Meal kit vs grocery store · BLS prices
Are meal kits worth it? A kit against the same groceries
Meal kits can be worth paying for portions and planning: Dinnerly listed meals from $5.99 a serving on its home page on October 17, 2026. That is a lower bound before shipping; compare the same recipe to judge the extra cost.
- $4.20 chicken breast, per lb
- $6.79 ground beef, per lb
- $2.27 eggs, per dozen
The same 2 × 3 as a meal kit · each at its own published price · groceries $14.24
- 1 EveryPlate full price $52.93 +$38.69 vs groceries · ×3.7 Review
- 2 Home Chef average · shipping not published $59.94 +$45.70 vs groceries · ×4.2 See plans Ad
- 3 HelloFresh range low $70.93 +$56.69 vs groceries · ×5 Review
- 4 Dinnerly box price $71.93 +$57.69 vs groceries · ×5.1 See plans Ad
- 5 Blue Apron menu median $84.93 +$70.69 vs groceries · ×6 See plans Ad
- 6 Marley Spoon box price $93.93 +$79.69 vs groceries · ×6.6 See plans Ad
Store prices
What do the grocery prices show?
The BLS table gives U.S. city averages for September 2026. Boneless chicken breast averaged $4.20 per pound, while uncooked white rice averaged $1.12 per pound. Use the amount a recipe needs to turn those shelf units into a dinner cost.
Several staples cost less than a year earlier, but chicken, cheese, tomatoes and rice rose. Your weekly total depends on what goes into your recipes.
Bottom lineCompare recipe quantities, not a pound of groceries against a complete kit serving.
| Item | September 2026 | A year earlier | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eggs, grade A, large, per dozen | $2.27 | $3.49 | −35% |
| Butter, stick, per lb | $3.96 | $4.79 | −17% |
| Bacon, sliced, per lb | $6.76 | $7.29 | −7% |
| Lettuce, iceberg, per lb | $1.64 | $1.73 | −5% |
| Pork chops, all, per lb | $4.22 | $4.35 | −3% |
| Potatoes, white, per lb | $0.99 | $1.01 | −2% |
| Bananas, per lb | $0.66 | $0.67 | −2% |
| Milk, fresh, whole, per gallon | $4.11 | $4.13 | −1% |
| Chicken breast, boneless, per lb | $4.20 | $4.17 | +1% |
| Cheddar cheese, natural, per lb | $6.13 | $6.05 | +1% |
| Tomatoes, field grown, per lb | $1.99 | $1.91 | +4% |
| Rice, white, long grain, uncooked, per lb | $1.12 | $1.06 | +5% |
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Average Price Data.
What moved in a year
Which staples changed most?
Among the staples shown, BLS prices for eggs fell 35% from September 2025 to September 2026, while spaghetti and macaroni rose 14%. A grocery comparison can change even when you keep cooking the same dishes.
Bottom lineUpdate ingredient prices before reusing an older grocery estimate.
- Eggs−35%
- Butter−17%
- Bacon−7%
- All uncooked ground beef+6%
- Ground beef+7%
- Spaghetti and macaroni+14%
- Fell
- Rose
Kit prices per serving
What does a kit week cost?
Dinnerly's plan page, read October 19, 2026, lists three dinners for two people at $71.93, including $11.99 shipping. That is a more useful weekly comparison than its lowest advertised serving price.
By this site's math, a week is the serving price multiplied by servings, plus shipping. Compare your actual box size using the meal kit price check. Shipping marked “not published” is left out of totals; sales tax is excluded.
Bottom lineUse the recurring box total with published shipping, rather than the lowest advertised serving price.
Shipping not included. A single dot is a “from” or full price.
| Dinnerly | $5.99 to $11.49 |
|---|---|
| Blue Apron | $6.50 to $14.99 |
| EveryPlate | $6.99 to $6.99 |
| Purple Carrot | $7.59 to $14.25 |
| Home Chef | $7.99 to $9.99 |
| HelloFresh | $9.99 to $11.49 |
| Marley Spoon | $9.99 to $13.99 |
What the kit price covers
What else does the kit price cover?
