Is it Cheaper to Make or Buy Salsa?
My family is a huge fan of salsa. Whether we eat it as a snack with chips or if we use it in tacos, quesadillas, and more. We regularly stock up on salsa when we see it for a good price too!
So this got me wondering if making my own salsa would be even cheaper? Let’s breakdown the costs of homemade salsa and compare them to the premade store bought salsa, to see if there is any cost savings!
How much does homemade salsa cost?
The great thing about salsa is that there is a ton of different ways to make it! For this cost breakdown we will comparing a very basic salsa recipe.
| Homemade Salsa Ingredients | Total Cost | Cost for this Recipe |
| 1 lb of Tomatoes (diced) | Roma Tomatoes $0.98 a lb | $0.98 |
| 1/4 cup of chopped onion | Yellow Onion $1.07 | $0.26 |
| 3 tbsp of fresh cilantro | 1 bunch= $0.88 | $0.17 |
| 2 tbsp minced jalapenos | $0.07 for 1 pepper | $0.07 |
| 1 1/2 tsp lime juice | Great Value 15oz bottle= $1.24 | $0.02 |
| 1 small garlic clove | 1 bulb= $.70 | $0.06 |
| Total Cost: $4.94 | Cost for Recipe: $1.56 |
I cost out the ingredients needed for homemade salsa at my local Walmart since they seem to be cheaper than other stores locally. Depending on where you live and shop, your costs may vary.
To buy all the ingredients needed, our total out of pocket cost was $4.94. The actual cost of the recipe was about $1.56. We will have some ingredients leftover to use for other dishes.
This recipe for homemade salsa makes about 2 cups or 16oz total, so that means our cost per ounce is about $0.09.
In case you are wondering why I did not buy a lime instead of lime juice, we have found that in most cases buying the juice is cheaper than a fresh lime!
How much does salsa cost at the grocery store?
Now let’s head to couple of grocery stores, warehouse clubs, and discount stores to get some prices on salsa. Since we are in a money saving mood, I will be looking at the cheapest options which will most likely be store brand or generic brands.
| Store Bought Salsa & Size | Store & Price | Cost per Ounce |
| Great Value, 24oz jar | Walmart, $2.36 | $0.10 |
| Kroger, 16oz jar | Ralph’s, $2.09 | $0.13 |
| Pace (2 pack), 76oz jars | Costco, $8.70 | $0.11 |
| Casa Mamita, 24oz jar | Aldi, $2.45 | $0.10 |
| Tostitos (3 pack), 136.5 jars | Sam’s Club, $12.79 | $0.09 |
| Publix, 16oz jar | Publix, $2.75 | $0.17 |
| Food Lion, 16oz jar | Food Lion, $2.39 | $0.15 |
| Senora Verde, 15.5oz jar | SaveALot, $1.99 | $0.13 |
| Good & Gather, 16oz jar | Target, $3.59 | $0.22 |
| Eatz, 15.5oz jar | Family Dollar, $2.99 | $0.19 |
| Food Club, 16oz jar | Food City, $3.39 | $0.21 |
| Kroger, 16oz jar | Kroger, $1.89 | $0.12 |
| Meijer, 16oz jar | Meijer, $2.69 | $0.17 |
| Tostitos, 69oz jar | BJ’s Wholesale, $12.69 | $0.18 |
| Average Cost per Ounce: | $0.15 |
We were able to find salsa at some stores like Walmart, Aldi, and Sam’s club where we could buy it for about $0.09-0.10 per ounce.
Other places like Target and Food City were much higher at around $0.21-0.22 per ounce.
Overall, we found the average cost per ounce of store bought salsa was about $0.15 per ounce. So, this makes the homemade version of salsa for $0.09 per ounce a pretty big savings!
Is homemade salsa worth it?
If we are judging homemade salsa just on the cost savings, I would say that Yes! it is definitely worth making. Our homemade salsa came about 40% cheaper than the store-bought kind.
Pros of making Homemade Salsa:
- Cheaper
- You control the ingredients (can use any type of onion, add fruits like pineapple or peaches, and so many other options)
- You control the flavor (you can make it as mild or as spicy as you like.)
- You can avoid additives, preservatives, and excessive sodium (not all store bought salsas have these, but some do so if you are trying to avoid them, then making salsa is a great option.)
Cons of making Homemade Salsa:
- Time Consuming (even if you use a blender or food processor option it still takes more time than opening a jar.)
- Seasonal Produce Pricing (Costs to make your own may be much higher in the winter when tomatoes and peppers are not in season.)
- Short Shelf Life (homemade salsa will probably only last 5-7 days.)
- Clean Up (Whether you chop all your ingredients by hand or use an appliance, you will some clean-up to do!)
Overall, I think the next time I can get tomatoes for a good price or if my neighbor decides to share from their garden, I will make my own salsa!
This may not be a great option during the wintertime due to the costs of tomatoes and peppers no longer being in season, but I will have to check my prices and compare.
All this talk about salsa, has me wanting to go make tacos, so don’t forget to check out my cost breakdown on taco seasoning too!
