Ground beef 90/10 (raw) vs Peanut butter: which protein is cheaper?

Budget says one, calories say the other

Peanut butter costs $0.022 per gram of protein against $0.055, so it saves $23.10 a week at a 100 g/day target. Ground beef 90/10 (raw) answers a different question: 11.4 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.

One of these is a convenience purchase

Ground beef 90/10 (raw) ranks #23 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: $1.65 per 30 g against $0.66 for peanut butter. 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.

On a cut these are not comparable

Ground beef 90/10 (raw) carries 2.7x 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 264 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

• Ground beef 90/10 (raw) vs Oats (dry)Peanut butter vs Oats (dry)
• Ground beef 90/10 (raw) vs Lentils (cooked)Peanut butter vs Lentils (cooked)
• Ground beef 90/10 (raw) vs Tofu (firm)Peanut butter vs Tofu (firm)
• Ground beef 90/10 (raw) vs Black beans (cooked)Peanut butter vs Black beans (cooked)
• Ground beef 90/10 (raw) vs Whey protein (1 scoop)Peanut butter vs Whey protein (1 scoop)
• Ground beef 90/10 (raw) vs Greek yogurt (nonfat)Peanut butter vs Greek yogurt (nonfat)
• Ground beef 90/10 (raw) vs Eggs (~2 large)Peanut butter vs Eggs (~2 large)
• Ground beef 90/10 (raw) vs Chicken breast (raw)Peanut butter vs Chicken breast (raw)
• Ground beef 90/10 (raw) vs Canned tuna (in water)Peanut butter vs Canned tuna (in water)

Frequently asked

Which is cheaper for protein, ground beef 90/10 (raw) or peanut butter?

Peanut butter, at $0.022 per gram of protein against $0.055 for ground beef 90/10 (raw) (July 2026 US grocery prices). A 30 g protein serving costs $0.66 vs $1.65.

Which has more protein per calorie, ground beef 90/10 (raw) or peanut butter?

Ground beef 90/10 (raw), with 11.4 g protein per 100 kcal against 4.3 g for peanut butter, 2.7x leaner. That matters when you are cutting and calories are the binding constraint.

Which should I buy, ground beef 90/10 (raw) 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, ground beef 90/10 (raw) gives you 2.7x more protein per calorie and is usually worth its $0.055/g price.