Protein cost by food ($/gram protein)
USDA nutrition joined to representative US grocery prices - cheapest and leanest protein by cost.
Version 2026.07.24 · License CC-BY-4.0 · Provenance: public-api, public-scrape · Download JSON
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<iframe src="https://macrothrift.com/embed/protein-costs" width="100%" height="620" style="border:1px solid #e5e5e5;border-radius:8px" loading="lazy" title="Protein cost per gram, ranked"></iframe>| Food | $/g protein | Protein/kcal | kcal/serving |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oats (dry) | $0.0089 | 0.043 | 389 |
| Soybeans (dried, raw) | $0.0096 | 0.082 | 447 |
| Wheat flour (all-purpose) | $0.0117 | 0.028 | 364 |
| Vital wheat gluten | $0.0133 | 0.203 | 370 |
| Peanuts (raw) | $0.0172 | 0.046 | 571 |
| Split peas (cooked) | $0.0217 | 0.072 | 116 |
| Peanut butter | $0.0220 | 0.043 | 588 |
| Lentils (cooked) | $0.0222 | 0.078 | 116 |
| Tofu (firm) | $0.0235 | 0.118 | 144 |
| Black beans (cooked) | $0.0247 | 0.067 | 132 |
| Cottage cheese (lowfat) | $0.0273 | 0.131 | 84 |
| Whey protein (1 scoop) | $0.0313 | 0.200 | 120 |
| Edamame | $0.0333 | 0.099 | 121 |
| Greek yogurt (nonfat) | $0.0350 | 0.169 | 59 |
| Milk (2%) | $0.0353 | 0.068 | 50 |
| Eggs (~2 large) | $0.0357 | 0.088 | 143 |
| Chicken breast (raw) | $0.0400 | 0.188 | 120 |
| Canned tuna (in water) | $0.0423 | 0.224 | 116 |
| Turkey breast (raw) | $0.0438 | 0.216 | 111 |
| Egg whites (liquid) | $0.0459 | 0.210 | 52 |
| Tilapia (raw) | $0.0475 | 0.208 | 96 |
| Sardines (canned in oil) | $0.0549 | 0.118 | 208 |
| Ground beef 90/10 (raw) | $0.0550 | 0.114 | 176 |
| Quinoa (cooked) | $0.0682 | 0.037 | 120 |
| Beef jerky | $0.1657 | 0.081 | 411 |