Recipe Cost Calculator

Calculate the estimated ingredient cost of any recipe. Adjust servings and see the cost per portion.

How It Works

1. Select a recipe from the list, or enter ingredients manually.
2. Adjust servings using the slider (1–20 portions).
3. Click Calculate to see the itemised cost breakdown.

Price Data

Prices are sourced from the Fidamen Italian Supermarket Price Survey (Q1 2025) and reflect average retail prices at major Italian chains. Prices are estimates — they vary by region, season, brand, and promotions.

Ingredients without price data are listed as "n.d." and excluded from the total. The confidence badge reflects the proportion of ingredients with available prices.

Confidence Rating

• High: All ingredients have price data.
• Medium: More than 50% of ingredients have price data.
• Low: 50% or fewer ingredients have price data, or the total is incomplete.

Limitations

This tool estimates ingredient costs only. It does not account for energy costs, labour, packaging, or food waste. For a full cost-of-cooking analysis, add 20–30% to the ingredient total as a practical rule of thumb.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are the prices accurate? Prices are sourced from the Fidamen Italian Supermarket Price Survey (Q1 2025) and reflect average retail prices at major Italian chains. They are estimates — actual prices vary by region, season, brand, and promotions. The tool is calibrated for a typical Italian supermarket basket. For exact current costs, verify individual ingredient prices at your retailer and enter them using the manual ingredient entry mode.

Why does my recipe show "Medium" or "Low" confidence? Confidence reflects the proportion of recipe ingredients with price data in the database. "High" means all ingredients are priced. "Medium" means more than 50% are priced — the total is an undercount of the true cost. "Low" means 50% or fewer ingredients are priced; the result is unreliable and should not be used for budgeting. Most standard Italian recipes in this collection carry High confidence.

Does the calculator include energy, labour, or packaging costs? No — this tool estimates ingredient costs only. Gas or electricity for cooking, your time, food waste, and packaging are not included. A practical rule of thumb: add 20–30% to the ingredient total to approximate the full cost of cooking a meal at home. The ingredient figure is the floor, not the ceiling. For a discussion of what drives Italian recipe costs, see What affects the cost of a recipe?