Cheapest meat for protein: chicken vs pork vs beef vs turkey
Per gram of protein, chicken is usually the cheapest meat and beef the most expensive. In USDA's 2017–18 national average prices, 30 g of protein cost: chicken $0.61 to $1.07, turkey $0.86 to $1.81, pork $1.08 to $1.15 and beef $1.50 to $2.37, depending on the cut. The single cheapest was chicken drumsticks at $0.61.
Prices: USDA Economic Research Service national average prices for 2017–18, the latest set it has published, in dollars of that time, per edible gram (bones, skin you discard and cooking losses already counted). Protein and calories: USDA FNDDS. Today's shelf prices differ, so compare foods with each other rather than with your receipt.
US national average prices, 2017–18, per edible gram.
All 22 foods, cheapest protein first
| # | Food, as eaten | Cost of 30 g protein | Protein per $1 | Price per lb | One serving | Calories per 30 g protein |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chicken drumsticks (roasted, skin not eaten) | $0.61 | 49 g | $2.23 | 3 oz (85 g): $0.42, 20 g protein | 192 |
| 2 | Chicken liver (sauteed or fried) | $0.70 | 43 g | $2.13 | 3 oz (85 g): $0.40, 17 g protein | 283 |
| 3 | Whole turkey (roasted, light and dark meat, skin eaten) | $0.86 | 35 g | $3.58 | 3 oz (85 g): $0.67, 23 g protein | 200 |
| 4 | Canned chicken (canned, meat only) | $0.95 | 32 g | $3.63 | 3 oz (85 g): $0.68, 22 g protein | 219 |
| 5 | Chicken thighs (roasted, skin not eaten) | $1.03 | 29 g | $3.83 | 3 oz (85 g): $0.72, 21 g protein | 217 |
| 6 | Chicken breast (roasted, skin not eaten) | $1.05 | 29 g | $4.81 | 3 oz (85 g): $0.90, 26 g protein | 160 |
| 7 | Whole chicken (roasted, mixed parts, skin not eaten) | $1.07 | 28 g | $4.42 | 3 oz (85 g): $0.83, 23 g protein | 181 |
| 8 | Pork roast (roasted) | $1.08 | 28 g | $4.35 | 3 oz (85 g): $0.81, 23 g protein | 204 |
| 9 | Ground pork (cooked) | $1.11 | 27 g | $4.54 | 3 oz (85 g): $0.85, 23 g protein | 333 |
| 10 | Pork chops (cooked, lean only) | $1.15 | 26 g | $4.87 | 3 oz (85 g): $0.91, 24 g protein | 183 |
| 11 | Ground beef (cooked) | $1.50 | 20 g | $5.81 | 3 oz (85 g): $1.09, 22 g protein | 306 |
| 12 | Ham (cured, cooked) | $1.55 | 19 g | $4.46 | 3 oz (85 g): $0.84, 16 g protein | 184 |
| 13 | Ground turkey (cooked) | $1.59 | 19 g | $6.46 | 3 oz (85 g): $1.21, 23 g protein | 236 |
| 14 | Hot dogs (any meat) | $1.63 | 18 g | $2.88 | 1 hot dog (2 oz, 57 g): $0.36, 7 g protein | 795 |
| 15 | Beef chuck roast (pot roast, braised) | $1.73 | 17 g | $7.43 | 3 oz (85 g): $1.39, 24 g protein | 265 |
| 16 | Spam (canned luncheon meat) | $1.74 | 17 g | $3.52 | 2 oz (57 g): $0.44, 8 g protein | 705 |
| 17 | Bologna (any meat) | $1.79 | 17 g | $2.80 | 2 slices (2 oz, 56 g): $0.35, 6 g protein | 815 |
| 18 | Turkey breast (roasted, skin not eaten) | $1.81 | 17 g | $7.90 | 3 oz (85 g): $1.48, 24 g protein | 145 |
| 19 | Beef steak (cooked, any cut) | $2.37 | 13 g | $9.67 | 3 oz (85 g): $1.81, 23 g protein | 254 |
| 20 | Deli turkey (sliced lunch meat) | $2.64 | 11 g | $5.92 | 2 oz (57 g): $0.74, 8 g protein | 215 |
| 21 | Bacon (cooked) | $3.10 | 10 g | $17.52 | 3 thin slices (15 g): $0.58, 6 g protein | 388 |
| 22 | Beef jerky | $4.12 | 7 g | $20.66 | 1 oz (28 g): $1.29, 9 g protein | 370 |
Prices are US national averages for 2017–18 in dollars of that time. Cost of 30 g protein = price per 3.5 oz (100 g) as eaten ÷ grams of protein per 3.5 oz (100 g) × 30.
What changes the answer
- Calories that come with the protein. Among the cheapest, chicken drumsticks, whole turkey, canned chicken and chicken thighs deliver the same 30 g of protein with 192 to 219 calories.
- The cut matters as much as the animal. Chicken drumsticks cost $0.61 per 30 g of protein and chicken breast $1.05, even though both are chicken.
- Processed meat is not a protein bargain. Hot dogs, bologna and deli turkey cost $1.63 to $2.64 per 30 g of protein because they are only 10 to 15% protein by weight, against chicken drumsticks at $0.61, ground beef at $1.50 and pork chops at $1.15.
- Edible weight, not shelf weight. Every price here is per gram of food as you eat it: a chicken drumstick is priced for the meat without the bone, and a chicken thigh is priced for the meat without bone or skin. Foods that lose weight in cooking or carry bones are not made to look cheaper than they are.