A kit brings portioned ingredients, a menu to choose from and recipe cards. Those replace some shopping and meal planning, so the comparison includes more than ingredient costs.
Delivery adds a box-level charge where published. Check the recipe card for what must come from your pantry, and include those quantities when comparing the complete dish.
Bottom lineThe extra cost pays for portions, planning and delivery as well as food.
Portioned ingredients
Only what the recipe needs arrives in the box.
Recipe and planning
The menu and the cards replace your meal plan.
Delivery
Shipping per box, where the brand publishes it.
Your pantry
Each recipe card names what the box leaves out; check it before pricing.
Compare one recipe
How can you compare one recipe?
Start with a kit recipe and its serving count. List the ingredient quantities, including anything the card leaves to your pantry. Price those amounts with BLS averages or your store's shelf prices, then divide the ingredient total by servings.
Change people and dinners in the calculator on this page to match your week. Compare the grocery cost with the kit's serving price plus its share of published shipping. Keep the cost of quantities used separate from the checkout cost of whole packages.
Bottom lineMatch the recipe, portions and shipping before deciding which option costs less.
Pick a recipe
Take one dish from a kit menu and note its servings.
List the ingredients
Use the quantities on the recipe card.
Price them
Use BLS averages or your store’s shelf prices.
Divide by servings
Compare with the kit price per serving plus shipping.
A year of eggs
Why does the comparison need a date?
The BLS average for a dozen large Grade A eggs fell from $3.49 in September 2025 to $2.27 in September 2026. An older grocery estimate would give the same recipe a different cost.
Keep the grocery month and the kit's price-check date beside your calculation. Recheck both when planning another week's dinners.
Bottom lineA dated comparison is more useful than a permanent claim that kits or groceries cost less.
Partner brands
Where to order
Buttons open the brand’s own site in a new tab. Prices are the brand’s, read on the date shown.
- Home ChefMeal kit · from $7.99, average $9.99 a servingRead Oct 17, 2026
Home Chef reviewSee Home Chef plans Ad - DinnerlyMeal kit · $5.99–$11.49 a serving by box size · shipping $11.99Read Oct 19, 2026
Dinnerly reviewSee Dinnerly plans Ad - Marley SpoonMeal kit · $9.99–$13.99 a serving by box size · shipping $12.99Read Oct 19, 2026
Marley Spoon reviewSee Marley Spoon plans Ad - Blue ApronMeal kit · $6.50–$14.99 a dish, median $12.49 · shipping $9.99New customers: $25 off the first 2 orders
Blue Apron reviewSee Blue Apron plans Ad
About the buttons. Buttons marked “Ad” are affiliate links: if you order, this site may earn a commission at no cost to you. It never changes the order of results — lists on this site are sorted by the week price.
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Quick questions, short answers
People also search for “grocery cost calculator”, “are meal kits cheaper than groceries”, “meal cost calculator”. Answers use the prices on this page, read Oct 17–19, 2026.
Are meal kits cheaper than groceries?
Compare the same recipe and portions to find out. BLS ingredient prices are a starting point; the kit comparison needs the serving price, published shipping and any ingredients supplied from your pantry.
How does a food cost per serving calculator work?
Add the cost of each ingredient quantity used, then divide by the recipe's servings. For a kit, multiply the serving price by the servings, add published shipping and divide by servings.
What should a meal kits vs grocery shopping comparison include?
Include matching ingredient quantities, servings and published kit shipping. Also consider whether portioned ingredients, recipe cards and less meal planning are worth the difference to you.
Sources
- 1BLS Average Price Data, U.S. city averagedata.bls.gov · checked Oct 17, 2026
- 2BLS Average Price Data, U.S. city averagedata.bls.gov · checked Oct 17, 2026
- 3BLS Average Price Data, U.S. city averagedata.bls.gov · checked Oct 17, 2026
- 4Dinnerly: The Affordable Meal Delivery Servicedinnerly.com · checked Oct 17, 2026
- 5Dinnerly: Meal Delivery For 2 people, Families, and Friendsdinnerly.com · checked Oct 19, 2026