Our unit price calculator is the ultimate shopping calculator. Compare two items and get the best deal!
With the unit price calculator, you can compare items with different prices per pound, price per ounce, or any other weight or volume unit.
You can also compare multi-item packages with different weights or volumes, like a 6-pack of soda cans vs. bottles or half a dozen eggs vs. a dozen.
Read on to learn how to calculate unit price, how to calculate the price per unit, what is the unit price formula, and a few real-life examples.
When shopping, comparing unit prices is an essential skill for finding the best deals and maximizing value. Unit price tells you the cost per standardized unit (pound ounce, quart etc.) rather than just the total price. This allows you to accurately compare products sold in different quantities.
Understanding how to find, read, and calculate unit prices is simple with the right knowledge. Follow this beginner’s guide to become a savvy shopper and never overpay again.
What Is Unit Price?
Unit price also called price per unit is the cost per measurable unit of a product. It’s calculated by dividing the total price by the number of units.
For example:
- Price per pound of bananas
- Price per ounce of chips
- Price per quart of milk
- Price per 100 tablets of medicine
Unit pricing helps you determine and compare true costs regardless of package size It prevents you from being tricked by pricing strategies
Why Unit Price Matters for Smart Shopping
Shopping by unit price is essential for saving money. Here’s why it makes a huge difference:
Identifies the Real Bargain
Looking at only the total price can be misleading. A larger package may seem cheaper but actually have a higher unit cost. Unit pricing reveals the better deal.
Allows Price Matching of Different Sizes
You can only accurately compare prices of different sized products when you know the unit cost. This helps you get the optimal amount at the best unit price.
Helps You Buy the Right Quantity
Knowing the unit price helps you determine whether buying in bulk makes sense. You can calculate how much larger sizes save per unit.
Reveals Hidden Fees or Markups
When you understand standard unit prices for items, inflated costs due to shortages, markups, or hidden fees become more obvious.
Prevents You From Overpaying
Checking unit price protects you from making expensive mistakes. You never have to wonder if another size or brand would have been cheaper.
Where to Find Unit Prices When Shopping
Unit prices are commonly displayed on shelf tags in grocery and retail stores. Look for a smaller price followed by a slash and the unit of measure.
For example:
- $1.99/lb
- $0.05/oz
- $2.49/qt
If the unit price is hard to find on the shelf, check the product labeling or search online listings. Many retailers make unit pricing accessible.
How to Calculate Unit Price from Packaging
When the unit price is not clearly labeled, you can always calculate it yourself from the package info. The formula is:
Unit Price = Total Price ÷ Number of Units
For example:
-
A 24-pack of soda is $9.99. To find the price per can:
- Total Price = $9.99
- Number of Units = 24 cans
- Unit Price = $9.99/24 cans = $0.42/can
-
A 1-pound bag of flour is $2.49. To find the price per ounce:
- Total Price = $2.49
- Number of Ounces = 16 oz (in 1 lb)
- Unit Price = $2.49/16 oz = $0.16/oz
Once you know the unit price math, you can easily do it in your head at the store.
Common Units Used for Unit Pricing
Unit prices are often calculated based on:
- Weight – lbs, oz, mg, grams, kg
- Volume – gallons, quarts, liters
- Quantity – item count, pack count
Some categories have industry standard units to enable easy price comparisons.
Examples:
- Produce – Price/lb
- Meat – Price/lb
- Milk – Price/gallon
- Eggs – Price/dozen
- Paper towels – Price/roll
Learn the typical units for items you buy regularly.
Handy Conversions for Unit Price Calculations
When a product uses one unit but you want to calculate a different unit price, conversions help.
Useful examples:
- 1 gallon = 4 quarts
- 1 pound = 16 ounces
- 1 dozen = 12 items
- 1 liter = 33.8 fluid ounces
Our unit converters make conversions quick and easy.
How to Compare Unit Prices and Find the Better Buy
Once you know the unit prices of different products and sizes, you can easily determine which is the better deal.
1. Convert Units to Match
For accurate comparison, convert units so they match. For example, convert price per pound to price per ounce.
