How do you price food truck menu items?

Start with ingredient cost per serving, add labor cost (prep + service time), add overhead per serving (truck payment, fuel, permits, commissary fees ÷ expected daily sales). Target 25–35% food cost. A taco costing $1.50 in ingredients should sell for $5–$6.

What is the average profit margin for a food truck?

Food trucks typically net 6–9% profit margin. Food cost averages 28–35% of revenue. Labor 25–30%. Overhead (truck, permits, commissary, events) 15–25%. Prime cost target: below 65% of revenue.

How much overhead should a food truck charge per item?

Calculate daily fixed costs (truck payment, insurance, fuel, permits, commissary) and divide by expected daily sales. If overhead is $300/day and you sell 150 items, overhead per item is $2. This must be covered by your menu pricing.

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Food Truck Pricing Calculator
Price Street Food Profitably

Last reviewed: July 28, 2026

Includes ingredients, prep labor, and daily truck overhead — see the real cost behind every item and the price you need to hit your margin.

Per-Item Costs

Item Name

Ingredient Cost per Item ($)

Prep Time (mins)

Staff Rate ($/hr)

Truck Overhead

Daily Fixed Costs ($)

Truck payment + fuel + permits + commissary + insurance

Expected Daily Covers

Items sold per day (overhead per item = $2.92)

Target Gross Margin

65%

Food trucks typically target 60–70% gross margin

Suggested Price

$12.62

At 65% gross margin

Total Cost

$4.42

Food Cost %

—

Profit/Item

$8.20

Cost Breakdown

Ingredients$0.00

Labor$1.50

Overhead$2.92

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Frequently Asked Questions

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Type a dish name — MenuPricer estimates ingredient costs, calculates food cost %, and gives 3 pricing tiers with delivery markup. 30 seconds per dish.

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Food Truck Pricing CalculatorPrice Street Food Profitably

Per-Item Costs

Truck Overhead

Frequently Asked Questions

Want AI to price your whole food truck menu?

Food Truck Pricing Calculator
Price Street Food Profitably