How much to charge for personal chef
Rates reviewed June 2026
A personal chef is priced per event or per person for dinners, and per week for ongoing meal service. Groceries either pass through or are included clearly, and the custom menu and cleanup are the premium over takeout.
You should charge
$495
per event · typical $200–$1,500
Why this number. Price per person for events and per week for ongoing service, with groceries stated clearly. Clients are buying a restaurant-quality experience in their home with no shopping or cleanup, so price that convenience, not just the food.
Typical personal chef prices
| Job | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Intimate dinner (per event) | $300 – $800 |
| Per person (multi-course) | $50 – $150 |
| Weekly meal service (per week) | $300 – $900 |
Free · The words, not just the number
Get the personal chef pricing script
A short, calm script for quoting personal chef in person. The goal is not to pitch. It is to ask a few good questions, say your number once without flinching, and let them talk themselves into yes.
- ✓The questions to ask before you ever name a price
- ✓How to say your number so it lands, then stay quiet
- ✓The line for when they say "that's too much" (no discounting)
- ✓A rate-increase template for clients you already have
- ✓Early access to the paid Pricing Toolkit
Instant unlock, and a copy in your inbox. No spam. The calculator stays free either way.
What changes the price
- Number of guests and courses
- Groceries included or passed through
- One-off event vs. weekly service
- Menu complexity and dietary needs
The pricing move most people miss
Price per person for events and per week for ongoing service, with groceries stated clearly. Clients are buying a restaurant-quality experience in their home with no shopping or cleanup, so price that convenience, not just the food.
What to SayAI
They pushed back on your price? Get the exact reply.
Paste what a personal chef client says. A sales-psychology-trained AI writes the words that hold your price, in seconds. Free.
Get the reply →Frequently asked questions
How much should I charge for personal chef?+
Most personal chef is priced $200–$1,500 per event, with a typical rate around $500 per event. Where you land inside that range comes down mainly to number of guests and courses and groceries included or passed through. Use the range as your anchor, then adjust up for experience, strong demand, and a higher cost-of-living area.
Should I charge per job or by the hour for personal chef?+
Most personal chef is priced per job, and that is the stronger model. It pays you for the result rather than the clock, and clients far prefer one fixed number they can plan around. Estimate the hours a job takes, multiply by the hourly rate you want, then add a 15-25% buffer for the jobs that run long.
How much should I charge for personal chef as a beginner?+
Starting out, price near the lower end of the range, roughly $200 to $500 per event. Resist going below that to win work: a price that is too low attracts price-shoppers, signals low quality, and is hard to raise later. Once you have a few happy clients and reviews, move toward $1,500.
What affects how much personal chef costs?+
The biggest factors are number of guests and courses; groceries included or passed through; one-off event vs. weekly service; menu complexity and dietary needs. Two jobs that look alike can price very differently once these are accounted for, which is why a quick walkthrough or a few questions before quoting protects your rate.
How do I quote personal chef so the client says yes?+
Price per person for events and per week for ongoing service, with groceries stated clearly. Clients are buying a restaurant-quality experience in their home with no shopping or cleanup, so price that convenience, not just the food. Put the quote in writing with exactly what is included, state the price once without apologizing for it, and give one clear next step. A confident, well-structured quote wins jobs at a higher price than a vague one at a lower price.