Unit Price Calculator
Buying 12 units at Option A's price would cost $6.50 instead of $8.49.
How the unit price calculation works
Divide price by quantity
$12.99 for 24 units is $0.5413 each. $8.49 for 12 is $0.7075 each.
Use the same unit for both
Compare ounces with ounces or units with units. Convert first if one pack is in pounds and the other in ounces.
The lower unit price is the better buy
Option A is 23.5% cheaper per unit, as long as you will use the larger pack before it expires.
Worked example. Option A is 24 units for $12.99 ($0.5413 each). Option B is 12 units for $8.49 ($0.7075 each). Option A is 23.5% cheaper per unit.
Unit Price FAQ
What is unit price?
Unit price is the cost of one unit of a product: one item, one ounce, one pound or one liter. It lets you compare packs of different sizes on equal terms, which the shelf price alone does not.
How do I calculate unit price?
Divide the total price by the number of units. The unit price formula is price ÷ quantity, so $12.99 ÷ 24 = $0.54 per unit.
How do I find the price per ounce or per pound?
Enter the weight in ounces (or pounds) as the quantity for both packs. A 2 lb bag is 32 oz, so $5.98 ÷ 32 = $0.187 per ounce, against $4.29 ÷ 20 oz = $0.215 for a 20 oz bag. The 2 lb bag is 12.9% cheaper per ounce.
How do I calculate cost per unit for my products?
Add up everything a batch costs (materials, packaging, labor) and divide by the number of units it makes. For full product costing, add a share of overhead too.
Is the bigger pack always cheaper per unit?
No. Sales on smaller packs often beat the bulk price, which is why it pays to check the unit price each time.
What if the two packs use different units?
Convert one so both match before comparing. 1 pound = 16 ounces, 1 ounce ≈ 28.35 grams, 1 fluid ounce ≈ 29.57 milliliters and 1 gallon ≈ 3.79 liters (NIST conversion factors). Weight ounces and fluid ounces are different units, so don't mix them.
Do stores have to show unit prices?
Not under federal law. Unit pricing rules are set state by state, based on model regulations in NIST Handbook 130. Some states make shelf unit prices mandatory, others only set rules for stores that choose to show them, and many have no rule.
Sources: NIST: Approximate Conversions from U.S. Customary Measures to Metric · NIST: Best Practices for Uniform Unit Pricing (SP 1181 and Handbook 130 update, 2024)