Key findings
- The cheapest full day of emergency food costs $5.32. ReadyWise Wise 3-Month Supply & 72-Hour Kit Bundle works out to $5.32 per 2,000 calories ($549.99 for 206,940 brand-stated calories).
- The priciest day costs 33 times more. Across 108 in-stock foods with brand-stated calories, a 2,000-calorie day ranges from $5.32 to $177.72. The middle half sits between $13.69 and $33.88, and the median is $24.04.
- Per serving, prices run from $0.75 to $6.25. Among 38 in-stock meals and meal kits with a serving count in the product name, the median serving costs $2.84. Servings aren't a fixed size, so cost per 2,000-calorie day is the fairer comparison.
- Portable power stations average $0.49 per watt-hour (median $0.42) across 7 in-stock models, from $0.29 to $0.99. A 1,000 Wh station at the average rate is about $489.
- Filtered water is cheap; filters are not equal. Across 20 in-stock filters, cost per rated gallon runs from $0.0006 to $1.42, with a median of 6.8¢. 2 filters come in under a penny per gallon of rated capacity.
- 217 in-stock products carry a brand "compare at" markdown of 5% or more, with a median of 30% off. We'll check whether those sales are real once each product has 14 days of history (the Deal Meter).
- 4 of 4 multi-day kits plan for fewer than 2,000 calories a day (median 1,726 kcal per labeled day). See is the 30-day kit really 30 days?
Cite this: Source: Prepper Prices, “Prepper Price Index, October 2026” (https://prepperprices.com/reports/prepper-price-index-october-2026/), based on 5,573 brand-store prices collected Oct 17, 2026.
1. The cheapest day of eating $ per 2,000-calorie day
| # | Food | $ / day | Price | Brand-stated kcal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Wise 3-Month Supply & 72-Hour Kit Bundle ReadyWise | $5.32 | $549.99 | 206,940 |
| #2 | Mayday Food Bars 2400 Calorie -Case 24 Echo-Sigma | $5.78 | $166.50 | 57,600 |
| #3 | Wise 4-Week + Wise 72-Hour Kit Bundle ReadyWise | $5.82 | $199.99 | 68,710 |
| #4 | 4-Week Wise & Ready Bundle ReadyWise | $5.90 | $239.99 | 81,310 |
| #5 | 1 Month Mega Food Supply ReadyWise | $6.07 | $244.99 | 80,780 |
| #6 | Buy a Wise 4-Week Supply, Get Free Wise Milk & Vegetable Bucket ReadyWise | $6.55 | $239.99 | 73,330 |
| #7 | Mayday Food Bar 1200 Calorie -Case 36 Echo-Sigma | $6.87 | $148.50 | 43,200 |
| #8 | 1-Month Supply & 120-Serving Entree & Beverage Bucket Bundle ReadyWise | $7.20 | $279.99 | 77,800 |
| #9 | WFS 4-Week Patriot Emergency Food Supply | Over 2,200 Calories/Day ReadyWise | $7.75 | $239.99 | 61,930 |
| #10 | Wise 3-Month Survival Food Supply ReadyWise | $7.76 | $776.99 | 200,160 |
The live ranking, updated daily, is the Bunker Index.
2. The spread cheapest vs. priciest
Same goal, very different bills. Each line runs from the cheapest in-stock product (yellow) to the priciest (red). The teal box is the middle half of products, and the black tick is the median. The scale is logarithmic so both ends fit.
Cheapest and priciest day: Wise 3-Month Supply & 72-Hour Kit Bundle ($5.32) vs. Emergency Food Favorite - Freeze-Dried Strawberries (3 x 8 Serving Pouches) from ReadyWise ($177.72). Specialty items (freeze-dried fruit, single-ingredient meats, small pouches) sit at the top end, so a high cost per day isn't automatically a bad buy.
Median day of eating by brand
Brands with at least 3 in-stock foods that state calories. A brand median mixes buckets, pouches and #10 cans, so it reflects each brand's catalog as much as its prices.
