Cost per gram of protein: 2026 ranking by source & country

If you bulk, your spreadsheet eventually shows: not all proteins are created equal — and not all countries either. Here's the 2026-Q2 ranking we computed across CostMyMeal data.

Best $/g protein, US (Walmart)

• Eggs: $0.030/g — King.
• Chicken thigh (bone-in): $0.039/g — slightly more, much more flavor.
• Tofu: $0.038/g — vegan tier-S.
• Chicken breast: $0.057/g — overrated, marketed.
• Beef chuck: $0.071/g — flavor tax.

Korea (E-mart) inversion

• Tofu: ₩31/g — by far cheapest, KR's edge.
• Eggs: ₩56/g.
• Chicken thigh: ₩27/g — bone-in, but yields ~70% edible.
• Chicken breast: ₩32/g.
• Beef chuck: ₩265/g — KR meat tax is brutal.

Spain (Mercadona)

• Eggs: €0.048/g — competitive.
• Tofu: €0.050/g.
• Chicken thigh: €0.013/g — unbeatable.
• Chicken breast: €0.016/g.

What this means

If you're stacking macros on a budget:

1. Eggs are universally OP. Always include 3+/day. 2. Chicken thigh > breast every time. Lower cost, higher fat for satiety. 3. In KR specifically, tofu is the cheat code — 50% cheaper than next-best protein. 4. Beef is a flavor purchase, not a macro purchase, in every country.

Open any dish in CostMyMeal → toggle protein source → watch the cost-per-1g-protein swing.