Pricing guide · Dishes & meals
How to price pizza: cost per pizza and what to charge
Pizza is one of the highest-margin foods to sell. Cheese is almost always the biggest cost, followed by toppings and the box.
Example batch cost
$4.29
Cost per pizza
$4.29
Price at 30% food cost
$14.30
Pizza cost calculator
Margherita pizza (12-inch)
Enter your price to see food cost % and profit.
The app keeps your ingredient prices. When butter goes up, every dish that uses it updates — no re-typing.
Worked example: Margherita pizza (12-inch)
This batch makes 1 pizza. Here is where the money goes, most expensive first:
| Ingredient | Used | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Mozzarella | 200 g | $2.00 |
| Bread flour | 250 g | $0.63 |
| Pizza box | 1 piece | $0.60 |
| Fresh basil | 5 g (+10% waste) | $0.46 |
| Crushed tomatoes | 120 g | $0.38 |
| Olive oil | 15 ml | $0.15 |
| Instant yeast | 3 g | $0.07 |
| Total for 1 pizza | $4.29 | |
That is $4.29 per pizza. At a 30% food cost the price should be at least $14.30. Across the usual 28–35% range for dishes & meals, that is $12.26 (at 35%) to $15.32 (at 28%) per pizza — before your time and overheads.
What drives the cost of pizza
- •Cheese — weigh it, don’t eyeball it
- •Premium toppings (meats, burrata, truffle)
- •Boxes for takeaway and delivery
Tips for pricing pizza
- ✓Weigh cheese and toppings per size — over-portioning is the biggest margin leak
- ✓Cost each topping as a priced extra
- ✓Sell by the slice and whole pie — slices usually earn more per pizza
Sell whole pizzas in sizes, by the slice, and toppings as extras.
Don’t forget your time and overheads
Food cost % only covers ingredients. Your menu price also has to pay for kitchen labour, rent, energy, card and delivery-app fees — which is why most restaurants keep food cost around 28–35%.
Keep your pizza prices up to date
Save this recipe in the free CostMyDish app. Your ingredient prices live in one Library — when mozzarella goes up, every recipe that uses it recalculates, and you see which items need a new price.
Get the free appCommon questions about pricing pizza
How much does it cost to make one pizza?+
In our example (Margherita pizza (12-inch), makes 1 pizza), the ingredients cost $4.29 in total, or $4.29 per pizza. Enter your own prices in the calculator for your exact cost.
What food cost % should I use for pizza?+
For dishes & meals most businesses aim for 28–35%. At 30%, the example works out to at least $14.30 per pizza before labour and overheads.
How much does it cost to make a pizza?+
With the example prices, a 12-inch margherita costs a few dollars including the box. Your cheese price matters most.
What food cost % should a pizzeria target?+
Many pizzerias aim for 25–30%. Pizza’s low dough cost makes it easier to hit than most dishes.
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