# Ingredient Unit Cost Calculator

> Cost an ingredient per kg, litre or item as purchased and after trimming (yield), and the cost of the amount used in one portion.

Category: Food & hospitality · Applies to: Worldwide · Last updated: 2026-10-29
Interactive calculator: https://calculators.geekmidst.com/calculators/ingredient-unit-cost-calculator

Divide the pack price by the pack size for the as-purchased (AP) cost, then divide by the usable yield to get the edible-portion (EP) cost that recipes should use.

Also called: Yield cost calculator, AP to EP cost calculator.

## Inputs
- Pack or case price (default 18)
- Pack size (default 5)
- Unit (options: Kilograms, Grams, Litres, Millilitres, Pounds, Ounces, Items (each); default kg)
- Usable yield after trimming (unit %; default 80)
- Usable quantity per portion (default 0.2)
- Currency

## Results
- Cost per portion
- As-purchased cost per unit
- Usable (edible-portion) cost per unit
- Portions per pack

## Formula

```
AP cost = Pack price ÷ Pack size;  EP cost = AP cost ÷ (Yield% ÷ 100);  Portion cost = Quantity used × EP cost
```

Where:
- AP: as purchased
- EP: edible portion, after trimming and prep loss
- Yield%: usable share of what you buy

## Worked example
1. AP cost = 18 ÷ 5 kg = 3.60 per kg.
2. EP cost = 3.60 ÷ 0.80 = 4.50 per usable kg.
3. Portion = 0.2 kg × 4.50 = 0.90; the pack gives 5 × 0.8 ÷ 0.2 = 20 portions.

**Result:** At 80% yield, the ingredient really costs 4.50 per usable kg, so a 200 g portion costs 0.90.

## What the result means

Costing recipes at the as-purchased price understates plate cost whenever there is trim. Use the per-portion cost in the menu price calculator, and re-test yields when you change supplier or product grade.

## Assumptions and limits
- Trim has no resale or reuse value (if it goes into stock, the effective yield is higher).
- Cooking loss (shrinkage) is separate from trim yield; include it in the yield if the portion is weighed cooked.

## Questions

### How do I find the yield?

Weigh a typical pack before and after preparation. Usable weight ÷ purchased weight × 100 is the yield percentage.

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Source: GM¹X CalcVerse — https://calculators.geekmidst.com/calculators/ingredient-unit-cost-calculator