Is meal prepping still cheaper than buying lunch?

Yes—generally, meal prepping is still cheaper than buying lunch.

In 2026, a home-prepped lunch often lands around $4.50 to $7.00 per serving, depending on ingredients and portion size. By contrast, a bought lunch is usually more expensive, especially if you’re getting fast-casual food, takeout, or delivery. In many cases, lunch out can be around $12 to $20+ once taxes, tips, and delivery fees are included, so meal prep can save roughly $5 to $13+ per day.

That said, the exact gap depends on where you live, what you buy, and whether you compare against a cheap lunch special or a premium homemade meal. If you want, I can help estimate your savings based on your usual lunch and grocery costs.