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Catering Cost Calculator

Updated · Written and checked by · How we check our maths

Quick answer

Catering is priced per guest by service style, plus staff, rentals, tax and gratuity. A 100-guest buffet at about $35 per person with service staff, basic rentals, 8% tax and an 18% gratuity comes to roughly $5,900, or $59 per guest.

Catering estimate

$
hours
%
%
$

Estimated total

$5,369–$6,562

Per guest
$59.65
Servers needed
4
Food & drink
$3,500
Staff (incl. setup & clean-up)
$840

Estimate only. Menus, venue rules and travel are confirmed in the final quote.

How this calculator works

Caterers quote food per guest, and the service style sets the price: drop-off platters are cheapest, buffets need staff to replenish and serve, and plated dinners need the most servers, roughly one for every 10–15 guests. Staff are usually paid for the event plus setup and clean-up time.

On top of food and staff come rentals (plates, glassware, linens), sales tax, and a service charge or gratuity, often 18–22% of the food total. These can add 30–50% to the food price, which is why per-person quotes that look similar can end up very different.

Caterers can hide their staff rate and let clients price an event on their website, sending the guest count and style as a lead.

The formula

Food
guests × (food price + drinks per guest)
Staff
servers × hourly rate × (event hours + 2); 1 server per 25 guests (15 for plated)
Total
(food + staff + rentals) × (1 + tax) + food × gratuity

Worked example

100 guests at $35 for a buffet is $3,500 of food. Four servers for 6 hours at $35 is $840 and rentals are $600, a subtotal of $4,940. With 8% tax ($395) and an 18% gratuity on food ($630), the total is about $5,965, or $59.65 per guest.

Tips

  1. 01Confirm the final guest count a week before; most caterers charge for the guaranteed number.
  2. 02Ask whether the service charge goes to staff or is a separate gratuity.
  3. 03Buffets usually cost less than plated meals but need more food per guest.

Frequently asked questions

How much does catering cost per person?

Commonly $15–$30 for drop-off, $25–$50 for buffets and $50–$100+ for plated dinners before tax and service.

How many servers do I need?

About one per 20–25 guests for a buffet and one per 10–15 for a plated dinner.

Is gratuity included in catering quotes?

Often a service charge of 18–22% is added. Ask whether it goes to staff or if a separate tip is expected.