Pizza Size Value Calculator
Enter the diameter and price of two pizza options to compare which one actually gives you more pizza per dollar — since a pizza's area grows much faster than its diameter, bigger is very often a better deal than it looks.
How the Pizza Size Value formula works
Pizza area uses the standard circle formula:
Area = π × (diameter / 2)² Price per square inch = Price / Area
Step-by-step calculation
- Divide each pizza's diameter by 2 to get its radius.
- Square the radius and multiply by π to get the area.
- Divide the price by the area to get a price-per-square-inch for each option.
- The lower price-per-square-inch is the better value.
Worked example
A 12-inch pizza for $12 vs. a 16-inch pizza for $18: the 12-inch has an area of about 113 in² ($0.106/in²); the 16-inch has an area of about 201 in² ($0.090/in²). Despite costing more, the 16-inch is the better deal per square inch.
Frequently asked questions
Why does a bigger pizza almost always win on value?
Because area scales with the square of the diameter, not linearly — a pizza with twice the diameter has four times the area, so pizzerias would need to more than double the price for a larger size to actually be a worse deal, which they rarely do.
Does this account for crust or topping density?
No — this is a pure geometric area comparison. Crust thickness, topping generosity, and personal preference for a higher crust-to-topping ratio (which smaller pizzas have more of, proportionally) aren't factored in.