Working out a budget · Aaron Lefler
Cost per head calculator
Work out the cost per guest from food, labour, rentals and overhead, and see the margin.
Estimate
Enter your own numbers in any currency. The calculator keeps the arithmetic honest: it separates direct costs from overhead and shows the margin the price actually produces.
What this assumes
- Margin is calculated on revenue, not as a markup on cost.
- Overhead is applied as a percentage of direct costs.
- Taxes, service charges and payment fees are not included.
- The food cost share is shown because it is the number most often used as a sanity check.
These are estimating rules of thumb, not guarantees. Check the numbers against your own menu, your own staff and your own suppliers.
Related reading
GuideService styles comparedBuffet, plated, family style, stations and passed canapes, and what each one does to your staffing, your timing and your food quantities.
GuidePortion planningThe per-guest figures caterers work from, what changes them, and where they go wrong.
GuideStaffing an eventHow many servers, bartenders and kitchen staff an event needs, and the hours nobody counts.
Page revised 18 September 2026.