Tiffin Business Cost Calculator
Selling home-cooked desi meals to students, office workers or families? Enter your costs and see what you really earn each month, how many tiffins you need to break even, and what to charge for the profit you want.
Cost of each tiffin
Monthly costs
Examples are only a starting point. Use your own numbers.
Your month
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How to price a tiffin
- Cost one tiffin exactly. Weigh what goes into one box for a week of menus: rice, roti, salan, salad, raita. Price the ingredients and take the average.
- Add the box and the delivery. Packaging and delivery often add 20 to 30% to the food cost.
- Share out the monthly bills. Gas, electricity, helpers and your phone have to be paid even on slow days. The calculator spreads them over your tiffins.
- Add your profit last. Choose a profit margin and the calculator gives you the price. Don’t forget to pay yourself a wage too.
Ways to make a tiffin service pay
- Sell monthly plans. A fixed number of customers on a monthly plan lets you buy in bulk and waste less.
- Use a rotating menu. A planned weekly menu (try the weekly meal plan generator) makes shopping and prep predictable.
- Deliver in routes. Group customers by area and deliver in one trip, or offer a cheaper pick-up price.
- Be careful with food apps. A 25 to 30% commission can wipe out your profit; add it to the app price or use apps only to find new customers.
Registration and food safety
Selling food from home usually needs some kind of registration or licence, and the rules differ by country and city. For example, in the UK you must register with your local council at least 28 days before you start; in many US states the cottage food laws do not cover cooked meals, so check with your county health department; in Pakistan, check with your provincial food authority. Keep hot food hot, cold food cold, and label any allergens such as nuts, milk and wheat.
Questions people ask
How much should I charge for a tiffin?
Add up the ingredients, packaging and delivery for one tiffin, add a share of your monthly bills, then add your profit. Most home tiffin services aim for a profit margin of 25 to 35%. The calculator gives you the price for the margin you choose.
How many tiffins do I need to sell to break even?
Divide your monthly fixed costs by what is left from each tiffin after its own costs. The calculator shows this as tiffins per day.
Is a tiffin business profitable?
It can be, if you have regular customers, keep food costs under about 40% of the price, and deliver efficiently. Small numbers of customers spread over a wide area are usually the hardest to make pay.
Do I need a licence to sell food from home?
Usually yes. Rules depend on your country, state or city. Check with your local council, health department or food authority before you start selling.
Last updated 25 October 2026. Found a mistake or want a feature? Tell us.