The average US household spent about $3,933 on food away from home in 2023 (BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey). Per outing, a casual sit-down meal runs about $18 to $35 per person, mid-range restaurants $35 to $75, and fine dining $75 to $150+ before tax and tip; tasting menu prices and omakase climb from under $100 to $500+ per person. This index breaks dining and catering down by service, with every band tied to a named source and dated.
This index compiles the typical 2026 price ranges for every dining and catering service we cover in a single reference table. Methodology: all ranges are drawn from the per-service cost guides linked in each row, each citing named sources including the BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey, the National Restaurant Association, Toast and Square restaurant benchmarks, Thumbtack consumer job data, and WeddingWire catering data. Ranges represent food costs before tax, service charges, and gratuity unless stated otherwise.
How to Read This Table
Every row in the table below links to a dedicated guide where the source methodology, regional variation, and what is and is not included in the range are explained in detail. The ranges here are planning anchors, not quotes. Real costs depend heavily on your city, guest count, service style, and what a vendor includes in their base price.
Two numbers matter most when you budget from this table: the stated food range, and your all-in total. For catering and event formats, multiply the food range by 1.35 to 1.45 to estimate a realistic all-in number that accounts for the 20 to 24 percent service charge and 6 to 10 percent sales tax common in most markets. For restaurant dining, add 25 to 35 percent to cover a standard tip and local tax.
2026 Dining and Catering Price Index
| Service | Typical 2026 Range | Unit | Source Guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Restaurant meal -- casual | $18 -- $35 | per person | Average restaurant meal cost |
| Restaurant meal -- mid-range | $35 -- $75 | per person | Average restaurant meal cost |
| Restaurant meal -- fine dining | $75 -- $150+ | per person | Average restaurant meal cost |
| Steakhouse -- casual chain | $35 -- $55 | per person | Steakhouse cost per person |
| Steakhouse -- upscale chain | $80 -- $130 | per person | Steakhouse cost per person |
| Steakhouse -- fine dining independent | $150+ | per person | Steakhouse cost per person |
| Hibachi / teppanyaki dining | $20 -- $70 | per person | Hibachi restaurant cost |
| Hibachi -- at-home catering | $55 -- $85 | per person | Hibachi restaurant cost |
| Omakase counter | $80 -- $300 | per person | Omakase cost per person |
| Omakase -- top-tier counters | $400 -- $500+ | per person | Omakase cost per person |
| Tasting menu (restaurant) | $75 -- $350 | per person food only | Tasting menu cost guide |
| Tasting menu wine pairing add-on | $60 -- $200 | per person | Tasting menu cost guide |
| Michelin one-star (a la carte) | $100 -- $200 | per person | Michelin star restaurant cost |
| Michelin three-star (tasting menu + wine) | $500+ | per person | Michelin star restaurant cost |
| Private dining room -- F&B minimum, weekday lunch | $500 -- $1,500 | per event | Private dining room cost |
| Private dining room -- F&B minimum, Fri/Sat dinner | $3,500 -- $10,000+ | per event | Private dining room cost |
| Private chef -- dinner party | $45 -- $150 | per person | Private chef cost |
| Private chef -- recurring meal prep | $75 -- $150 | per hour | Private chef cost |
| Catering -- drop-off / self-serve | $15 -- $35 | per person | Catering cost per person |
| Catering -- full-service buffet | $45 -- $90 | per person | Catering cost per person |
| Catering -- plated / seated dinner | $70 -- $175+ | per person | Catering cost per person |
| Catering for 50 guests (total) | $1,500 -- $6,000 | per event | Catering for 50 guests |
| Corporate catering -- office lunch | $15 -- $35 | per person | Corporate catering cost |
| Corporate catering -- full event dinner | $60 -- $100 | per person | Corporate catering cost |
| Brunch catering | $20 -- $65 | per person | Brunch catering cost |
| Graduation party catering | $15 -- $50 | per person | Graduation catering cost |
| Holiday party catering (no alcohol) | $25 -- $65 | per person | Holiday party catering cost |
| Holiday party catering (with alcohol) | $40 -- $120 | per person | Holiday party catering cost |
| Rehearsal dinner | $55 -- $150 | per person | Rehearsal dinner cost |
| Wedding catering -- food service | $85 -- $175 | per person | Wedding catering cost |
| Wedding catering -- full open bar add-on | $40 -- $100 | per person | Wedding catering cost |
| Food truck catering (per-person package) | $15 -- $35 | per person | Food truck catering cost |
| Food truck catering (minimum guarantee) | $500 -- $2,500 | per event | Food truck catering cost |
| Bartender hire -- hourly | $30 -- $90 | per hour | Bartender hire cost |
| Bartender hire -- flat event package | $250 -- $1,200 | per event | Bartender hire cost |
All ranges reflect 2026 data from named sources cited in each linked guide. Figures represent food or base-service costs before tax, service charges, and gratuity unless the row note specifies otherwise.
How to Use These Numbers
The table above gives you a starting price anchor for any dining or catering decision. Here is how to translate those anchors into a working budget.
For restaurant dining, the per-person figure is what a typical guest spends on food before tax and tip. Multiply by your guest count, then add 25 to 35 percent for a realistic all-in total at the table. A group of 8 at a mid-range restaurant averaging $55 per person produces an $880 check before tax and tip, and roughly $1,100 to $1,190 after.
For catering and events, the per-person figure covers food production only in most cases. A full-service catering quote will add a service charge of 18 to 24 percent on the food subtotal, plus sales tax of 6 to 10 percent, plus gratuity if not included in the service charge. On a $75 per-person food quote for a 50-person event ($3,750 food), the loaded total lands at approximately $5,000 to $5,600 before any rentals, bar, or delivery fees. For a full breakdown of how the per-person math works across service styles, our guide on catering cost per person covers the complete structure.
