Beef Cost Per Serving Calculator
Estimate shrinkage-adjusted beef cost, compare price per pound and price per kilogram correctly, and track cost per gram of protein with editable yield and waste assumptions.
Unit-aware pricing
Price units stay independent from purchase-weight units so the math does not silently drift when you switch formats.
Yield-aware servings
Serving cost is estimated from the cooked portion after editable trim, bone, and cut-family yield assumptions.
Protein economics
Protein value is estimated from the edible raw portion so it stays consistent across the cost and comparison views.
Cost planning inputs
Premium · Site reference
Default: $15.99 $/lb · Site reference
Medium-Rare with 20% planning shrinkage
This default is an editable site reference for planning, not a national official cut price.
Based on a 150g cooked serving.
80% yield
At 150g each
Edible raw protein estimate
Cost breakdown
Estimated cost per 100g protein with current default prices
This comparison uses one-pound reference purchases, a 150g serving target, and each cut's default price and yield reference. Benchmark defaults are used only where a close published retail category exists. The rest are editable site reference prices.
| Cut | Default price | Price source | Yield reference | 150g serving | Cost / 100g protein | Band |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eye of Round | $5.99/lb | Site reference | Roast or braise reference | $2.61 | $6.10 | Value |
| Ground Beef 80/20 | $5.49/lb | Benchmark default | Fully cooked ground reference | $2.71 | $7.04 | Value |
| Ground Beef 90/10 | $6.99/lb | Site reference | Fully cooked ground reference | $3.30 | $7.71 | Value |
| Top Sirloin | $9.99/lb | Site reference | Medium-Rare steak reference | $4.24 | $8.59 | Mid-range |
| Tri-Tip | $8.99/lb | Site reference | Medium-Rare steak reference | $3.82 | $9.66 | Mid-range |
| Flank | $8.99/lb | Site reference | Medium-Rare steak reference | $3.86 | $10.38 | Mid-range |
| Brisket | $7.99/lb | Site reference | Roast or braise reference | $5.18 | $10.63 | Mid-range |
| Chuck Roast | $6.99/lb | Site reference | Roast or braise reference | $4.32 | $10.77 | Value |
| Ribeye | $15.99/lb | Site reference | Medium-Rare steak reference | $6.96 | $19.63 | Premium |
| Short Ribs | $9.99/lb | Site reference | Roast or braise reference | $8.74 | $20.09 | Mid-range |
| Strip | $17.99/lb | Site reference | Medium-Rare steak reference | $7.73 | $20.67 | Premium |
| Filet | $28.99/lb | Site reference | Medium-Rare steak reference | $12.31 | $32.19 | Premium |
Protein-value estimates are based on the edible raw portion after default waste assumptions. Cooking changes serving yield more than total protein, so the protein columns stay anchored to the edible raw reference.
Data and methodology
How the calculator handles cost, yield, and protein
The page starts with what you paid at the shelf. Purchase weight and shelf price stay separate so a number entered as dollars per pound is never silently treated like dollars per kilogram.
Bone and trim assumptions are applied before the cooked-yield estimate. Protein value is then estimated from that edible raw portion rather than from a cooked-density shortcut.
Serving cost is based on the estimated cooked yield. Steaks use doneness references, ground beef stays on a fully cooked reference, and roast-style cuts use a roast or braise reference.
Paid cost = purchase weight × price per gram. Edible raw weight = purchase weight after bone and trim assumptions. Estimated cooked weight = edible raw weight × cooked yield. Cost per serving = paid cost ÷ cooked servings. Cost per gram protein = paid cost ÷ edible raw protein estimate.
Default prices
Why some cuts use benchmark labels and others use site references
A benchmark label appears only when a close published retail category exists. Those defaults are still there to help you start quickly, not to replace your own local shelf price.
Most cut-specific prices remain editable site references because official national series do not cleanly cover every individual beef cut.
The comparison table is designed to be stable and transparent, not to claim one national shelf price for every cut. Update the live price input with your local store number whenever you want a more personal estimate.
Sources reviewed
Reference links behind the rebuild
Shared raw nutrition baselines for protein and weight-adjusted cut reference data.
Reference basis for planning cooked-yield behavior.
Retail benchmark context for categories that are tracked publicly.
Background context for comparing foods by protein value.
Last reviewed: 2026-03-27
Frequently asked questions
Beef cost and yield questions
Why is cost per serving higher than the sticker price suggests?
The register price is for the raw purchase weight. Once you account for trim or bone waste and then apply the cooked-yield estimate, the edible cooked portion is smaller than the original package weight, so the effective serving cost rises.
Why does the calculator separate price per pound and price per kilogram?
Retail prices and kitchen scales often use different units. This page keeps the price unit separate from the purchase-weight unit so a value entered as dollars per pound is not accidentally treated as dollars per kilogram.
How is cost per gram of protein estimated?
Protein value is estimated from the edible raw portion rather than from a cooked-density shortcut. The tool starts with raw protein per 100 g from the shared beef reference data, subtracts editable bone and trim waste, and then divides what you paid by the remaining estimated protein grams.
Why do some default prices say benchmark and others say site reference?
Published retail benchmark categories do not cover every individual cut cleanly. Where a close benchmark category exists, the default is labeled as a benchmark default. Other cuts use editable site reference prices so the page stays useful without pretending every cut has an official national shelf-price series.
Why do steaks, ground beef, and roasts use different yield references?
Steaks are shown with doneness-based yield references because they are commonly cooked across rare through well-done ranges. Ground beef is kept on a fully cooked reference, and roast or braise cuts use a roast-style yield reference instead of steak-style rare or medium-rare assumptions.
How should I estimate bone and trim waste?
Treat bone and trim as editable planning assumptions. Start with the default shown for the selected cut, then change the sliders if your purchase has more bone, heavier trim, or a cleaner butchered finish than the reference default.
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