Cottage cheese (lowfat) vs Peanut butter: which protein is cheaper?

Budget says one, calories say the other

Peanut butter costs $0.022 per gram of protein against $0.027, so it saves $3.69 a week at a 100 g/day target. Cottage cheese (lowfat) answers a different question: 13.1 g of protein per 100 kcal against 4.3 g, which is what matters once calories, not dollars, are the thing you run out of first.

What the calories cost you

Getting 30 g of protein from peanut butter brings 706 kcal with it. On a 2,000 kcal day, three servings would be most of your budget before anything else goes on the plate. That is fine when you are eating at maintenance or building, and it is the reason this food falls apart on a cut no matter how good the price per gram looks.

On a cut these are not comparable

Cottage cheese (lowfat) carries 3.1x the protein per calorie that peanut butter does. When you are eating at a deficit, that ratio is the whole game: the same 30 g of protein arrives with 229 kcal from one and 706 kcal from the other. The cheaper option stops being cheaper once you count what you had to give up elsewhere to fit it in.

Compare against other foods

• Cottage cheese (lowfat) vs Oats (dry)Peanut butter vs Oats (dry)
• Cottage cheese (lowfat) vs Lentils (cooked)Peanut butter vs Lentils (cooked)
• Cottage cheese (lowfat) vs Tofu (firm)Peanut butter vs Tofu (firm)
• Cottage cheese (lowfat) vs Black beans (cooked)Peanut butter vs Black beans (cooked)
• Cottage cheese (lowfat) vs Whey protein (1 scoop)Peanut butter vs Whey protein (1 scoop)
• Cottage cheese (lowfat) vs Greek yogurt (nonfat)Peanut butter vs Greek yogurt (nonfat)
• Cottage cheese (lowfat) vs Eggs (~2 large)Peanut butter vs Eggs (~2 large)
• Cottage cheese (lowfat) vs Chicken breast (raw)Peanut butter vs Chicken breast (raw)
• Cottage cheese (lowfat) vs Canned tuna (in water)Peanut butter vs Canned tuna (in water)

Frequently asked

Which is cheaper for protein, cottage cheese (lowfat) or peanut butter?

Peanut butter, at $0.022 per gram of protein against $0.027 for cottage cheese (lowfat) (July 2026 US grocery prices). A 30 g protein serving costs $0.66 vs $0.82.

Which has more protein per calorie, cottage cheese (lowfat) or peanut butter?

Cottage cheese (lowfat), with 13.1 g protein per 100 kcal against 4.3 g for peanut butter, 3.1x leaner. That matters when you are cutting and calories are the binding constraint.

Which should I buy, cottage cheese (lowfat) or peanut butter?

Depends on your constraint. On a tight budget with room in your calories, peanut butter is cheaper per gram of protein. On a calorie-capped cut, cottage cheese (lowfat) gives you 3.1x more protein per calorie and is usually worth its $0.027/g price.