3. Cheapest per serving meals and meal kits
Serving counts come from each product name. We rank meals, entrées and meal kits; single-ingredient pantry staples (coffee, onions, butter powder, fruit, vegetables) are left out because their tiny "servings" aren't comparable.
| Food | $ / serving | Price | Servings (as named) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emergency Food Favorite - Chicken Noodle Soup (5 x 4 Serving Pouches) ReadyWise | $0.75 | $15.00 | 5 x 4 Serving |
| 300 Serving Emergency Food Bundle ReadyWise | $0.83 | $249.99 | 300 Serving |
| 18 Serving Emergency Food Sampler - Favorites Box ReadyWise | $1.39 | $24.99 | 18 Serving |
| 100 Serving Variety Pack ReadyWise | $1.50 | $149.99 | 100 Serving |
| 52 Serving Prepper Pack Bucket ReadyWise | $1.73 | $89.99 | 52 Serving |
| 170 Serving Emergency Food Apocalypse Bucket ReadyWise | $1.76 | $299.99 | 170 Serving |
| 120 Serving Breakfast Bucket ReadyWise | $2.17 | $259.99 | 120 Serving |
| 120 Serving Entree Wise Food Kit Echo-Sigma | $2.17 | $259.99 | 120 Serving |
Full list: cheapest freeze-dried food per serving.
4. Power stations $ per watt-hour
Across 7 in-stock portable power stations with a brand-stated capacity, the average is $0.49 per Wh and the median is $0.42. The average station in our data stores 2,149 Wh and costs $982.00.
| Station | $ / Wh | Price | Capacity (brand) |
|---|---|---|---|
| PECRON F3000LFP Portable Power Station 3600W 3072Wh Pecron | $0.29 | $899.00 | 3,072 Wh |
| PECRON E2400LFP Portable Power Station 2400W 2048Wh Pecron | $0.32 | $649.00 | 2,048 Wh |
| PECRON E1500LFP Expandable Portable Power Station 2200W 1536Wh V3 Version Pecron | $0.36 | $549.00 | 1,536 Wh |
| PECRON F1000LFP Portable Power Station 1500W 960Wh Pecron | $0.42 | $399.00 | 960 Wh |
| PECRON F5000LFP Portable Power Station 7200W 5120Wh 120V/240V PRE-ORDER Pecron | $0.43 | $2,199.00 | 5,120 Wh |
Average $/Wh by brand (2+ in-stock models): Pecron $0.41 (6).
Live table: cheapest power station per watt-hour.
5. Water filters cost per rated gallon
The median in-stock filter costs 6.8¢ per gallon of its brand-rated capacity. 8 filters cost 10¢ or more per gallon, usually small straws or bottles you buy for portability rather than volume. Ratings are each brand's claim, and filters remove different things, so check the product page. Live ranking: the Water Index.
6. More from the baseline
Prepared, not scared
None of this needs a bunker. Ready.gov suggests a several-day supply of food and at least a gallon of water per person per day. At this month's cheapest price, three days of food for one adult (6,000 calories) is about $15.95 in food cost. Build a plan for your household with the Kit Calculator.
Methodology
- Prices: one daily request per store to its public product feed. "Price" is the lowest in-stock price of a product's sizes. Snapshot: Oct 17, 2026, 6:34 AM ET. Tax and shipping excluded.
- Cost per day: price ÷ (brand-stated total calories ÷ 2,000). Per serving: price ÷ the serving count printed in the product name; multi-size listings and bundles are left out.
- $/Wh: station-only price ÷ brand-stated capacity. Cost per gallon: price ÷ the brand's rated filter capacity (shortest-lived part for multi-part systems).
- Only in-stock products count toward the findings. Medians and averages are across products, not weighted by sales.
- Baseline, not trend: our price history started Oct 17, 2026, so this report makes no claims about prices rising or falling. Full details: methods & sources.
Use these numbers
Journalists and bloggers: quote freely with a link to this page. Charts are inline SVG; screenshot them with credit to Prepper Prices. Questions: [email protected].
Source: Prepper Prices, “Prepper Price Index, October 2026” (https://prepperprices.com/reports/prepper-price-index-october-2026/), based on 5,573 brand-store prices collected Oct 17, 2026.
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