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Protein head-to-heads · July 2026

Greek yogurt (nonfat) vs Tilapia (raw): which protein is cheaper?

USDA macros joined to current US grocery prices, reduced to the two numbers that decide it: dollars per gram of protein, and protein per calorie.

Greek yogurt (nonfat) is 1.4x cheaper per gram of protein ($0.035/g vs $0.048/g), while Tilapia (raw) is the leaner choice at 20.8 g protein per 100 kcal against 16.9 g. Budget favours one, a calorie cap favours the other.

Food$/g protein30 g protein costsYou needkcal that come with itProtein/100 kcal
Greek yogurt (nonfat)$0.035$1.05300 g177 kcal16.9 g
Tilapia (raw)$0.048$1.43150 g144 kcal20.8 g

Full macros, per serving

Food (per serving)PricekcalProteinCarbsFat
Greek yogurt (nonfat) (100 g)$0.355910 g3.6 g0.4 g
Tilapia (raw) (100 g)$0.959620 g0 g1.7 g

A week of protein from each

Hitting a common 100 g/day protein target from greek yogurt (nonfat) alone costs $24.50 a week; from tilapia (raw) alone, $33.25. That is a gap of $8.75 every week for the same protein. In practice you mix sources: the planner computes the cheapest mix for your exact target and calorie cap, live from the same dataset.

Budget says one, calories say the other

Greek yogurt (nonfat) costs $0.035 per gram of protein against $0.048, so it saves $8.75 a week at a 100 g/day target. Tilapia (raw) answers a different question: 20.8 g of protein per 100 kcal against 16.9 g, which is what matters once calories, not dollars, are the thing you run out of first.

One of these is a convenience purchase

Tilapia (raw) ranks #21 of 25 on cost per gram of protein, near the bottom. It is not a bad food, it is an expensive way to buy protein: $1.43 per 30 g against $1.05 for greek yogurt (nonfat). If it is in your basket for the protein, swap it. If it is there because it travels well or you enjoy it, that is a different and perfectly good reason.

Compare against other foods

Frequently asked

Which is cheaper for protein, greek yogurt (nonfat) or tilapia (raw)?
Greek yogurt (nonfat), at $0.035 per gram of protein against $0.048 for tilapia (raw) (July 2026 US grocery prices). A 30 g protein serving costs $1.05 vs $1.43.
Which has more protein per calorie, greek yogurt (nonfat) or tilapia (raw)?
Tilapia (raw), with 20.8 g protein per 100 kcal against 16.9 g for greek yogurt (nonfat), 1.2x leaner. That matters when you are cutting and calories are the binding constraint.
Which should I buy, greek yogurt (nonfat) or tilapia (raw)?
Depends on your constraint. On a tight budget with room in your calories, greek yogurt (nonfat) is cheaper per gram of protein. On a calorie-capped cut, tilapia (raw) gives you 1.2x more protein per calorie and is usually worth its $0.048/g price.

Prices are representative US grocery prices as of July 2026; your store will differ. Educational content, not medical or dietary advice. Dataset: free download, CC-BY.