If you're ordering food delivery 4-5 times a week, you might be surprised to learn that hiring a personal cook could actually be cheaper — while being significantly healthier. Let's break down the numbers.
Monthly Food Delivery Cost
| Scenario | Per Order | Monthly (30 days) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 meal/day delivery (single person) | ₹250-₹400 | ₹7,500-₹12,000 |
| 2 meals/day delivery (couple) | ₹400-₹700 | ₹12,000-₹21,000 |
| 2 meals/day delivery (family of 4) | ₹600-₹1,200 | ₹18,000-₹36,000 |
Monthly Cook Cost
| Scenario | Cook Salary | Groceries | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Part-time cook (2 meals, metro) | ₹10,000-₹15,000 | ₹5,000-₹8,000 | ₹15,000-₹23,000 |
| Part-time cook (2 meals, tier-2) | ₹7,000-₹10,000 | ₹4,000-₹6,000 | ₹11,000-₹16,000 |
The Verdict
For a family of 4 in a metro city, hiring a cook saves ₹3,000-₹13,000/month compared to daily delivery — while providing fresher, healthier, customized meals. For couples and singles, the savings are smaller but the health benefits are undeniable: home-cooked food has 40-60% less oil, salt, and sugar than restaurant food.
The average Indian family ordering from Swiggy daily spends ₹18,000-₹36,000/month. A cook + groceries costs ₹11,000-₹23,000. That's a saving of ₹7,000-₹13,000/month — or ₹84,000-₹1,56,000/year.