How much should I spend on groceries a month?
The USDA's range for one person, a couple and a family of four, what households really spend, and how to turn that into a monthly line you can keep.
Checked October 26, 2026
The range, by household
| Household | USDA, Thrifty to Liberal | What households spent, 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| One adult | $305 to $383 to $516 to $584 | $283 a month |
| A couple | $630 to $1,008 | $507 a month |
| A family of 4 | $1,024 to $1,682 | $725 a month |
Every size from one to six people, with the ages behind each figure, is in the average grocery cost guide.
Groceries in the whole budget
No published plan gives groceries a share of their own. In 2024, food was 12.9% of what households spent: 7.9% at home and 5% eating out. Fidelity's guideline counts groceries among the must-haves, which together take no more than 60% of take-home. Eating out belongs with the wants, so keep it on a line of its own.
Setting your own monthly line
- Start from the range. Pick the USDA plan closest to how you shop.
- Check three months of receipts. If you already spend less, keep your number. If more, see where it goes before cutting.
- Plan for the odd month. A holiday or guests can push one month up; a weekly line catches it sooner than a monthly one.
For a couple
Groceries are usually shared. Split them the way you split rent, by income or 50/50, and keep anything only one of you eats on that person's own line. The grocery guide for two has the couple's numbers in full.
Questions people ask
How much should I spend on groceries a month?
For one adult, the USDA's food plans for September 2026 run $305 to $383 to $516 to $584 a month, from its Thrifty plan to its Liberal plan. For a couple, $630 to $1,008. Pick a line in that range you can keep, then check it against a few months of receipts.
What is a good monthly food budget for 1?
$305 to $383 to $516 to $584 on the USDA's plans for September 2026. One-person households actually spent about $283 a month on food at home in 2024, per the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
What is a good monthly food budget for two?
$630 to $1,008 on the USDA's plans for a woman and a man aged 19 to 50. Two-person households spent about $507 a month on food at home in 2024.
How much do people spend on groceries a month?
The average U.S. household spent $6,224 on food at home in 2024, about $519 a month, and $3,945 more eating out. Groceries were 7.9% of what households spent.
What percentage of income should go to food?
There is no single published share for food. In 2024 food was 12.9% of household spending, 7.9% at home and 5% away. In Fidelity's guideline, groceries are a must-have, inside the 60% of take-home for all must-haves; eating out is a want.
What is a grocery budget for a family of 4?
$1,024 to $1,682 a month on the USDA's plans for a couple with two children aged 6 to 11. Four-person households spent about $725 a month on food at home in 2024.
Sources
5 sources · read October 26, 2026
Every number on this page comes from fns-prod.azureedge.us, bls.gov and fidelity.com. If a source has changed since, the source is right.
- 1USDA: Official USDA Food Plans, Cost of Food at Home at Three Levels, U.S. Average, September 2026fns-prod.azureedge.us
- 2USDA: Official USDA Thrifty Food Plan, U.S. Average, September 2026fns-prod.azureedge.us
- 3U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Consumer Expenditure Surveys, Table 1400, Size of consumer unit, 2024 (Excel)bls.gov
- 4U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Consumer Expenditures, 2024 (USDL-25-1586, December 19, 2025)bls.gov
- 5Fidelity: Fidelity's easy budgeting guideline (January 5, 2026)fidelity.com
Wonderful gives general information. It isn't a financial or tax advisor.