Meal Kit Cost Calculator

How the calculator works

Pick two services and how many meals, or servings, you eat a week. The calculator multiplies the everyday price for that plan size by the number of meals, adds the shipping fee the brand states for that order, and shows the weekly and yearly total. A dinner for two counts as two servings, so three dinners for two people is 6. Prices come from the MealFan Meal Delivery Price Index, checked on each brand’s own site; the current figures were checked September 21 and 22, 2026. Where a brand sells no plan at the size you pick, the calculator says so rather than guess, and where a brand only publishes a starting price, the result is labelled.

What is and isn't included in the cost

Included: the everyday price for the plan size you pick and the shipping fee the brand publishes for that order, including free shipping thresholds. Not included: intro discounts (shown separately under each result), add ons and premium upgrades, sales tax, and regional surcharges. When a brand does not publish its shipping fee for your order, as with Home Chef, Thistle, and Purple Carrot under $120, the result says “before shipping”. For prep time tradeoffs, see the filter tool.

Which meal kit is cheapest in 2026?

The lowest advertised meal kit prices are Dinnerly and EveryPlate at $5.99 a serving, but only on their biggest boxes. On a six serving box EveryPlate is $6.99 and Dinnerly $9.99 a serving, about $8.82 and $11.99 once shipping is added. For prepared meals, The Cumin Club and Mosaic Foods start at $6.99; Mosaic ships free at 10 items and The Cumin Club always ships free, though Mosaic’s cheapest items are oat bowls. Among mainstream prepared services, Tempo by Home Chef gets down to $10.98 a meal at 16 or more meals, CookUnity to $11.09 at 16, and Factor to $12.99 at 14 or more, before shipping. The Price Index has the full weekly bill for 20 services.

Which meal kit has the best value

Value depends on what you compare. For the lowest price per serving, the budget kits, Dinnerly and EveryPlate. For prepared meals with free shipping, The Cumin Club, Clean Eatz Kitchen and ModifyHealth. For the most food for the money, see our calorie per dollar comparison.

Are intro discounts factored in

The totals use everyday prices, and each result shows the brand’s current intro offer underneath. Intro offers run from a single box (The Cumin Club, CookUnity) to about five weeks (Factor, BistroMD, Home Chef). Factor’s eight meal plan, for example, costs $388.14 for the first four weeks and $515.64 for every four weeks after the offer ends, as the Price Index works out. Budget for the everyday number. See the coupons hub for current codes.

How shipping costs work

Most services charge $9.99 to $12.99 a box, so bigger orders spread the fee over more meals. HelloFresh, Factor and Trifecta charge $12.99, Green Chef $11.99, EveryPlate, Marley Spoon, Sunbasket and Tempo $10.99, Dinnerly $11.99, CookUnity $9.99 or $11.99 depending on zip code, and BistroMD $19.95. Some ship free past a threshold: Hungryroot at $70, Mosaic Foods and Splendid Spoon at 10 items, and Purple Carrot at $120. The Cumin Club, Clean Eatz Kitchen and ModifyHealth always ship free. The calculator applies each of these rules.

FAQ

Do I really pay this much per year?
The yearly figure assumes 52 weeks with no skipped deliveries and no discounts. Every service here lets you skip weeks, so your real yearly cost drops by roughly one weekly bill for every week you skip.

Can I switch plan sizes after I subscribe?
Yes. The major services let you change the number of meals and people on future deliveries before that week’s order cutoff, which varies by service.

Does the calculator include taxes?
No. Sales tax on meal kits depends on your state, and some states exempt groceries.

What if I find a better promo than what's shown?
Use the coupons hub to find current 2026 promos. The calculator shows baseline pricing so you can compare like-for-like. Stack the best promo on top.