Grocery unit price:
total price ÷ quantity

How to find the grocery price per item

Divide the total price by the number of items. A tray of 12 eggs for ₹84 costs ₹7 per egg. The Grocery Price Per Item calculator needs the total price and the quantity and returns the cost of one item.

Shelf labels often show prices for different pack sizes in different ways. One cost per item brings them onto the same footing so you can see which pack really saves money.

The price per item formula

Chart: comparing pack sizes

When a bigger pack is not cheaper

Bulk packs usually cost less per item, but not always. A promotion on a small pack can win, and a big pack saves nothing if half of it is thrown away. Compare the per-item figures, then think about whether you will use them all.

This calculator counts items, so it suits eggs, cans, tea bags or bottles. For goods sold by weight or volume, first decide whether a gram or a millilitre or a single piece is the right unit, and use the same unit for every pack you compare.

A second example: tea bags and snacks

A box of 40 tea bags costs ₹240, which is ₹6 a bag. A smaller box of 25 bags at ₹165 costs ₹6.60 a bag, so the large box saves 60 paise a bag. Over a month of two cups a day, which is 60 bags, that adds up to ₹36.

The same sum helps with multipacks of snacks. A pack of 8 bars at ₹62 is ₹7.75 a bar, and if single bars cost ₹9 each, the multipack saves ₹1.25 a bar.

Write the price per item next to each pack for a week of shopping and you quickly learn which brands and sizes are usually cheapest at your shop.

Common mistakes when comparing grocery prices

• Comparing totals instead of per-item prices. A bigger pack always costs more in total.
• Counting the wrong quantity, such as the number of boxes instead of the items inside them.
• Mixing units, for example one pack priced per piece and another per kilogram.
• Ignoring waste. A cheaper item you throw away costs more than a dearer one you finish.