How much does the average person spend eating out?

The average American spends approximately $3,500-$4,000 per year on dining out and takeout. This includes restaurants, fast food, delivery services, and coffee shops. That's roughly $300 per month.

How much do you save by cooking at home vs eating out?

Cooking at home costs about $4-$5 per meal on average, while eating out costs $12-$20 per meal. By cooking at home instead of eating out 5 times a week, you could save $2,600-$5,200 per year.

Dining Out & Takeout Calculator

Calculate how much you spend on restaurants, takeout, and food delivery

Your Annual Dining Out Cost

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Eating Out (per meal avg)

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If you cooked at home

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Avg home meal cost per serving

Savings Potential

By cooking at home just 2 more meals per week, you could save approximately — per year. That money invested at 7% would grow to — in 10 years!

The Cost of Dining Out

The average American household spends over $3,500 per year on food away from home. With the rise of delivery apps like DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub, this number has been increasing — delivery fees and tips can add 30-40% to the base cost of food.

A typical restaurant meal costs $12-$20 per person. A delivery order averages $25-$35 when you include the food, delivery fee, service fee, and tip. Compare that to cooking at home, where a meal typically costs $4-$5 per serving using grocery ingredients.

You don't have to stop eating out entirely — but being intentional about it can lead to significant savings. Try setting a weekly dining out budget, cooking meal-prep meals on Sunday, or choosing pickup over delivery to save on fees.