2. Compare Unit Prices
Look at the calculated unit prices and choose the lower one. This shows you the cheaper product per standardized unit.
3. Calculate Potential Savings
Subtract the higher unit price from the lower unit price and multiply by units purchased. This reveals the possible savings from buying the lower unit priced option.
4. Consider Other Factors
Unit price offers great insight but also consider:
- Budget and Cost of Other Sizes
- Available Storage Space
- Actual Usage Rates
Helpful Tips for Using Unit Pricing Wisely
Follow these tips to get the most value from comparing unit prices:
- Watch units when calculating. Fluid ounces, weight ounces, product ounces, etc. differ.
- Look at shelf tags for easiest unit price data.
- Learn common units for the products you buy.
- Memorize handy unit conversions.
- Carry a calculator for on-the-go unit price math.
- Calculate bulk and sale item unit prices to identify best deals.
- Be flexible on brands and sizes if the unit price justifies it.
- Consider all factors – don’t automatically buy the largest size.
Common Unit Price Questions
Understanding how to leverage unit prices when shopping often leads to questions like:
What does X price per Y unit mean?
It means the total cost for a single unit (X) when purchasing the item by a standardized unit of measure (Y). Knowing the price per unit allows you to compare costs and determine quantities purchased.
Do I have to buy in bulk for the best unit price?
Not necessarily. Larger sizes usually offer a lower unit price but you should still check. Calculate and compare the unit prices for all package sizes to find the overall best value based on your needs.
Is a lower unit price always better?
There can be exceptions. A smaller package might have a slightly higher unit price but be a smarter choice based on storage constraints or actual usage rate. The unit price is a helpful data point, but not the only factor in finding the optimal purchase.
How do I convert between units to calculate unit prices?
Use a helpful unit converter tool to quickly and easily convert between units. Our converters allow you to input the quantity to convert and will calculate conversions for you. No manual calculations needed!
Get Savvy with Unit Pricing
Learning to find, interpret, and calculate unit prices is an essential shopping skill. It prevents you from overpaying and helps maximize your budget. With the tips above, you can shop smarter and gain confidence knowing when you are getting the very best deal.
Become a unit price expert and savings will start adding up. Never second guess if another option was cheaper again!
When to use the price per unit calculator
In some countries and stores, the price per quantity information is provided on the price sticker, so if you take a closer look, you may not need this unit price calculator at all.
Still, you might find yourself in a situation where:
- The unit price is not listed;
- The units do not match (e.g., price per pound vs. price per ounce); or
- You want to compare packages containing different-sized items, like cans and bottles.
For these cases and more, the cost-per-unit calculator comes in very handy!
How do I calculate the unit price?
You can calculate the unit price using the unit price formula. Divide the items total price by the number of units of the item:
unit price = total price / no. of units.
For example, if you were eying a 3 L bottle of orange juice listed at $3.99, you would calculate the unit price as:
$3.99 / 3 L = $1.33 per L
If you then see a 2 L bottle of juice for $3.00, you can compare it to the first bottle by determining the unit price:
#3.00 / 2 L = $1.50 per L
Since $1.33/L is less than $1.50/L, we know that the 3 L bottle of juice is a better deal because it has a lower unit price, even though it has a higher price per bottle.
Using this same formula, you now also know how to calculate price per ounce, price per pound, and more.
How to Find Unit Prices | Unit Price Problems
What is the definition of unit price?
What is Unit Price? Unit price is the price at which a single quantity of a product is being sold. This can refer to the price per unit of measure, such as the price per pound, ounce, or pint.
Which rate describes an unit price?
A unit rate is a rate with 1 in the denominator. If you have a rate, such as price per some number of items, and the quantity in the denominator is not 1, you can calculate unit rate or price per unit by completing the division operation: numerator divided by denominator. Ryan purchased 3 apples for $1.80.
What does unit price means?
unit price noun The price of a standard amount of a good, as of weight or volume. Freebase (0.00 / 0 votes) Rate this definition: Unit price Average prices represent, quite simply, total sales revenue divided by total units sold. Many products, however, are sold in multiple variants, such as bottle sizes.
