How we price

Last updated September 27, 2026

Costs are based on U.S. city-average retail prices. We use the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Average Price Data for staples such as eggs, milk, flour, rice and meat, and USDA Economic Research Service prices for fruit and vegetables, adjusted for inflation to the current month. For anything neither source covers, such as spices, we record a dated shelf price and adjust it the same way. Each recipe names its sources and the date prices were checked.

Pantry staples such as oil, salt and spices are priced by the amount the recipe uses, not the whole jar.

What you pay will depend on where you live and shop. Outside the US, treat the cost as a guide to how thrifty a recipe is rather than a local price.