Butter, onions, tomatoes, mince. Each month it reads the prices Stats NZ publishes, updates the cost of every dish, and emails you which ones moved, and what to do about it.
| Dish | Cost | vs Aug | Food cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kūmara & onion soup $11 on the menu | $2.83 | +$0.08 | 25.8% |
| Mince on toast $21 on the menu | $4.82 | −$0.10 | 22.9% |
| Bacon & eggs $23 on the menu | $5.55 | −$0.19 | 24.1% |
| Cheese & onion toastie $14 on the menu | $1.57 | +$0.01 | 11.2% |
Average prices Stats NZ recorded in New Zealand shops, with GST. The next figures are due Tuesday 17 November.
| Item | Price | On last month |
|---|---|---|
| Buttersalted, 500g block | $7.62 | −1.0% |
| Eggsa dozen | $8.37 | −2.7% |
| Onions1kg | $3.06 | +28.6% |
| Tomatoes1kg | $10.19 | −18.1% |
| Beef mince1kg | $24.77 | −0.8% |
| Chicken breast1kg | $15.21 | −1.7% |
Source: Stats NZ, Selected price indexes: September 2026, licensed CC BY 4.0. menucostly.shop isn't run by Stats NZ.
Mince on toast, $21: beef mince 150g, onion 40g, bread 80g. Don't know the grams? It drafts them from the dish name, marked Draft for you to fix.
About 150 items, from butter and eggs to mince and kūmara. Each ingredient follows its own price, or the price you paid.
Each dish's cost change in dollars, the three to look at, and the menu price that gets you back to your target.
Type a dish and its price. Add what goes in it if you like, or let it draft typical amounts.
| Ingredient | Today | A year ago |
|---|---|---|
| Beef mince, 150g DraftStats NZ beef mince, $24.77/kg, Sep 2026 | $3.72 | $3.47 |
| Onion, 40g DraftStats NZ onions, $3.06/kg, Sep 2026 (+86.6% on a year) | $0.12 | $0.07 |
| White bread, 80g DraftStats NZ white sliced loaf, $2.39 for 600g, Sep 2026 | $0.32 | $0.28 |
| Butter, 10g DraftStats NZ salted butter, $7.62 for 500g, Sep 2026 | $0.15 | $0.17 |
| Tomato, 50g DraftStats NZ tomatoes, $10.19/kg, Sep 2026 (−35.0% on a year) | $0.51 | $0.78 |
With GST, on Stats NZ's September 2026 average prices. Your first report would come on 17 November, the day the October figures are out.
Each ingredient is matched to one of about 150 Stats NZ items, shown with its price, pack size, month and source. A near match says so; anything untracked keeps the price you type.
Buy wholesale? Enter what you paid once: butter, 1kg, $13.50, on a date. From then on your price moves with the market's change since that month, labelled as such.
The ingredients that moved most, up and down, each dish's cost change in dollars, and the three dishes to look at with one line each on what to do. A dish over your target is flagged at the top.
Pick the dish, the new price and the date. It drafts a short, plain notice for your counter or your socials, giving rising ingredient costs as the reason.
Needs a look
What moved on August
| Onions, 1kg | $3.06 | +28.6% |
| White bread, 600g | $2.39 | +4.4% |
| Tomatoes, 1kg | $10.19 | −18.1% |
| Cheddar, 1kg | $12.82 | −3.5% |
| Eggs, a dozen | $8.37 | −2.7% |
Three dishes to look at
Then every dish, with its cost change in dollars on last month and on a year ago.
Butter, eggs, cream and bacon: the brunch menu and the cabinet.
Flour, butter, sugar and eggs, where a block of butter changes every batch.
Bread, ham, cheese, chicken and salad: margins measured in cents.
Potatoes, oil, mince and fish, sold at prices people remember.
7 days free with no card. The plan starts only if you choose it. Cancel any time.
From Stats NZ's Selected price indexes: the Selected Monthly Weighted Average Prices for about 150 food items, published each month under a CC BY 4.0 licence. They're average retail prices in New Zealand shops, with GST. menucostly.shop isn't run by Stats NZ. Where you enter what you actually paid, that's your base, and Stats NZ's change since then moves it.
They're the average prices Stats NZ records in shops. If you buy some of your stock at the supermarket, they'll be close. If you buy wholesale, enter what you paid once, and we move that price with the market from then on.
Monthly. Stats NZ releases its food prices around the middle of each month, and your email goes out that day. This isn't a live price feed.
About 150 items, including butter, eggs, cream, cheese, mince, chicken breast, lamb, bacon, flour, rice, olive oil and most fresh fruit and vegetables. Anything else keeps the price you typed.
No. Just your dishes and what goes in them. If you don't know the amounts, it drafts them from the dish name, marked as a draft for you to fix.
Stats NZ's prices do. We show your cost with GST or without, whichever matches how you price.
Yes. Pick the dish, the new price and the date, and it drafts a short notice for your customers.
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Add your first dish in a minute. Your first report comes on the next Stats NZ release day.
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