Are two smalls better than one large?

Usually not. Two 12 inch pizzas give about 226 square inches; one 16 inch gives 201. It is closer than it looks, and one 18 inch beats two 12 inch outright.

Everydaydining

Pizza Size Value Calculator

Which pizza is better value per square inch. Area grows with the square of the diameter, so a 16 inch pizza is not a third bigger than a 12 inch one, it is nearly twice the size.

Also called: pizza size comparison, price per square inch.

Better value

Pizza B is better value

Pizza B is better value. Pizza A is ₹4 per square inch and B is ₹3. B has 1.78x the area of A for 1.5x the price.

Pizza A area (sq in)

113.1

Pizza B area (sq in)

201.06

A: price per square inch

₹4

B: price per square inch

₹3

Area ratio

1.78

Price ratio

1.5

How this is calculated

Method and background

How this is calculated

Doubling a diameter quadruples the area. That is why the large is almost always better value: the price rises roughly linearly with diameter while the food rises with its square. Two 12 inch pizzas have less area than one 16 inch, which surprises most people and is the single most useful fact on this page.

area grows with the square of the diameter

d: Diameter (inches)

Worked examples

Each of these is asserted on every build. If a change to the engine ever moved one of these answers, the build would fail before the page could print it.

twelve inch against sixteen

Pizza A diameter (in): 12
Pizza A price: ₹400
Pizza B diameter (in): 16
Pizza B price: ₹600

Better valuePizza B is better value

The 16 inch has 1.78 times the area for 1.5 times the price

Open this example

identical pizzas are equal value

Pizza A diameter (in): 12
Pizza A price: ₹400
Pizza B diameter (in): 12
Pizza B price: ₹400

Better valueThey are equal value

boundary

Open this example

Method and limits

What it assumes

Round pizzas of uniform thickness.

What it deliberately does not model

Crust ratio differs by size, and a deep pan is a different volume for the same diameter.

Formula version 1.0.0 · definition 1.0.0 · India · Report a problem with this calculator

Frequently asked questions

Are two smalls better than one large?: Usually not. Two 12 inch pizzas give about 226 square inches; one 16 inch gives 201. It is closer than it looks, and one 18 inch beats two 12 inch outright.