How much does Christmas dinner cost?
The average household is on track to spend £719 this year for Christmas. How much of this budget will go towards Christmas dinner?
To find out, the NimbleFins data team has priced up a typical Christmas dinner menu at four major grocery chains: Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda and Aldi.
In 2024, the average cost to buy groceries for Christmas dinner is £28.11.
| Average cost of components of Christmas dinner | |
|---|---|
| Turkey | £19.50 |
| Sage & onion stuffing mix | £0.71 |
| Potatoes | £1.39 |
| Pigs in blankets | £4.45 |
| Onion gravy granules | £1.01 |
| Mince pies | £2.29 |
| Carrots | £0.68 |
| Brussel sprouts | £0.91 |
| Total | £28.11 |
As you can see in the chart above, the most expensive component of the Christmas dinner is the turkey. You can save money buying a frozen turkey, rather than fresh, in most cases.
The cheapest turkey was from Aldi, at a cost of £15.99 for a frozen, medium-sized whole turkey weighing 4-5.4kg. Sainsbury's charges £22 for a similar bird.
Which grocery chain is cheapest for Christmas dinner?
The cheapest grocery bill was achieved at Aldi, which is not a surprise since Aldi is known to be the cheapest supermarket chain in the UK. The cost of Christmas dinner bought at Aldi was £23.84.
Of the grocery chains studied, the most expensive was Sainsbury's, with a cost of £31.54 for a similar basket of food for Christmas dinner.
The cost difference between least and most expensive was £7.70. On a percentage basis, this is quite a big difference (Sainsbury's is 33% more expensive than Aldi for Christmas dinner)—although on a £ basis, £7.70 isn't a massive amount (especially when you consider it's just over 1% of the typical household budget of £719 for Christmas).
Nonetheless, Aldi is the cheapest for buying your Christmas menu.
Data
Here is data on the size and costs of the individual components of Christmas dinner at Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda and Aldi in 2024:
| Christmas Dinner Cost | Size | Tesco | Sainsbury's | Asda | Aldi | Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frozen Turkey | 4.5kg | £20.00 | £22.00 | £20.00 | £15.99 | £19.50 |
| Potatoes | 2kg | £1.35 | £1.35 | £1.35 | £1.49 | £1.39 |
| Carrots | 1kg | £0.69 | £0.69 | £0.65 | £0.69 | £0.68 |
| Brussel sprouts | 500g | £0.85 | £0.90 | £1.00 | £0.89 | £0.91 |
| Pigs in blankets | 12 | £2.50 | £3.25 | £2.50 | £1.99 | £4.45 |
| Sage & onion stuffing mix | 170g | £0.45 | £0.45 | £1.50 | £0.45 | £0.71 |
| Onion gravy granules | 200g | £0.73 | £1.20 | £1.00 | £1.09 | £1.01 |
| Mince pies | 6 | £1.25 | £1.70 | £1.25 | £1.25 | £2.29 |
| Total | £27.82 | £31.54 | £29.25 | £23.84 | £28.11 |