Dog Food Cost per 1,000 kcal Calculator
Compare what two dog foods really cost to feed, by price per 1,000 calories rather than price per bag.
Add this to see cost per day and per month.
Cheaper to feed
Food A
Food A costs 6.6% less per 1,000 kcal, about 1.52 a month for your dog.
| Food | Per kg | Per 1,000 kcal | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food A | 3.33 | 1.111 | 21.31 |
| Food B | 5.00 | 1.190 | 22.83 |
How this is calculated
A bag price tells you nothing without its weight, and a price per kilogram tells you nothing without its energy density. Cost per 1,000 kcal folds all three together.
total energy in bag = bag weight (kg) × kcal per kg
cost per 1000 kcal = (bag price ÷ total energy) × 1000
cost per day = cost per 1000 kcal × (daily kcal ÷ 1000) Worked example
Food A: 12 kg bag, 40 per bag, 3,000 kcal/kg. That is 36,000 kcal in the bag, so
1.11 per 1,000 kcal.
Food B: 12 kg bag, 60 per bag, 4,400 kcal/kg. That is 52,800 kcal, so
1.14 per 1,000 kcal.
Food B costs 50% more per kilogram but only 3% more per calorie, because you feed a third less of it. For a dog needing 1,000 kcal a day the real difference is about a pound a month, not the fifty percent the shelf price implies.
Sources
- Association of American Feed Control Officials. Understanding Pet Food: labeling, calorie content statements and the modified Atwater factors.
- Energy density figures come from the manufacturer's own metabolizable energy declaration on the bag. Where a manufacturer does not publish one, estimate it with our label calorie calculator.
What this comparison leaves out
Cost per calorie is a pure arithmetic comparison. It does not judge ingredient quality, protein digestibility, whether the food carries an AAFCO or FEDIAF statement for your dog's life stage, or whether your dog will eat it. A food your dog refuses has an infinite cost per calorie.
It also ignores waste. Wet food opened and not finished, kibble that goes stale in an oversized bag, and a raw batch that spoils all raise the real cost above the calculated one.
Common questions
Why compare cost per 1,000 kcal instead of price per kilogram?
Because you feed calories, not kilograms. A dense food costs more per kilogram but you use less of it, so it can easily work out cheaper to feed. Price per kilogram regularly points at the wrong food, and price per bag is worse still because bag sizes differ.
How much does this actually change things?
Enough to reverse the answer. A 12 kg bag at 40 with 3,000 kcal/kg costs 1.11 per 1,000 kcal. A 12 kg bag at 60 with 4,200 kcal/kg costs 1.19. Close, and the cheaper-per-kilogram bag wins narrowly. Shift the density to 4,800 kcal/kg and the expensive bag becomes the cheaper one to feed.
Does cheaper per calorie mean better value?
No. It means cheaper. Cost per 1,000 kcal tells you what feeding costs, not whether the food suits your dog, whether the protein sources are digestible, or whether it meets AAFCO or FEDIAF standards for your dog life stage. Use it to compare foods you would already be happy to feed.
Does this work for wet food and raw?
Yes, and it is especially useful there. Wet food looks expensive per kilogram partly because you are buying water. Comparing on energy puts wet, dry and raw on the same footing.
Should I buy the biggest bag?
Usually cheaper per calorie, but dry food goes stale and fats oxidize once opened. A bag that takes more than about six weeks to finish is a false economy, particularly in warm or humid conditions.