How much food per guest?

For cocktail-style ~150–200 g of snacks per person, more for a dinner.

How many drinks per guest?

Roughly one drink per hour per guest. Offer non-alcoholic options too.

Party Food Calculator

Calculate how much food and drink you need for a party based on guests and duration.

Number of guests: 20 people

Party duration: 4 h

Snacks / person: 150 g

3.0 kg

Total food

Total snacks	3.0 kg
Drinks (~1 / person / h)	80 pcs
Ice	10.0 kg

ℹ️ Rough estimates: snacks ~150 g/person, drinks ~1/person/hour, ice ~0.5 kg/person. Adjust as needed.

The party food calculator helps you estimate how much food, drink and ice to prepare for an event. Enter the number of guests and the party's duration, and you get ballpark amounts that make it easy to start planning the catering.

How the calculator works and what it’s for▾

How the amounts are estimated

The calculator uses rough rules of thumb: about 150 grams of snacks per person, roughly one drink per guest per hour and around 0.5 kg of ice per person. Multiplying by guest count and duration gives the total need.

For example, a party with 20 guests over four hours adds up to roughly 80 drinks. You can adjust the per-person snack amount in the input field.

What you enter and what you get

You enter the number of guests, the duration in hours and, if you like, the snack amount in grams per person. This lets you tailor the estimate to your own event.

The result shows the total snacks in kilos, the estimated number of drinks and the ice you'll need. The figures are a starting point worth refining to suit the occasion.

Who and what kind of party

The calculator suits birthdays, farewells, housewarmings and other gatherings where you serve nibbles and drinks. It is especially helpful when you want to avoid both running out and being left with leftovers.

For larger events the estimate gives a solid ballpark for your shopping list and budget.

Good to know and adjustments

The amounts are rough estimates, not exact figures. Appetite and consumption vary depending on whether you're serving a light bite or a full meal, and on the ages of your guests.

If a proper meal is on offer, cut the snack amount. On warm days ice and drinks go faster, so set aside a little extra.

🔄 Reviewed June 2026