Grocery Budget Per Person Calculator
Set a realistic monthly grocery budget for your household using USDA-style food-plan levels, broken down per person, per week and per day.
How it works
Monthly = adults × adult rate + children × child rate · Per person = monthly ÷ people · Weekly = monthly × 12 ÷ 52
The USDA publishes four food-plan levels — thrifty, low-cost, moderate and liberal — as a benchmark for what a nutritious home-cooked diet costs per person. Children under twelve eat somewhat less than adults, so they carry a lower per-person figure. Multiplying the right per-person rates by your household and dividing back out gives a monthly target you can check against your weekly and daily spending.
Worked example
Two adults on a moderate plan cost 2 × $400 = $800, and one child adds $360, for $1,160 a month. Split across three people that is about $387 each per month, and converting to weeks (×12 ÷ 52) the household spends roughly $268 a week on groceries.
Frequently asked questions
How much should one person spend on groceries per month?
USDA food plans put a single adult between roughly $250 on a thrifty budget and $500 on a liberal one, with low-cost and moderate levels in between. Where you land depends on local prices, diet, and how much you cook from scratch versus buy prepared.
Why do children cost less than adults?
Younger children eat smaller portions and fewer calories, so the USDA plans assign them a lower food cost. Teenagers can actually eat as much as or more than adults, so treat the child rate here as an under-12 figure.
Does this include eating out?
No — these are home-grocery figures only. Restaurants, takeout, coffee and work lunches are a separate line in your budget and typically cost far more per meal than cooking at home.
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This calculator is for educational purposes. Double-check important results before acting on them.