Cheap protein, ranked: cost per gram for 15 common proteins

Price per kilo is a bad way to compare proteins, because a kilo of chicken breast and a kilo of canned lentils don't contain remotely the same amount of usable protein. Cost per gram of protein is the number that actually matters, and it reorders the list in some genuinely surprising ways.

The ranking (cheapest to most expensive, roughly)

1. Lentils & split peas — the cheapest protein there is, dried or canned, and they carry a dish's bulk at the same time.
2. Dried beans & chickpeas — close behind lentils; dried is noticeably cheaper than canned once you account for the water canned beans are packed in.
3. Eggs — exceptional value for a complete, high-quality protein, and endlessly flexible.
4. Canned tuna/sardines (own brand) — cheap, shelf-stable, no prep.
5. Chicken thighs (bone-in) — noticeably cheaper per gram of protein than breast, and arguably more forgiving to cook.
6. Tofu — inexpensive and absorbs whatever it's cooked with.
7. Peanut butter — a legitimate protein source gram-for-gram, not just a spread.
8. Canned chickpeas/beans — slightly behind dried, still good value.
9. Whole chicken — cheaper per gram than any single cut, if you're willing to joint it or get two meals (roast, then stock) out of one bird.
10. Mince (budget cut) — a mid-tier option, more expensive than legumes, far cheaper than named cuts.
11. Chicken breast — a premium over thighs for the same bird.
12. Pork chops — mid-range, varies a lot by cut.
13. Cheese — good protein density, but easy to over-buy relative to how much you actually use per meal.
14. Beef steak — a genuine centrepiece-meal price, not a weekday staple.
15. Salmon fillet — usually the most expensive gram-for-gram on this list.

Why this ordering surprises people

Lentils beating chicken thighs isn't a trick of the numbers — legumes are genuinely one of the most cost-efficient foods that exist, and the "meat is expensive, beans are cheap" intuition undersells how large that gap actually is. The more useful reframe: meat as a flavouring ingredient, legumes as the bulk gets you most of the savings without becoming a vegetarian.

The practical takeaway

You don't need to pick one protein and commit — the biggest wins come from letting the cheap options do more of the work. A chilli with half the usual mince and a tin of beans costs meaningfully less than an all-meat version and is, by most accounts, just as good.

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Mealconomy's swap suggestions lean on exactly this ranking — when a recipe's protein is pushing a plan over budget, the first suggestion is almost always a cheaper source that keeps the dish recognisably the same meal.