How much should you spend on groceries per month? Pick a USDA plan tier, set your household size and member ages, and get your exact monthly food budget in 1 click. Backed by official USDA Food Plan data (January 2025 release).
Based on the USDA Food Plans, US-average January 2025 prices:
| Household | Thrifty | Low-Cost | Moderate | Liberal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 adult (M 19-50) | $371 | $366 | $459 | $558 |
| Couple (M+F 19-50) | $612 | $628 | $775 | $963 |
| Family of 4* | $993 | $1,076 | $1,328 | $1,606 |
| Family of 6** | $1,416 | $1,479 | $1,829 | $2,196 |
*2 adults (19-50) + 2 kids (6-8, 9-11). **2 adults + 4 kids. Prices in USD. For Canadian households, multiply by ~1.15 to account for higher food costs.
The USDA Food Plan is a set of 4 nutritionally adequate diet plans at different cost levels: Thrifty (cheapest, used to set SNAP benefits), Low-Cost, Moderate-Cost, and Liberal. The USDA updates the cost monthly using Consumer Price Index data. The figures used in this calculator are from the official January 2025 release (the latest published by USDA's Food and Nutrition Service).
Most people fall between Low-Cost and Moderate-Cost. Pick Thrifty if you're on a tight budget, food stamps, or building a lean grocery strategy. Pick Moderate if you want a realistic mid-market budget with some convenience foods. Pick Liberal if you eat more premium (organic, name-brand, pre-prepared) foods or live in a high-cost area.
USDA recommends summing each member's individual cost, then applying a household-size factor: 1-person +20%, 2-person +10%, 3-person +5%, 4-person 0% (baseline), 5-6 person -5%, 7+ person -10%. This reflects the fixed-cost-per-person efficiency of buying in bulk for bigger households.
No. The USDA Food Plan covers food AT HOME only — groceries. Restaurant and takeout spending typically adds 30-50% on top of the grocery number. For a full food budget, multiply the grocery result by 1.3-1.5 to include dining out.
US. The USDA is a US government agency, so the official prices are US-average in US dollars. Canadian grocery costs are typically 10-20% higher than US figures, so Canadian users should multiply the result by 1.1-1.2 for a realistic estimate (and more in remote areas).
The USDA breaks the population into age-and-sex groups. Children: 1y, 2-3y, 4-5y, 6-8y, 9-11y. Teens: 12-13y, 14-18y. Adults: 19-50y, 51-70y, 71+y. The calculator uses the appropriate cost for each member based on their age and sex.
Monthly. USDA uses the Consumer Price Index for each food category to adjust the market basket costs. New figures are typically published 1-2 months after the reference month (so January 2025 figures were issued in February 2025).
Data source: USDA Food and Nutrition Service, Official USDA Food Plans: Cost of Food at Home, January 2025 release. Published February 2025. The figures are US-average monthly costs in USD. Your actual grocery bill will vary by region, shopping habits, dietary restrictions, and inflation between USDA updates. For a precise budget, track your receipts for 1 month and compare against this estimate.