MealBudgetWhat a home-cooked dinner costs, country by country
The median cost per serving of cooking one dinner from scratch, buying every pack the recipe needs, across 1,345 recipe costings in 11 countries. Shelf prices read up to 30 Sept 2026.
| Country | Median per serving | Cheapest dinner | Recipes |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $12.13 | Roasted Cauliflower and Poblano Tacos ($7.55) | 65 |
| United Kingdom | £6.76 | Koshari (£2.52) | 174 |
| Australia | $15.69 | Egyptian Hummus with Cumin and Lemon ($6.43) | 207 |
| New Zealand | $17.96 | Loaded Black Bean Sweet Potatoes ($11.61) | 59 |
| Greece | 8,20 € | Baladi Salad with Toasted Pita (2,02 €) | 151 |
| Egypt | ٢٩٦٫١٨ ج.م. | Baladi Salad with Toasted Pita (٩٤٫٧٧ ج.م.) | 130 |
| Canada | $21.63 | Egyptian Red Lentil Soup ($9.86) | 137 |
| Spain | 5,93 € | Baladi Salad with Toasted Pita (2,07 €) | 184 |
| Germany | 8,93 € | Baladi Salad with Toasted Pita (3,28 €) | 50 |
| Mexico | $221.25 | Chicken Enchilada Casserole ($104.26) | 120 |
| Austria | € 9,62 | Egyptian Hummus with Cumin and Lemon (€ 2,96) | 68 |
Each country is in its own currency. We don’t convert or rank them, because a converted grocery price isn’t a price anyone pays.
Why the number is higher than the food on the plate
A recipe that needs two tablespoons of soy sauce still costs you the bottle. These figures count whole packs, because that is what the till charges. Cook a week of dinners that use up each other’s ingredients and the cost per serving falls well below the median.
Method
Every ingredient is priced from listings at named supermarkets in that country, shown with its shops and read date on the country price pages. A recipe is counted only when every ingredient in it has a local shelf price. The index updates whenever new prices are read.
Using these figures
Free to use with a link. Please cite: MealBudget Dinner Price Index, mealbudget.app/food-prices/dinner-index, prices read 30 Sept 2026. Download the CSV