Real cost of your food delivery habit
Your weekly orders, invested instead. A gentle nudge, not a lecture.
Three ₹400 food delivery orders a week add up to about ₹5,200 a month. Invested in a SIP instead at an assumed 12% annual return, that would grow to about ₹12,08,163 in 10 years, from ₹6,24,000 of spending. Returns are not guaranteed, and eating out has its own value; this is perspective, not a rule.
If invested instead, it could grow to
That is about 1,560 orders over 10 years.
For illustration only. Read the assumptions below for the full picture.
Understand your result.
Ordering in a few times a week is easy to underestimate because each bill is small. This tool turns your spend per order and orders a week, or simply your monthly spend, into a monthly amount, then shows what that amount could grow to if it went into a SIP instead.
The aim is perspective, not guilt. Food you enjoy with people you like has real value. If the number surprises you, a common middle path is to invest only the part you would not miss, such as one order a week.
A worked example.
Using this calculator’s default inputs, if invested instead, it could grow to is ₹12,08,163. This is an illustration of the stated formula, not a forecast.
See the example inputs
| Average spend per order | ₹400 |
|---|---|
| Orders a week | 3 orders |
| Or your monthly spend (optional) | ₹0 |
| Time period | 10 years |
| Expected annual return | 12 % |
A common mistake to avoid
Comparing the full projected value with zero spending, when the realistic alternative is cooking at home, which also costs money.
Questions you might have.
How much do I spend on Swiggy or Zomato in a year?
Multiply your average bill by orders a week and 52. Three ₹400 orders a week is ₹62,400 a year. Check your app’s order history for an exact figure.
What if I invested my food delivery money?
At an assumed 12% annual return, ₹5,200 a month invested through a SIP for 10 years could grow to about ₹12,08,163, of which ₹6,24,000 is the money you put in. Returns vary and are not guaranteed.
Is this calculator linked to Swiggy or Zomato?
No. INDwise is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by any food delivery app. The names describe the habit; your inputs stay in your browser.
Should I include delivery and platform fees?
Yes. Use the amount that leaves your account per order, including delivery fee, platform fee, taxes and tip. That is the money you would actually redirect.
Is the 12% return realistic?
It is an assumption, not a promise. Equity returns vary a lot from year to year. Try 8% or 10% to see a more cautious picture.
Prepared by INDwise · Calculation checks: 29 October 2026How we check the maths · Report a correction
How we calculate it
Monthly spend = spend per order × orders a week × 52 ÷ 12, unless you enter a monthly spend. Invested value uses the SIP formula: each monthly amount is invested at the start of the month and compounded monthly at annual return ÷ 12.
Assumptions & things to know
A constant return is illustrative; market returns vary and can be negative. Taxes, exit loads and fund costs are excluded. The point is perspective, not guilt: eating out has real value, and the brand names here only describe the habit.
Your privacy & sharing
Your financial inputs are used only within this page. Saved calculators use this browser’s local storage. Sharing creates a link with the entered values, so anyone with that link can see those values. A downloaded summary stays on your device.