A Canadian flyer can list chicken breasts at a price per pound. The package label on the same shelf can list a price per kilogram. The deli counter can list a price per 100 grams. All three are correct, and none of them can be compared until they use the same unit.
Meatprices.ca does not publish prices yet. This guide covers the math you need to read any meat price in Canada, now and later.
The one number to remember
One kilogram equals 2.2046 pounds. Every conversion comes from that number.
To change a price per pound into a price per kilogram, multiply by 2.2046. A price per pound is smaller than a price per kilogram, so the result always goes up.
To change a price per kilogram into a price per pound, divide by 2.2046. You can also multiply by 0.4536. The result always goes down.
Per pound to per kilogram
These are math examples, not store prices.
A price of $4.00 per pound is $8.82 per kilogram. A price of $6.00 per pound is $13.23 per kilogram. A price of $8.00 per pound is $17.64 per kilogram. A price of $10.00 per pound is $22.05 per kilogram.
A quick check: double the per pound price, then add a tenth of that doubled number. For $6.00, double is $12.00 and a tenth is $1.20. The total is $13.20, close to the exact $13.23.
Per kilogram to per pound
A price of $15.00 per kilogram is about $6.80 per pound. Divide $15.00 by 2.2046 to get that result.
For a quick estimate, cut the per kilogram price roughly in half and then add a tenth of the result. Half of $15.00 is $7.50. Subtract a tenth of $7.50, which is $0.75. The estimate is $6.75.
Per 100 grams
Deli counters and some butcher shops price by 100 grams. Multiply the 100 gram price by 10 to get the price per kilogram. A sliced ham at $1.60 per 100 grams costs $16.00 per kilogram.
Going the other way, move the decimal one place to the left. A price of $12.00 per kilogram is $1.20 per 100 grams.
Check the package price
Prepackaged meat usually shows the weight of the package and the total price. If the label does not show a price per kilogram, calculate it yourself.
Divide the total price by the weight in kilograms. A 680 gram package is 0.68 kilograms. If the package costs $7.48, divide $7.48 by 0.68. The answer is $11.00 per kilogram.
To get the price per pound, divide the total price by the weight in pounds. A 680 gram package is about 1.5 pounds. The same $7.48 works out to about $4.99 per pound.
Pay attention to the weight in grams. Packages of the same cut often come in different sizes, and the biggest package is not always the lowest price per kilogram.
Multi-buy deals
A sign that says “2 for $12” needs one more step. Add up the weight of both packages, then divide the total price by the total weight.
Two 500 gram packages weigh 1 kilogram together. At $12.00 for both, the price is $12.00 per kilogram. If one of the packages weighs 600 grams, the total weight is 1.1 kilograms. The price per kilogram drops to about $10.91.
Check the fine print on the sign too. Some deals require you to buy the full number of packages. Others apply the lower price to each package.
Bone-in and boneless cuts
Bone weight counts in the price. A bone-in cut can look cheaper per kilogram than a boneless cut, but you pay for the bone.
Take a bone-in cut at $10.00 per kilogram. If a quarter of the weight is bone, one kilogram holds 750 grams of meat. Divide $10.00 by 0.75. The price for the meat alone is about $13.33 per kilogram.
The bone share changes by cut. Chicken thighs, pork chops, and beef short ribs all carry different amounts. Compare a bone-in cut to a boneless cut only after you estimate the bone share.
Sale prices and regular prices
Stores in Canada sometimes list the sale price per pound and the regular price per kilogram on the same flyer page. The two numbers can look far apart when they are not.
Write both in the same unit before you decide the sale is a good one. Use the conversion above, then compare the sale price to the regular price for that cut at that store.
What meatprices.ca will cover
The site will track meat prices in Canada by cut and by unit. Each price will list the unit, so a reader can compare a flyer from one store to a package label from another. Until those pages go up, the conversions on this page work for any price you see in a store.