How much should I charge for meal prep?

Work out your hours for one cook day, multiply by your target hourly rate and add overhead. That is your service fee; groceries are added at cost.

Should I mark up groceries for meal prep?

You can add a small shopping fee (for example 10%) for the time spent shopping, but most of your income should come from the service fee so you are paid the same whether the client wants chicken or salmon.

How do I split meal prep costs between several clients?

Add the fee and the grocery total, then divide by the number of clients (or by meals if portions differ).

How to price meal prep: service fee + groceries

For weekly meal prep, a percentage markup on food rarely fits. Most personal chefs charge a fee for their time and pass groceries through at cost. Here is how to set that fee.

The model

Client price = your service fee + groceries at cost + any packaging or delivery. Groceries are billed from the receipt, so the client sees exactly what the food cost, and your fee pays for your skill and time.

Setting your fee

Count the hours for one cook day: shopping, cooking, portioning, labeling, clean-up and delivery.
Multiply by the hourly rate you want to earn.
Add any costs you pay yourself, such as mileage or containers you buy (many chefs have none: clients pay groceries and containers).
Round to a clean number. That is your minimum fee.

Worked example: 3 clients, 27 meals

Groceries at cost (from receipt)	$190
Service fee	$350
Client total	$540
Each of 3 clients pays	$180
Price per meal (27 meals)	$20

Groceries are paid by the clients, so the whole fee is the chef’s pay: with about 5 hours of work that is $70 an hour. If the cook day grows to 7 hours, the same fee drops to $50 an hour. That is the moment to raise the fee, not to cut grocery quality.

What chefs publish for meal prep

There is no official average for independent meal prep chefs, but published examples give a reference point:

$150–$400 per visit for 10–12 servings, plus groceries (national, BreakingAC, Feb 2026; sponsored article). Higher-cost cities sit at the top of the range.
$50–$100 an hour, groceries separate (several guides, summarized by Zarla, Oct 2026).
Los Angeles example: one meal prep company publishes a chef fee from $450 a week, with $550 for 12 meals and groceries billed at cost (Eats by Nicole, Nov 2026).

Compare per household: if you cook for three clients in one day, divide your fee by three. The meal prep calculator adjusts the national range to your state’s price level and shows where your fee sits.

High-protein and athlete clients

Clients with training goals care about protein per meal. Lean proteins cost more, so price groceries at cost and keep your fee tied to your time. Show grams of protein per serving on the menu you send them.

Run your own numbers

ChefCents does this math for you: menu, shopping list with yield and whole packs, every cost, and a price for your margin or service fee. Free during beta, on your phone.

Start a free estimate

Questions chefs ask

How much should I charge for meal prep?: Work out your hours for one cook day, multiply by your target hourly rate and add overhead. That is your service fee; groceries are added at cost.
Should I mark up groceries for meal prep?: You can add a small shopping fee (for example 10%) for the time spent shopping, but most of your income should come from the service fee so you are paid the same whether the client wants chicken or salmon.
How do I split meal prep costs between several clients?: Add the fee and the grocery total, then divide by the number of clients (or by meals if portions differ).