Is it Cheaper to make or buy Tuna Salad?
I have found that tuna salad is either a love or a hate. Most people have very strong feelings toward this easy protein packed lunch or snack item. I used to be a tuna salad hater but in the last few years, I have converted to liking tuna salad sandwiches.
This made me wonder about the cheapest ways to have tuna salad for lunch. Let’s breakdown the costs of homemade tuna salad, deli style premade tuna salad, and the canned or pouched tuna salad.
How much does homemade tuna salad cost?
Everyone has their own special way to make tuna salad but for our cost breakdown, we will use a very basic recipe.
| Tuna Salad Ingredients | Cost |
| 2 (5oz) can of Tuna in water | $1.56 |
| 1/4 cup mayonnaise | $0.31 |
| 2 tbsp pickle relish | $0.09 |
| Total Cost: $1.96 (makes 4 servings) | Per 2.5 oz Serving: $0.49 |
A basic batch of tuna salad costs $1.96 to make and each 2.5oz serving costs about $0.49.
A typical serving of tuna salad is about 1/3 of a cup. This should be enough for a sandwich or to put on crackers, carrot sticks, or celery sticks.
How much does tuna salad cost at the grocery store?
At the grocery store, you can usually find premade tuna salad in the deli section. This is the kind that is ready to eat! Let’s see how much it costs per serving.
| Premade Tuna Salad & Number of Servings | Store & Price | Cost per Serving |
| 12oz Albacore Tuna Salad, 4.5 servings | Kroger, $6.49 | $1.44 |
| 1lb The Fresh Market Tuna Salad, 8 servings | The Fresh Market, $11.99 | $1.49 |
| Don’s 10oz Tuna Salad, 4 servings | Publix, $6.63 | $1.65 |
| Earth Fare Tuna Salad, 8 servings | Earth Fare Market, $14.99 | $1.87 |
| Laura Lynn Tuna Salad, 4.5 servings | Ingles, $3.88 | $0.86 |
| Average Cost per Serving of Premade Tuna Salad: | $1.46 |
Wow! I am very surprised that the cost per serving of premade tuna salad is $1.46. That is almost triple the cost of making it yourself ($0.49 per serving)!
Is canned tuna salad cheaper than deli made tuna salad?
Until recently, I had never actually tried the ready to eat tuna salad in a can or pouch. I had always just bought canned tuna and made the “salad” myself.
I was very pleasantly surprised with the taste. I expected it to be kind of bland or gross, but honestly it was not bad at all! I add a little cracked black pepper to it and put it on sandwich bread.
Let’s see the cost breakdown on these canned and pouch tuna salads.
| Pouches or Canned Tuna Salad & Number of Servings | Store & Price | Cost per Serving |
| Fit & Active Tuna Salad Kit, 1 serving | Aldi, $1.65 | $1.65 |
| Brunswick Tuna Salad, 1 serving | Dollar Tree, $1.25 | $1.25 |
| Starkist Deli Style Tuna Pouch, 1 serving | Kroger, $1.19 | $1.19 |
| Bumblebee Tuna Salad pouch, 1 serving | Publix, $1.53 | $1.53 |
| Average Cost per Serving for Can or Pouch Tuna Salad: | $1.40 |
The premade tuna salad in a can or pouch comes out to an average of $1.40 per serving. This was very similar to the deli made tuna salad with a cost of $1.46 per serving.
Is homemade tuna salad worth it?
Without a doubt, making your own tuna salad is worth it. The cost savings is huge when you compare the cost per serving being only $0.49 for homemade tuna salad.
The other big benefit of making tuna salad at home is that you control the flavors. If you prefer a certain mayonnaise, or if you like to add extras like diced celery or diced onion.
My husband is not a huge fan of tuna salad, so he adds hot sauce to his sandwiches to make them tastier. I prefer to use diced dill pickles instead of sweet relish.
We all have our own personal taste preferences with tuna salad, and with the cost being so much lower to make it yourself, this one is an easy win!
For more cost breakdowns of making it versus buying it, check out “Is it Cheaper to make or buy Muffins?” and “Is it Cheaper to buy Ice Cream or make it?“