- The year. These are 2017–18 prices. Store brands, sales and region move any single price, so a food that is close to another in this table can swap places at your store.
More on the cost of protein
Sources
- Prices: USDA Economic Research Service, Purchase to Plate National Average Prices for NHANES (PP-NAP), 2017/2018 prices, US dollars per 100 edible grams. https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/purchase-to-plate/ (dataset accessed 2026-10-12)
- Protein and calories: USDA FoodData Central, FoodData Central survey (FNDDS) 2024-10-31, the entry with the same food code (accessed 2026-10-14)
Foods on this page
- Bacon: ERS food code 22600100 Bacon, NS as to type of meat, cooked, price carried over from a closely matching food (ERS method altEC) · nutrients FDC ID 2705885
- Beef chuck roast: ERS food code 21407000 Beef, pot roast, braised or boiled, NS as to fat eaten (Includes chuck roast; arm roast; blade roast; shoulder roast), price carried over from a closely matching food (ERS method altEC) · nutrients FDC ID 2705848
- Beef jerky: ERS food code 21602100 Beef jerky (Includes Slim Jim; Big Jerk; Super Jerk; Giant Jerk), matched directly to store sales data · nutrients FDC ID 2705860
- Beef steak: ERS food code 21101000 Beef steak, NS as to cooking method, NS as to fat eaten, price carried over from a closely matching food (ERS method altEC) · nutrients FDC ID 2705824
- Bologna: ERS food code 25220410 Bologna, NFS (Includes made from any kind of meat), price carried over from a closely matching food (ERS method altEC) · nutrients FDC ID 2706176
- Canned chicken: ERS food code 24198570 Chicken, canned, meat only, matched directly to store sales data · nutrients FDC ID 2706086
- Chicken breast: ERS food code 24122131 Chicken breast, baked, broiled, or roasted, skin not eaten, from raw (Includes NS as to skin eaten), price carried over from a closely matching food (ERS method altEC) · nutrients FDC ID 2705956
- Chicken drumsticks: ERS food code 24142301 Chicken drumstick, baked, broiled, or roasted, skin not eaten, from raw, price carried over from a closely matching food (ERS method altEC) · nutrients FDC ID 2706003
- Chicken liver: ERS food code 25110450 Chicken liver, fried (Includes turkey; other poultry liver; sauteed; NS as to cooking method), price carried over from a closely matching food (ERS method altEC) · nutrients FDC ID 2706154
- Chicken thighs: ERS food code 24152231 Chicken thigh, baked, broiled, or roasted, skin not eaten, from raw, price carried over from a closely matching food (ERS method altEC) · nutrients FDC ID 2706030
- Deli turkey: ERS food code 25230780 Turkey, prepackaged or deli, luncheon meat (Includes breast, loaf, turkey lunch meat, NFS; all fat levels - regular, reduced fat, low fat, or fat free; lean or extra lean), matched directly to store sales data · nutrients FDC ID 2706215
- Ground beef: ERS food code 21500100 Ground beef, cooked, price carried over from a closely matching food (ERS method altEC) · nutrients FDC ID 2705854
- Ground pork: ERS food code 22002000 Pork, ground or patty, cooked, price carried over from a closely matching food (ERS method altEC) · nutrients FDC ID 2705863
- Ground turkey: ERS food code 24207000 Turkey, ground, price carried over from a closely matching food (ERS method altEC) · nutrients FDC ID 2706133
- Ham: ERS food code 22311000 Ham, smoked or cured, cooked, NS as to fat eaten (Includes country ham; cottage ham; picnic ham; ham or baked ham, NS as to fresh, smoked, or cured), price carried over from a closely matching food (ERS method altEC) · nutrients FDC ID 2705878
- Hot dogs: ERS food code 25210110 Frankfurter or hot dog, NFS, price carried over from a closely matching food (ERS method altEC) · nutrients FDC ID 2706166
- Pork chops: ERS food code 22101020 Pork chop, NS as to cooking method, lean only eaten, price carried over from a closely matching food (ERS method altEC) · nutrients FDC ID 2705868
- Pork roast: ERS food code 22400100 Pork roast, NS as to cut, cooked, NS as to fat eaten, price carried over from a closely matching food (ERS method altEC) · nutrients FDC ID 2705882
- Spam: ERS food code 25230530 Ham and pork, canned luncheon meat, chopped, minced, pressed, spiced (Includes Spam; Treet), matched directly to store sales data · nutrients FDC ID 2706211
- Turkey breast: ERS food code 24201120 Turkey, light meat, roasted, skin not eaten (Includes any source), price carried over from a closely matching food (ERS method altEC) · nutrients FDC ID 2706109
- Whole chicken: ERS food code 24102020 Chicken, NS as to part, baked, broiled, or roasted, skin not eaten (Includes any source), price carried over from a closely matching food (ERS method altEC) · nutrients FDC ID 2705934
- Whole turkey: ERS food code 24201330 Turkey, light and dark meat, roasted, skin eaten (Includes NS as to skin eaten; any source), price carried over from a closely matching food (ERS method altEC) · nutrients FDC ID 2706114
How we calculate: cost of 30 g protein = ERS price per 3.5 oz (100 g) as eaten ÷ FNDDS protein per 3.5 oz (100 g) × 30. Protein per $1 = protein per 3.5 oz (100 g) ÷ price per 3.5 oz (100 g). Serving weights come from USDA FNDDS or are plain weights (3 oz cooked meat or fish). Protein powder is left out on purpose: ERS gave every protein powder the same price, carried over from an instant breakfast mix, so a cost per gram for it would not be a real measurement. How we verify.