Eggs deliver 34.4 grams of protein per dollar at $2.19 a dozen, the May 2026 national average, which lands them 19th out of the 49 grocery foods in our protein per dollar study. That’s the whole story in one sentence: eggs are good value, not great value, and everything that beats them lives in the dry goods aisle. Here’s the top of the ranking eggs didn’t crack:
| Rank | Food | Protein per $1 | Package | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pinto beans (dry) | 97.9 g | 4 lb bag | $3.97 |
| 2 | Whole wheat flour | 96.0 g | 5 lb bag | $3.12 |
| 3 | Black beans (dry) | 81.0 g | 2 lb bag | $2.42 |
| 4 | Brown lentils (dry) | 77.7 g | 16 oz bag | $1.44 |
| 5 | Navy beans (dry) | 75.9 g | 2 lb bag | $2.67 |
| 6 | Green split peas (dry) | 73.9 g | 16 oz bag | $1.42 |
| 7 | Chickpeas (dry) | 56.7 g | 16 oz bag | $1.64 |
| 8 | Red lentils (dry) | 56.0 g | 16 oz bag | $1.94 |
| 9 | Whole wheat spaghetti | 53.4 g | 16 oz box | $1.18 |
| 10 | Peanut butter | 50.7 g | 40 oz jar | $4.97 |
| 11 | Chicken drumsticks (bone-in) | 50.3 g | 5 lb bag | $5.46 |
| 12 | White rice (long grain, dry) | 48.0 g | 5 lb bag | $3.37 |
Source: USDA FoodData Central + single-store prices, July 2026. Full methodology at /methodology/.
What actually beats eggs on protein per dollar?
Eighteen foods, and the theme is obvious: if it’s dry and it sits on an unrefrigerated shelf, it probably wins. Every dried legume beats eggs, from red lentils at 56.0 grams per dollar up to pintos at 97.9, which is nearly three times the egg number. Whole wheat flour (96.0), both spaghettis (53.4 and 47.7), peanut butter (50.7), white rice (48.0), oats (46.6), dry roasted peanuts (39.8), brown rice (36.6), and pearled barley (36.3) all finish ahead too. Even a loaf of 100% whole wheat bread edges past at 35.8.
Exactly one meat cracks the list above eggs: bone-in chicken drumsticks at 50.3 grams per dollar, and that’s after subtracting the bone. Everything else at the meat counter loses to the egg carton.
What do eggs beat?
Almost the entire animal side of the store. Here’s how eggs stack up against the foods people usually cross-shop:
| Food | Protein per $1 |
|---|---|
| Eggs (large) | 34.4 g |
| Mozzarella (part-skim) | 30.1 g |
| Whole milk | 29.1 g |
| Chicken thighs (boneless) | 27.7 g |
| Greek yogurt (nonfat) | 27.5 g |
| Chicken breast (boneless) | 24.5 g |
| Canned tuna (in water) | 22.4 g |
| Ground beef (80/20) | 11.5 g |
| Bacon | 9.2 g |
Eggs beat chicken breast (24.5) by roughly 40 percent per dollar. They beat every fish in the sample: canned tuna at 22.4, canned pink salmon at 21.6, frozen tilapia at 20.9, sardines at 20.2. They beat every dairy product, including whole milk at 29.1 and cheddar way down at 18.2. And they triple ground beef, which limps in at 11.5 for the 80/20 and 11.0 for the 93/7. Bacon holds last place among all 49 foods at 9.2 grams per dollar, a 10.6x gap from the pinto beans at the top. Nobody buys bacon for protein, but it’s fun to have it in writing.
So are eggs still worth buying for protein?
For my money, yes, because rank 19 undersells what eggs actually are: the cheapest protein that asks nothing of you. A dozen holds about 75 grams of protein for $2.19, call it 18 cents an egg, and there’s no soaking, no simmering, no cutting board. Beans beat eggs on paper; eggs beat beans at breakfast when you’re barely awake and negotiating with the coffee maker.
They’re also hard to get bored of. A sheet pan breakfast hash feeds a table from one pan, cauliflower fried rice with eggs turns them into dinner, and a good egg sandwich is the entire reason some of us get out of bed.
How do you squeeze more value out of the egg habit?
Pair eggs with the foods ranked above them instead of below them. Eggs over savory oatmeal puts the 34.4 next to oats at 46.6, and the egg sandwich lands better math on 100% whole wheat bread (35.8) than on anything from the deli case. Then let beans take a couple of dinners a week and the grocery math quietly improves without anyone feeling deprived.
That’s the honest verdict: eggs aren’t the budget champion the internet says they are, but they’re the best protein deal that comes with an off switch for effort. For the full strategy around these numbers, see our high protein on a budget guide, and for what a whole day costs, what 50 grams of protein costs per day runs the totals.
