Thai dishes contain expensive ingredients like coconut milk and palm sugar that drive your cost price higher than expected. Most restaurant owners underestimate these costs and end up charging prices that hurt their margins. Here's how to calculate the exact cost price of Thai dishes, including every special ingredient.
Gather all Thai ingredients and prices
Thai dishes contain ingredients that cost more than standard vegetables and meat. Create a complete list of everything that goes into the dish - yes, even the small quantities matter.
- Main ingredients: meat, fish, vegetables
- Thai basics: coconut milk, fish sauce, oyster sauce
- Sweeteners: palm sugar, brown sugar
- Herbs: galangal, lemongrass, kaffir lime
- Pastes: red curry paste, green curry paste
- Garnish: fresh herbs, peanuts, lime
💡 Example: Green Curry with chicken
For 1 serving you need:
- Chicken fillet: 150g at €12/kg = €1.80
- Coconut milk: 200ml at €8/liter = €1.60
- Green curry paste: 20g at €25/kg = €0.50
- Palm sugar: 10g at €15/kg = €0.15
- Fish sauce: 15ml at €12/liter = €0.18
- Eggplant + bell pepper: €0.80
- Thai basil: €0.25
Total cost price: €5.28
Calculate with correct units and package sizes
Thai ingredients get sold in small packages, making the price per kilo much higher. That 50-gram jar of curry paste for €1.25? It costs €25 per kilo.
⚠️ Watch out:
Don't calculate with the price of the large jar you buy at home. Professional packages are often cheaper per kilo, but verify this with your supplier.
Common mistake: you calculate with €3 for a whole jar of curry paste, but you only use a quarter. That serving costs €0.75 in paste, not €3.
Add fresh herbs and garnish
Thai dishes aren't complete without fresh herbs and garnish. These seem inexpensive but add up fast because you need to buy them fresh and they spoil quickly.
- Fresh cilantro: often €2-3 per bunch
- Thai basil: €3-4 per bunch
- Lime: €0.25 per piece for wedges
- Peanuts (roasted): €8-12 per kilo
- Red chili (garnish): €15-20 per kilo
💡 Example: Pad Thai garnish
Per serving of Pad Thai:
- Fresh cilantro: 5g = €0.15
- Roasted peanuts: 15g = €0.15
- Lime wedge: 1/4 lime = €0.06
- Bean sprouts (fresh): 20g = €0.10
Garnish total: €0.46
Calculate your food cost percentage
Use the standard formula: Food cost % = (Total ingredient costs / Selling price excl. VAT) × 100
Thai dishes often have a slightly higher food cost due to expensive ingredients. Most kitchen managers discover too late that a food cost of 32-38% is normal for authentic Thai dishes - not the 25-30% they're used to.
💡 Example: Green Curry pricing
Cost price: €5.28
Menu price: €18.50 incl. 9% VAT
- Selling price excl. VAT: €18.50 / 1.09 = €16.97
- Food cost: (€5.28 / €16.97) × 100 = 31.1%
This is a healthy margin for a Thai dish.
Account for waste and shelf life
Fresh Thai herbs and vegetables spoil faster than standard ingredients. Calculate an extra 10-15% for waste, especially with fresh cilantro, basil and lemongrass.
Canned coconut milk keeps long, but fresh coconut milk must be used within 2-3 days. Plan your purchases well to prevent waste.
How do you calculate the cost price of a Thai dish?
Make a complete ingredient list
Write down all ingredients with exact quantities per serving. Don't forget herbs, sauces and garnish. Check the price per kilo of small packages with your supplier.
Calculate the costs per ingredient
Multiply the quantity per serving by the price per kilo. Watch out: curry paste of €1.25 per jar of 50g = €25 per kilo. Calculate with the correct unit.
Add everything up and calculate food cost
Sum all ingredient costs. Divide by your selling price excl. VAT and multiply by 100. For Thai dishes, 32-38% food cost is normal.
✨ Pro tip
Calculate your 2 most popular curry dishes first within 48 hours. If those hit 32-35% food cost, you've got room to experiment with premium ingredients like fresh galangal in other dishes.
Calculate this yourself?
In the KitchenNmbrs app you can do this in just a few clicks. 7 days free, no credit card.
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Frequently asked questions
Why is my food cost so high for Thai dishes?
Thai ingredients like coconut milk, curry paste and palm sugar cost more than standard ingredients. A food cost of 32-38% is normal for authentic Thai dishes.
Should I use fresh or dried herbs for the cost price?
Calculate with what you actually use. Fresh herbs cost more but deliver better flavor. Dried herbs are cheaper but you need less per serving.
How do I prevent waste with fresh Thai ingredients?
Plan your purchases every 2-3 days for fresh herbs. Buy curry paste and fish sauce in larger packages for lower per-kilo costs. Freeze lemongrass and galangal in portions.
Can I use cheaper alternatives without losing flavor?
Some yes: brown sugar instead of palm sugar, regular basil instead of Thai basil. But with coconut milk and fish sauce you'll really notice the quality difference in taste.
Should I include rice in the cost price of a Thai dish?
Yes, if rice comes with the dish. Calculate €0.25-0.40 for a serving of cooked rice, depending on your purchase. Basmati costs more than regular rice.
How do I calculate curry paste cost when buying 400g jars?
Weigh exactly how much paste you use per dish - usually 15-25g. A €5 jar with 400g equals €12.50 per kilo, so 20g costs €0.25.
⚠️ EU Regulation 1169/2011 — Allergen Information — https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2011/1169/oj
The allergen information on this page is based on EU Regulation 1169/2011. Recipes and ingredients may vary by supplier. Always verify current allergen information with your supplier and communicate this correctly to your guests. KitchenNmbrs is not liable for allergic reactions.
In the UK, the FSA enforces allergen regulations under the Food Information Regulations 2014.
📚 Sources consulted
- EU Verordening 852/2004 — Levensmiddelenhygiëne (2004) — Official source
- EU Verordening 853/2004 — Hygiënevoorschriften voor levensmiddelen van dierlijke oorsprong (2004) — Official source
- EU Verordening 1169/2011 — Voedselinformatie aan consumenten (2011) — Official source
- NVWA — Hygiënecode voor de horeca (2024) — Official source
- NVWA — Allergenen in voedsel (2024) — Official source
- Codex Alimentarius — International Food Standards (2024) — Official source
- FSA — Safer food, better business (HACCP) (2024) — Official source
- BVL — Lebensmittelhygiene (HACCP) (2024) — Official source
- Warenwetbesluit Bereiding en behandeling van levensmiddelen (2024) — Official source
- WHO — Foodborne diseases estimates (2024) — Official source
Food Standards Agency (FSA) — https://www.food.gov.uk
The HACCP standards shown in this application are for informational purposes only. KitchenNmbrs does not guarantee that displayed values are current or complete. Always consult the FSA or your local authority for the latest regulations.
Written by
Jeffrey Smit
Founder & CEO of KitchenNmbrs
Jeffrey Smit built KitchenNmbrs from 8 years of hands-on experience as kitchen manager at 1NUL8 Group in Rotterdam. His mission: give every restaurant owner control over food cost.
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