Food Cost Percentage Calculator
The one metric every kitchen needs to stay profitable — food cost percentage (FCP).
Where Your Food Cost % Sits
RecipeScaler calculates your ingredient cost automatically (15 preset dishes, ₹/kg prices, live mandi where available). Compare your number against these benchmarks:
| Food cost % | Health | Benchmark guidance |
|---|---|---|
| Under 25% | Healthy | Great margin — check you aren't under-portioning or using poor quality. |
| 28–35% | Optimal | Good range for Indian restaurants, tiffin services and casual dining. |
| 35–40% | Watch | Thin profit. Review ingredient pricing, portion sizes and waste. |
| Above 40% | Reprice needed | Likely losing money per plate. Raise the price or reduce ingredient cost. |
The Formula
Food Cost % = (Cost of Ingredients ÷ Selling Price) × 100
Example: A paneer butter masala costs ₹120 in ingredients and sells for ₹320.
Food Cost % = (120 ÷ 320) × 100 = 37.5%
Healthy range for Indian restaurants: 28–35%.
How to Use RecipeScaler for Food Costing
- Build your dish in the tool using preset recipes (Dal Tadka, Paneer Butter Masala, etc.) or add ingredients manually.
- The tool gives the total ingredient cost automatically from ₹/kg prices.
- Divide by your selling price, then multiply by 100.
- Adjust prices to your local mandi — overrides are saved in your browser.
Get Your Ingredient Cost
The RecipeScaler tool calculates the full ingredient cost of any recipe in seconds — including per-serving and per-plate cost.
Open Food Cost Tool →Related tools
Food Cost Calculator · Free Food Cost Templates · Wedding Food Cost Calculator · Catering Cost Per Plate
Food Cost Percentage — FAQ
What is a good food cost percentage for a restaurant?
28–35% is healthy for most Indian restaurants and tiffin services. QSRs 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 % = (Cost of Ingredients ÷ Selling Price) × 100. Example: ₹120 of ingredients sold for ₹320 gives (120 ÷ 320) × 100 = 37.5%.
How do I calculate food cost for a dish?
Add every ingredient's cost (quantity × price per kg), divide by the selling price, multiply by 100. Use the free food cost calculator — it prices 15 dishes automatically with ₹/kg rates.
What is the difference between food cost and food cost percentage?
Food cost is the absolute ingredient cost of a dish. Food cost percentage is that cost as a share of the selling price — the metric that tells you if a menu item is profitable.
How can I lower my food cost percentage?
Buy in season, use live mandi rates, trim portions, track waste, and reprice any item above 40%. Download the free food cost template to monitor it monthly.