil
Every spoon of ghee adds real money; measure it, don’t pour it.
Rule of thumb: keep every line item under ~40% of the dish selling price and watch prices for proteins, nuts and dairy.
Food Cost Calculator — FAQ
How do I calculate the food cost of a dish?
Add the cost of every ingredient (quantity × price per kg), then divide by your selling price and multiply by 100 to get the food cost percentage. RecipeScaler computes the ingredient cost automatically from real recipes and ₹/kg prices.
What is a good food cost percentage for a restaurant?
28–35% is a healthy food cost for most Indian restaurants and tiffin services. Quick-service restaurants can run 30–35%, fine dining 25–30%. Above 40% usually means a dish needs re-pricing.
What is the food cost formula?
Food Cost % = (Total ingredient cost ÷ Selling price) × 100. For example, ₹120 of ingredients sold for ₹320 gives a 37.5% food cost.
Is there a free food cost calculator app?
Yes — RecipeScaler is free in the browser and works on mobile. It uses Indian ₹/kg prices with live mandi market rates when available, so your costing reflects current markets.
How do I price a menu item?
Divide the ingredient cost by your target food cost %. Example: ₹120 ÷ 0.35 = ₹343, round to ₹345, then add GST and your markup. Use the calculator to test different prices instantly.
How can I reduce restaurant food cost?
Buy in season, track live mandi rates, trim portion sizes, reduce waste, and reprice any dish above 40% food cost. The calculator shows exactly which ingredients cost the most.
What is the ideal food cost percentage by restaurant type?
Quick-service restaurants run 25–30%, casual dining 28–35%, fine dining 30–40%, cloud kitchens 22–28%, and bakeries or cafés 20–25%. Use the slider to see how your dish compares at any target.
Why does ingredient cost percentage matter?
It shows which ingredient quietly eats your margin — in a paneer butter masala, paneer alone is often 50%+ of the dish cost. Keep every line item under ~40% of the selling price and reprice ingredients that spike.