Your daily protein target depends on weight and goal: about 0.8 g/kg at the RDA floor, 1.2–1.6 g/kg if you’re active, and 1.6–2.2 g/kg to build muscle. Enter your numbers below — then see what hitting that target actually costs per day from protein powder, priced from the cheapest we track (about $0.03/g).
Enter your weight to see your daily protein target — and what it costs.
Ready to buy? See the best protein powders by cost per gram — the same cheapest-per-gram figure this calculator prices against, ranked live.
It depends on your body weight and goal. The RDA floor is 0.8 g per kg of body weight (about 0.36 g per pound) just to avoid deficiency. Active people are commonly advised 1.2–1.6 g/kg, and 1.6–2.2 g/kg has the most support for building muscle while resistance training. In a fat-loss diet, the higher end helps preserve muscle. So a 175 lb (80 kg) active person lands around 95–130 g/day. This is general information, not medical advice.
Far less than most people think if you shop on cost per gram. Across the protein powders we track, the cheapest works out to about $0.03 per gram of protein and the typical option about $0.07. So a 130 g/day target costs roughly $4–9 a day from powder — and usually much less in practice, because most of your protein comes from food and powder only fills the gap.
No — powder is a convenience, not a requirement. Whole foods (eggs, dairy, meat, fish, legumes, soy) cover protein needs for most people. Powder is just a cheap, fast way to close a gap on busy or high-target days. If you use it, compare on cost per gram of protein, not tub price — a bigger, plainer tub is usually far cheaper per gram.
No. Benefits for muscle plateau above roughly 1.6–2.2 g/kg for most people; going much higher mainly costs more without adding results. High protein is not harmful for people with healthy kidneys, but there is little reason to exceed the ranges above. Spread intake across meals (~20–40 g each) rather than one large dose.
General information, not medical or dietary advice. Ranges are commonly-cited evidence bands (NIH/National Academies RDA; ISSN position stand); your needs depend on your health, training and diet — talk to a clinician or dietitian for a personal target.