Protein Source Cost Comparison Calculator
Compare cost per gram of protein from eggs, chicken, beef, tofu, and other sources.
Find the most budget-friendly high-protein foods ranked by cost efficiency.
Why Cost Per Gram of Protein Matters Protein is the most expensive macronutrient per calorie. Comparing foods by price alone is misleading, since a cheaper food with lower protein density may cost more per gram of protein.
The Formula Total Protein = Weight (oz) × Protein per oz (grams) Cost per Gram of Protein = Price ($) ÷ Total Protein (g) Cost per 30g Serving = Cost per Gram × 30
Reference protein densities
Weigh and price the food in the same state. Chicken bought raw and eaten cooked is the usual trap: it loses about 30% of its weight as water, so the protein per ounce nearly doubles while the price per ounce you paid stays put.
| Food | g per oz | g per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Whey protein powder | 22–24 | 78–85 |
| Chicken breast, cooked | 8.8 | 31 |
| Chicken breast, raw | 6.2 | 22 |
| Tuna, canned in water, drained | 7.4 | 26 |
| Beef, lean ground, cooked | 7.7 | 27 |
| Beef 85% lean, cooked | 7.4 | 26 |
| Eggs | 3.6 (about 6 g each) | 13 |
| Cottage cheese, low fat | 3.4 | 12 |
| Greek yogurt, plain 0% | 2.8 | 10 |
| Tofu, firm | 2.5 | 9 |
| Lentils, cooked | 2.5 | 9 |
| Black beans, cooked | 2.3 | 8 |
These agree with the figures on this site’s chicken protein and daily protein pages. Whey looks startling at 22 to 24 g per ounce, and that is simply what a dehydrated protein isolate is: almost no water and almost no anything else.
What is a good price for protein?
Judged per gram of protein delivered, not per pound of food.
| Cost per gram | Verdict |
|---|---|
| Under $0.05 | Excellent |
| $0.05 to $0.10 | Good value |
| $0.10 to $0.20 | Average |
| $0.20 to $0.35 | Expensive |
| Over $0.35 | Premium or specialty |
The calculator scores each food against these bands, so you get an absolute verdict as well as a ranking. Winning a comparison between two expensive foods is not the same as being cheap.
How much protein do you actually need?
Common guidance is 0.7 to 1 g per pound of body weight, which is 1.5 to 2.2 g/kg. For a 180 lb person that is 126 to 180 g a day, and no single food gets you there comfortably: 180 g from chicken alone is about 580 g of cooked breast.
How we build and check this calculator
This calculator runs entirely in your browser, so the numbers you enter stay on your device. The math behind it is written by hand and tested against worked examples and standard references before the page goes live.
SuperGlobalCalculator is independently built and maintained. See how we build and verify our calculators.