Is turkey cheaper than chicken?
It depends on the cut. Per gram of protein in USDA's 2017–18 national average prices, whole turkey was cheaper than whole chicken ($0.86 vs $1.07 for 30 g of protein), but turkey breast cost more than chicken breast ($1.81 vs $1.05) and ground turkey cost more than chicken breast ($1.59 vs $1.05). Per pound as eaten: whole turkey $3.58, whole chicken $4.42.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Chicken breast (roasted, skin not eaten) | $1.05 | 29 g | $4.81 | 3 oz (85 g): $0.90, 26 g protein | 160 |
| Whole chicken (roasted, mixed parts, skin not eaten) | $1.07 | 28 g | $4.42 | 3 oz (85 g): $0.83, 23 g protein | 181 |
| Ground turkey (cooked) | $1.59 | 19 g | $6.46 | 3 oz (85 g): $1.21, 23 g protein | 236 |
| Turkey breast (roasted, skin not eaten) | $1.81 | 17 g | $7.90 | 3 oz (85 g): $1.48, 24 g protein | 145 |
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 200 calories from whole turkey and 181 from whole chicken.
- Edible weight, not shelf weight. Every price here is per gram of food as you eat it: a whole chicken is priced for the meat you eat, not the carcass. 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
- 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
- Ground turkey: ERS food code 24207000 Turkey, ground, price carried over from a closely matching food (ERS method altEC) · nutrients FDC ID 2706133
- 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.