Price per Unit Comparison Calculator
Unit price comparison between two pack sizes. The larger pack is not reliably cheaper per unit, and supermarkets price the exceptions deliberately.
Also called: unit price comparison, which is cheaper.
The second is better value. The first is $0.29 per unit and the second $0.25, a difference of 12.46%. Buying the cheaper per unit saves $0.04 on each one.
How this is calculated
Divide price by quantity for each and compare. The reason to do this rather than assume is that the bigger pack being cheaper per unit is a habit rather than a rule: retailers price a large pack above the small one per unit often enough that it has a name, and shelf-edge unit pricing exists because of it. Make sure both quantities are in the same unit before comparing.
price over quantity, which is the only comparison that survives different pack sizes- P
- Price
- q
- Quantity
Method and limits
What it assumes
- Both quantities are in the same unit.
What it deliberately does not model
- It ignores waste. A cheaper large pack you do not finish is not cheaper.
Formula version 1.0.0 · definition 1.0.0 · United States · Report a problem with this calculator
Frequently asked questions
- Is the bigger pack always cheaper per unit?
- No, and reliably enough not that shelf-edge unit pricing was mandated. Check rather than assume.