Is tuna cheaper than salmon?
It depends on the cut. Per gram of protein in USDA's 2017–18 national average prices, tuna steak was cheaper than salmon fillet ($2.70 vs $2.89 for 30 g of protein), but canned tuna cost about the same as canned salmon ($1.99 vs $2.02). Per pound as eaten: canned tuna $5.71, canned salmon $7.52.
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.
Price per pound, per serving and per gram of protein
| Food, as eaten | Cost of 30 g protein | Protein per $1 | Price per lb | One serving | Calories per 30 g protein |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canned tuna (canned, drained) | $1.99 | 15 g | $5.71 | 3 oz (85 g): $1.07, 16 g protein | 134 |
| Canned salmon (canned) | $2.02 | 15 g | $7.52 | 3 oz (85 g): $1.41, 21 g protein | 166 |
| Tuna steak (fresh, baked or broiled) | $2.70 | 11 g | $12.38 | 3 oz (85 g): $2.32, 26 g protein | 174 |
| Salmon fillet (cooked) | $2.89 | 10 g | $11.08 | 3 oz (85 g): $2.08, 22 g protein | 324 |
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. Every 30 g of protein comes with 134 calories from canned tuna and 166 from canned salmon.
- Edible weight, not shelf weight. Every price here is per gram of food as you eat it. 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
- Canned salmon: ERS food code 26137180 Salmon, canned, matched directly to store sales data · nutrients FDC ID 2706291
- Canned tuna: ERS food code 26155110 Tuna, canned, NS as to oil or water pack (Includes tuna, NFS; low sodium), price carried over from a closely matching food (ERS method altEC) · nutrients FDC ID 2706311
- Salmon fillet: ERS food code 26137110 Salmon, cooked, NS as to cooking method (Includes saltwater trout), priced from its recipe ingredients · nutrients FDC ID 2706285
- Tuna steak: ERS food code 26153120 Tuna, fresh, baked or broiled, fat added (Includes sauteed; fried with no coating; ahi; aku; bonito; NS as to fat), priced from its recipe ingredients · nutrients FDC ID 2706310
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.