Unit pricing: how to save thousands every year on groceries
Most people know there are cheaper and more expensive options at the grocery store. Fewer know how big the difference actually is, and even fewer have calculated what that difference means over ten years.
What is unit pricing?
Unit pricing is the price per kilogram, litre or other standard unit. By law it must be displayed in Swedish stores, making it possible to compare products of different package sizes on equal terms.
The problem is that most people look at the total price on the package, not the price per kilogram. A 400g package can look cheaper than a 1kg package but is often more expensive per kilo. That’s exactly the kind of mistake unit pricing protects you from.
Example: pasta 500g vs 1kg
Pasta 500g
SEK 12.90 • 500g
25.80 SEK/kg
Pasta 1kg
SEK 19.90 • 1kg
19.90 SEK/kg
Best unit priceCalculate yourself
Enter the price and weight of two products and we’ll calculate the unit price and what the difference costs you over time.
Product A
Product B
What small savings do over time
Saving SEK 200 a month on groceries might not sound like much. Add compound interest over ten years and the picture changes quickly.
| Saving | Per year | 10 years (saved) | 10 years (invested, 7%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| SEK 100/month | 1 200 kr | 12 000 kr | 17 308 kr |
| SEK 200/month | 2 400 kr | 24 000 kr | 34 615 kr |
| SEK 500/month | 6 000 kr | 60 000 kr | 86 539 kr |
| SEK 1 000/month | 12 000 kr | 120 000 kr | 173 078 kr |
Invested amount calculated at 7% annual return with monthly deposits. Past returns are no guarantee of future results.
5 simple ways to use unit pricing better
- 1
Always look at SEK/kg, not the total price
Stores make it easy to look at the total price. Train your eye to go straight to the unit price instead.
- 2
Bigger pack is not always cheaper
Always check. Stores sometimes sell small packs cheaper per kilo during promotions.
- 3
Store brands often beat name brands
Own-brand products often have 30 to 50% lower unit prices than well-known brands with similar contents.
- 4
Frozen is usually cheaper than fresh
Fruit, vegetables and meat are almost always cheaper per kilo frozen, and last much longer.
- 5
Use the app
Apps like Matpriser.se automatically compare unit prices between nearby stores.
Next step
What should you do with the money you save?
Now that you know how to save on groceries, what do you do with the money? We’ve put together the most important steps to make your money grow.
See next steps