For private dining rooms, the relevant number is the food-and-beverage minimum, not a per-person figure. The minimum is the floor your group must hit in pre-tax, pre-service-charge food and drink spending for the venue to provide the space. See private dining room cost for the full minimum structure and how to budget to the real all-in total.
Why Ranges Vary So Much
Every range in the table above is genuinely wide, and that width is real -- not a hedge. The most common sources of variation:
City and market. Catering and restaurant costs in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston, and Washington D.C. consistently run 25 to 50 percent above the national mid-range. Costs in smaller inland markets typically run 10 to 20 percent below. The same 50-person buffet that costs $3,500 in Des Moines can cost $6,000 or more in Manhattan.
Service level within a category. A "catering" quote can mean drop-off food in aluminum trays or a full-brigade plated dinner with a bartender and event captain. Both are catering. Both appear under the same search query. The service level within a category often explains more of the price variation than the category name does.
What is included in the base price. Caterers differ significantly on whether bar service, rentals, gratuity, and service charges are bundled or billed separately. A $55 per-person all-inclusive quote and a $55 per-person food-only quote are the same headline number with very different final bills.
Seasonal and day-of-week demand. Private dining room minimums are often 2x to 3x higher on Friday and Saturday evenings than on a weekday lunch slot. Full-service caterers with heavy wedding-season demand may quote higher minimums from May through October than in the winter months.
Average meal cost by city
City is the single biggest swing factor. The figures below are directional -- they apply a documented metro premium to a national casual-meal baseline of about $26 per person, not measured local averages. Restaurant and catering costs in the most expensive metros run well above the national mid-range, while smaller inland markets run below it.
| Market | Casual meal, per person | Vs national |
|---|---|---|
| New York City | ~$33 - $39 | +25% to +50% |
| San Francisco | ~$33 - $39 | +25% to +50% |
| Boston / Washington DC | ~$31 - $36 | +20% to +40% |
| US national average | ~$26 | baseline |
| Mid-size inland markets | ~$21 - $23 | -10% to -20% |
City premiums are directional, derived from the metro cost-of-dining gap reported across Toast, Square, and National Restaurant Association market data; treat them as adjustments to the national baseline, not precise local averages.
How we sourced these figures (methodology)
Every band in this index is tied to a named source and reflects the most recent available data:
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Expenditure Survey (2023) -- the national household food-away-from-home spending anchor ($3,933 per year). bls.gov
- National Restaurant Association, State of the Industry (2024-2025) -- restaurant menu-pricing and operating-cost trends, including the menu-price inflation that lifted dining costs through 2025. restaurant.org
- Toast and Square restaurant benchmarks (2024-2025) -- per-check and per-person restaurant spend by tier and market.
- Thumbtack and WeddingWire catering data (2025) -- catering cost per person by service style (buffet, family-style, plated) and event type.
- Tasting-menu and omakase bands are cross-checked against published restaurant pricing compiled by Resy, The Infatuation, and Chowhound.
How to read the numbers: bands are food or base-service costs before tax, service charge, and gratuity unless a row says otherwise. Where service styles differ within a category, we list them as separate rows rather than averaging them into one misleading number. Figures we could not tie to a named source are omitted.
Cite this report: "Dining Cost Index 2026," DiningRated (updated June 2026), https://diningrated.com/guides/dining-prices-2026/. Underlying data: BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey (2023); National Restaurant Association; Toast and Square benchmarks; Thumbtack and WeddingWire catering data (2025).
We review this index annually and refresh individual bands when newer data from the same named sources is published. For the full per-service breakdown, follow the linked guide in any table row, including catering cost per person.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a sit-down restaurant meal cost per person in 2026?
A casual sit-down restaurant meal typically costs $18 to $35 per person before tax and tip, according to Toast industry data. Mid-range restaurants average $35 to $75 per person. Fine dining starts at $75 and regularly exceeds $150. Alcohol, appetizers, and gratuity add 35 to 50 percent on top of any tier.
What does full-service catering cost per person in 2026?
Full-service plated dinner catering typically costs $70 to $175 per person for food before tax, gratuity, and rentals, per Thumbtack consumer cost data. Add a 20 to 24 percent service charge and 7 to 10 percent sales tax. All-in totals for plated dinners routinely run $90 to $230 per person depending on market and menu.
Why do catering prices vary so much from one quote to another?
Catering prices vary because the quoted per-person figure usually covers food only. Service charge (18 to 24 percent), sales tax (6 to 10 percent), gratuity, rental equipment, bar service, and delivery each layer onto the food price. A $55 per-person drop-off quote and a $55 per-person plated quote are different products entirely -- one includes staffing and service, the other does not.
How often are the prices in this index updated?
The ranges in this index are compiled from our individual per-service cost guides, each of which cites named sources including Thumbtack, The Knot, HomeAdvisor/Angi, Toast, and Square. We review the index annually. For the most precise figures, follow the linked guide for each service, where methodology and source dates are noted.
Are the prices in this index before or after tax and tip?
All prices in the master table are food-only or base-service figures before tax, gratuity, and service charges unless the row note specifies otherwise. To estimate your all-in total, multiply the stated range by 1.30 to 1.45 for catering or event formats, or add 25 to 35 percent for restaurant dining that includes a tip and local tax.
Which dining format has the highest per-person cost?
Omakase counters and Michelin three-star tasting menus occupy the top of the range at $300 to $500+ per person for food alone, before beverages, tax, and gratuity. Private chef dinners, full-service wedding catering with an open bar, and full restaurant buyouts can approach similar totals on a per-head basis once all costs are counted.