How to use this calculator
Replace the example ingredient prices with yours. For each ingredient, enter the package price, the amount in that package, and the amount used in the recipe. Select package and recipe units separately within weight, volume or pieces. Enter original recipe servings and target servings. The scaled ingredient list updates without changing your original inputs. Add or remove ingredients as needed.
The math behind it
Ingredient cost used = package price × quantity used ÷ package quantity (after converting to matching units) Scale factor = target servings ÷ original servings Scaled quantity and cost = original quantity and cost × scale factor Cost per serving = original batch cost ÷ original servings
A worked example
Flour costing 2 for 1,000 g contributes 0.50 when 250 g is used. Butter costing 3 for 250 g contributes 1.20 when 100 g is used. The batch costs 1.70; across 4 servings that is 0.425 each, displayed as 0.43 in a currency with two decimal places. Scaling to 8 servings doubles flour to 500 g and butter to 200 g, for a total cost of 3.40; cost per serving stays the same.
Assumptions & precision
Ingredient consumption cost, not the cash needed to buy whole packages. Quantities used may exceed one package. Package quantity must be positive; price and amount used must be nonnegative and finite. Compatible units are converted for costing: kg/g, lb/oz and L/mL. Unit selectors reinterpret entered numbers rather than rewriting them. Ounces are weight, not fluid ounces. Pieces cannot be converted to weight or volume. Scaling is proportional, including fractional pieces; cooking times, seasoning and equipment may need adjustment. No mass-to-volume conversion or ingredient density assumptions. One to 50 ingredients; positive servings up to 1,000,000, including fractional yields. No labor, energy, packaging, waste allowance, tax, margin or selling-price calculation. Enter usable quantities and any relevant purchasing cost consistently. Currency changes display only. Intermediate costs remain unrounded; results above 10¹⁵ are rejected. Displayed line costs or per-serving amounts may not sum exactly due to rounding.
A common question
Is this the amount I need to spend at the store?
Not necessarily. It prorates the ingredients consumed in the recipe. If you need part of a package, you may have to buy the whole package, so the checkout total can be higher.