BBQ Cost Per Guest Calculator
Calculate per-guest BBQ cost from meat, sides, drinks, and propane.
Plan a backyard cookout budget without overbuying or coming up short.
A backyard BBQ for 20 people can run anywhere from $80 to $400 depending on the meat choice and what counts as “sides."
The math is straightforward; the discipline is being honest about what you actually serve.
per_guest = (meat + sides + drinks + fuel) / guests
Meat is the biggest single line.
Standard portion is 1/3 to 1/2 lb of cooked meat per adult, which means buying 1/2 to 3/4 lb raw to account for cooking loss and bone weight.
Common meats and 2026 retail prices per pound:
- Chicken thighs: $2.50-3.50/lb
- Chicken wings: $3.50-4.50/lb
- Pork ribs (St. Louis cut): $3.50-5.00/lb
- Hot dogs: $4-7/lb
- Burgers (80/20 ground beef): $5-7/lb
- Pulled pork (raw butt): $3-4.50/lb (cooks down 35-40%)
- Brisket (raw): $5-9/lb (cooks down 40-50%)
- Steak (NY strip): $14-22/lb
A worked example.
20 adults, mid-range cookout: 2 lb burgers ($14), 8 lb chicken thighs ($24), 5 lb hot dogs ($30), buns and condiments ($25), three sides — coleslaw, potato salad, corn ($45), beverages including beer ($60), propane ($5).
Total: $203, or about $10 per person.
Same headcount with brisket and steak instead: closer to $20-25 per person.
Sides are where budgets quietly grow.
Pre-made sides from Costco run $12-18 per pan; homemade is half that but takes hours.
Plan 3-4 sides for a full cookout: a starch (potato salad, mac and cheese, beans), a vegetable (coleslaw, grilled corn, salad), a chip-and-dip option, and condiments.
For a group of 20, expect 4-5 lb of each side dish.
Drinks vary the most.
Soda and water: about $2-3 per person for the day.
Add beer (4 per person average): $25-50 depending on craft vs domestic.
Add wine for a quarter of guests: $30-60.
A full open-bar BBQ for 20 people can hit $200 in drinks alone, doubling the food budget.
Three practical points.
Buying in bulk at Costco or restaurant supply stores cuts per-pound prices by 25-40% for chicken and ground beef, but you commit to a larger purchase.
Disposable plates, cups, and cutlery for 20 people run $25-40 — easy to forget when budgeting.
And cooking-loss surprises people: a 10 lb pork butt yields 6-6.5 lb of pulled pork after smoking.
Always buy by raw weight and account for the shrink, especially for slow-cooked meats.