Online groceries, the supermarket or a meal kit? An honest price comparison for Czechia
The short answer: if you compare ingredient prices alone, doing your own grocery shopping is clearly cheaper than Yummy box, even with online grocery delivery. In our basket the gap was roughly 80 to 90 CZK before delivery per portion. The Yummy box price, however, includes work you would otherwise do yourself: planning the menu, writing a shopping list, measured ingredients and delivery. Below you can see what each option costs and who it suits.
We priced the basket on Rohlik.cz on 5 November 2026 (offer for Prague 7), using regular prices without promotions and an affordable basic product for each ingredient. Oil, salt and spices are left out, since most kitchens already have them.
The comparison basket: three dinners for four
The basket contains three everyday dinners for four people, 12 portions in total. Spaghetti bolognese: 400 g beef mince, 400 g spaghetti, two cans of tomatoes, onion, carrot and garlic. Chicken curry: 600 g chicken breast, 300 g basmati rice, coconut milk, red curry paste, a pepper and onion. Baked salmon: 600 g salmon, a kilo of potatoes, 400 g broccoli and a lemon. You will find similar dishes among our minced meat recipes, rice recipes and fish recipes.
Price: what does one portion cost?
Counting only what the recipes use, the ingredients cost 843.95 CZK, or 70.33 CZK per portion. At checkout you pay for whole packs, so rice, spaghetti, some beef and garlic are left over: the full packs cost 919.64 CZK, or 76.64 CZK per portion. Rohlík delivers orders from 749 CZK, and the delivery price depends on order size, location and time slot. You see the final amount before you order, so we have not added it.
The large Yummy box with three recipes for four people costs 1,899 CZK at the regular price, or 158.25 CZK per portion, with delivery included. New customers get a first-box discount, but we compare regular prices. Salmon alone was 36 percent of the ingredient cost, so the gap changes with the week's dishes.
Košík.cz also delivers smaller orders, but adds a 99 CZK surcharge to delivery below 749 CZK, and large orders are delivered free. Compare the terms for your address before ordering.
7 tips for a fair price comparison
Compare the same number of portions and work out the price per portion.
Use regular prices, not one-week offers or first-order discounts.
Add delivery, packing fees and any small-basket surcharge.
Separate what the recipes use from the full-pack price you pay at checkout.
Watch the most expensive ingredient: fish and meat often decide the basket price.
Count the time you spend planning and shopping as well.
Check what is already in your cupboard before you order.
Time: planning, shopping and cooking
We did not measure anyone's time, so we do not promise a specific number of minutes. The difference lies in the steps. When you shop in a store, you plan the menu, write the list and carry the bags. Online groceries remove the trip, but planning and building the basket are still on you. With a meal kit you pick the week's recipes from a ready menu and the ingredients arrive measured. The cooking itself takes the same time either way: the median preparation time of our recipes is 35 minutes. If planning feels heavy, read our tips on how to plan a week of dinners in 7 minutes.
Leftovers and food waste
Whole packs left roughly 76 CZK worth of food over in our basket, mainly rice, spaghetti, beef and garlic. Dry goods keep and get used later, so this is not waste as such, but fresh ingredients need more planning. Our meal kit measures quantities to the recipe, but we do not claim a specific waste saving here, because we have not measured it. For practical tips, read our guide on how to reduce food waste at home.
When does the grocery shop win?
Groceries are the better choice if you enjoy planning, already have the basics in your cupboard, often cook the same familiar dishes or want to use offers and pick your own brands. Then you pay only for ingredients. A large family that eats plenty of pasta, rice and potatoes and shops anyway saves the most.
When is Yummy box the better choice?
Yummy box suits you if planning and shopping lists are the hardest part of your week, you want to try new recipes without half-used packs of special ingredients, or you would rather not spend time shopping. For one or two people the small box costs more per portion (about 250 CZK per portion with three recipes), so think about what leftover packs and shopping trips really cost you.
Many households combine both: weeknight dinners from the box and staples from the shop. For the bigger picture, read our guide to a family food budget and our comparison of ready meals and meal kits. You will also find quick dinners among our pasta recipes.
Want to leave the planning and the shopping list to us?
Yummy box brings recipes and measured ingredients for the week's dinners to your door. Try whether it suits your week better than a shopping list.
