Ingredient library
Store purchase prices, pack sizes, and units. Update a price once — every recipe that uses it recalculates automatically.
The free food cost calculator for chefs, bakers and food businesses
CostMyDish – Free Food Cost Calculator Appfor Chefs, Bakers & Restaurants
Free food costing calculator for chefs, home bakers, caterers and food trucks. Build your ingredient library, cost recipes in real time, and set selling prices that hit your food cost % target.
Food cost %
30%
Profit / slice
$3.59
Total cost
$3.21
Live example: Margherita pizza — 4 ingredients, real numbers, instant results.
Features
Everything you need to cost a menu
Built for restaurant owners, home bakers, caterers and food trucks — not spreadsheets. The food cost calculator that works for any format you sell.
Smart unit conversion
Mix kg, g, oz, ml, cups, and more. Weight converts to weight, volume to volume — incompatible units show a clear error.
Live recipe costing
Add ingredients to a recipe and watch total cost, cost per unit, food cost %, and profit update as you type.
Multiple selling formats
Sell by the slice, whole pizza, portion, or custom format. Each format gets its own margin and suggested price.
Food cost targets
Set a target food cost %. See green, yellow, or red margin status so you know when to raise prices.
Price historyHobbyist
Hobbyist subscribers get automatic price change tracking — see how ingredient costs affect your margins over time.
How it works
From pantry to profit in four steps
01
Add your ingredients
Enter what you buy and what you paid — e.g. flour at $3.99 per 2kg, milk at ₹50 per litre. Optional waste % for trim and spoilage. Works in any currency and any unit.
02
Build a recipe
Pick ingredients from your library, enter quantities and units, and set your target food cost %. See live cost preview as you go.
03
Add selling formats
Define how you sell — 8 slices at $3.99 each, or a whole pizza at $14.99, or a food truck combo at $12.99. The app costs per unit and shows profit and food cost % for each format.
04
Price with confidence
Use suggested prices, margin badges, and dashboard alerts to keep every dish on target. Update an ingredient price — all recipes refresh instantly.
Example: Margherita Pizza
Cost flour, sauce, mozzarella, and olive oil → total recipe cost $3.21. Sell 8 slices at $3.99 → 10% food cost, $3.59 profit per slice. Sell a whole pizza at $14.99 → 21% food cost, $11.78 profit. One recipe, multiple formats, full clarity.
Why CostMyDish
Built for food businesses — not spreadsheets
Owners switch to CostMyDish when enterprise software is overkill and spreadsheets are error-prone.
| Alternative | Common complaint | CostMyDish |
|---|---|---|
| Spreadsheets | Formulas break when units mix or one supplier price changes | Smart unit conversion + one-tap price updates recalculate every dish |
| Enterprise tools (meez, xtraCHEF) | $75+/mo, browser-only, steep learning curve, POS lock-in | Free to start, mobile-first, live in minutes — no integrations required |
| Generic recipe apps | Built for home cooking, not food cost % and menu margins | Food cost %, profit, targets, and over-target alerts built in |
| Bakery-only calculators | Narrow focus, dated UX, or paid before you see value | Works for bakery, restaurant, truck & catering — free tier to try |
FAQ
Common questions
How do I calculate food cost percentage?+
Divide your total ingredient cost by your selling price and multiply by 100. For example, if a pizza costs $3.21 to make and you sell it for $14.99, your food cost percentage is 21.4%. CostMyDish calculates this automatically for every recipe and selling format.
What is a good food cost percentage for a restaurant?+
Most restaurants target 28–35% food cost. Cafés and bakeries often aim for 25–35%. CostMyDish lets you set your own target and shows green, yellow, or red status so you always know when a dish is off target.
What is the best free food cost calculator app?+
CostMyDish offers a free plan with full food cost %, profit, and margin calculations for up to 5 dishes. Unlike spreadsheets, it handles unit conversion and recalculates every dish when ingredient prices change.
Can I use CostMyDish as a bakery pricing calculator?+
Yes. Add your ingredients (flour, butter, eggs, sugar) with the price you paid and pack size. Build your recipe, set how you sell (whole cake or by the slice), and CostMyDish shows your food cost % and profit for each format instantly.
Does CostMyDish work for food trucks and caterers?+
Yes. CostMyDish is built for any food business — restaurants, food trucks, caterers, home bakers, and cafés. You can set multiple selling formats per dish, so a food truck selling a combo and individual items can cost both formats from one recipe.
How is CostMyDish different from meez or xtraCHEF?+
Enterprise tools like meez and xtraCHEF target larger operations with invoice scanning and integrations — often $75+/month. CostMyDish is a mobile-first food cost calculator: faster to start, free tier, and focused on recipe costing and margin math.
Does CostMyDish work in the UK, Canada, Australia, and India?+
Yes. Use any currency (USD, GBP, CAD, AUD, INR, and more) and metric or imperial units. CostMyDish is used by food businesses worldwide.
Is CostMyDish free?+
Yes. The free plan gives you 5 dishes and 20 ingredients with full cost calculations, selling format analysis, and margin status badges. Upgrade to Hobbyist ($4.99/mo) for unlimited dishes and ingredients, price history, and cloud sync.
Pricing
Start free. Upgrade when you need more.
Subscriptions are managed through the App Store or Google Play via RevenueCat. Prices shown in USD.
Free
$0forever
Try CostMyDish and cost your first recipes.
- ✓Up to 5 recipes
- ✓Up to 20 ingredients
- ✓Full cost calculations
- ✓Selling format analysis
- ✓Margin status badges
Hobbyist
$4.99/ month
or $39.99/year (~$3.33/mo)
For growing menus and serious home cooks.
- ✓Unlimited recipes
- ✓Unlimited ingredients
- ✓Ingredient price history
- ✓Cloud sync across devices
- ✓Everything in Free
Ready to cost your next dish?
Download CostMyDish on iOS or Android. Create your account, add ingredients, and see your first recipe cost breakdown in minutes.