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The cheapest protein per dollar is dry lentils and beans, then peanut butter, eggs and milk. Sort the table by grams of protein per dollar or per 100 calories, then plug in your own price. Prices are U.S. averages for October 2026.
Prices: U.S. city average, October 2026 (BLS), or marked estimates. Tap a column to sort.
| Price used | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry lentilsDry weight. Plant protein is a bit less digestible than animal protein. | 58.7 g | 7 g | $0.51 | $1.90 per lbbaisics estimate |
| Dry black beansDry weight. Plant protein is a bit less digestible than animal protein. | 54.4 g | 6.3 g | $0.55 | $1.80 per lbbaisics estimate |
| Peanut butter | 35.4 g | 4.2 g | $0.85 | $3.20 16 oz jarbaisics estimate |
| Eggs (large)About 50 g edible per large egg. | 32.6 g | 8.8 g | $0.92 | $2.32 per dozenBLS APU0000708111 |
| Whole milk | 30 g | 5.2 g | $1.00 | $4.10 per gallonBLS APU0000709112 |
| Whole chicken (bone-in)Assumes 65% of the bird is edible meat and skin; nutrition is for raw meat and skin. | 27.1 g | 8.7 g | $1.11 | $2.03 per lbBLS APU0000706111 |
| Chicken breast, boneless | 24.9 g | 18.8 g | $1.20 | $4.10 per lbBLS APU0000FF1101 |
| Whey protein powderTypical label values: 24 g protein and 120 kcal per 30 g scoop. | 18.8 g | 20 g | $1.60 | $32.00 2 lb tub, 25 scoopsbaisics estimate |
| Plain nonfat Greek yogurt | 16.5 g | 16.9 g | $1.82 | $5.50 32 oz tubbaisics estimate |
| Ground beefBLS prices 100% ground beef; nutrition assumes 80/20. | 11.5 g | 6.8 g | $2.60 | $6.75 per lbBLS APU0000703112 |
| Beef chuck roast, bonelessRaw weight; braising loses water, so cooked portions are smaller. | 9.5 g | 7.7 g | $3.15 | $9.08 per lbBLS APU0000703213 |
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Want to turn cheap cuts into dinner? Read bone-in Instant Pot braises and protein per dollar, or browse high-protein recipes. Prices change, so check against your store.
In this table, dry lentils and dry beans lead, followed by peanut butter, eggs and milk. Among animal foods, eggs, milk and whole chicken are cheapest; ground beef and chuck roast cost the most per gram of protein. Prices are a dated snapshot, so check the table's price date and enter your own store price in the mini calculator.
Eggs, chicken, beef and milk use the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Average Retail Food and Beverage Prices for October 2026 (U.S. city average), with the BLS series id shown in the table. Greek yogurt, lentils, beans, peanut butter and whey have no public BLS series, so those are baisics estimates of a typical grocery price and are labeled as estimates.
Grams of protein in the edible portion divided by the price. Eggs: a dozen large eggs is about 75.6 g of protein for $2.32, or about 32.6 g per dollar. For bone-in cuts we assume an edible yield (65% for a whole chicken), and nutrition values are USDA FoodData Central figures for the raw food.
Cheap protein is not always lean protein. Peanut butter is good value per dollar but carries a lot of calories per gram of protein, so it works poorly if you are cutting. Protein per 100 kcal shows which foods fit a calorie budget.
Menu prices vary by location and change often, so we do not publish a fixed fast-food table. Use the mini calculator: enter the item price, the protein grams and the calories from the restaurant's nutrition page, and it gives you protein per dollar and per 100 kcal to compare against the grocery foods.
They give real protein but are less digestible than animal protein and low in some amino acids, so a mix of plant sources over the day works best. The table shows raw protein content, not a digestibility-adjusted figure.
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