How to Use the Homemade Yogurt Cost Comparison Calculator
If you eat yogurt regularly, you've probably wondered whether making it yourself would be cheaper. This calculator takes the price and size of store-bought plain yogurt, the price of milk and a starter culture, and your monthly consumption, and calculates the cost per liter for each option along with your estimated monthly savings.
The math is simple. For store-bought yogurt, the price is divided by the container size converted to liters. For homemade yogurt, the cost per liter is the price of 1 liter of milk plus one starter culture packet. In most cases, homemade comes out cheaper per liter, and the more yogurt your household eats, the bigger the monthly savings.
Keep in mind this only covers ingredient cost — it doesn't include upfront equipment like a yogurt maker or jars, or batches lost to a failed ferment. Your first few batches may not turn out perfectly, so start small and dial in the temperature (105-110°F / 40-43°C) and fermentation time (8-12 hours) as you go. Prices here are example figures that vary by store and brand.
Frequently Asked Questions
Even after adding the cost of milk and a starter culture, the cost per liter is often lower than store-bought plain yogurt. Households that eat yogurt daily can see meaningful monthly savings.
No, you can use a rice cooker's warm setting or an oven's proofing function instead. The key is holding a steady temperature of about 105-110°F (40-43°C), so a dedicated yogurt maker just lowers your chance of a failed batch.