Cheapest vegetables to grow at home — buy vs grow, 45 compared

The cheapest vegetables to grow at home are snap pea (about $199 a year), spinach (about $173 a year), leaf lettuce (about $173 a year) — they cost a lot to buy, grow fast, and can be picked over and over instead of harvested once. Growing just the ten best on this list saves about $1507 a year in a few pots, with no garden.

The numbers, in one line each

Snap Pea: buying it costs about $207 a year; growing it in a pot costs roughly $8 a season, so you keep about $199 a year. First harvest in about 60 days, in a pot of about 8 litres.
Spinach: buying it costs about $181 a year; growing it in a pot costs roughly $8 a season, so you keep about $173 a year. First harvest in about 40 days, in a pot of about 3 litres.
Leaf Lettuce: buying it costs about $181 a year; growing it in a pot costs roughly $8 a season, so you keep about $173 a year. First harvest in about 45 days, in a pot of about 3 litres.
Chives: buying it costs about $155 a year; growing it in a pot costs roughly $5 a season, so you keep about $150 a year. First harvest in about 60 days, in a pot of about 2 litres.
Basil: buying it costs about $155 a year; growing it in a pot costs roughly $6 a season, so you keep about $149 a year. First harvest in about 60 days, in a pot of about 3 litres.
Bell Pepper: buying it costs about $156 a year; growing it in a pot costs roughly $10 a season, so you keep about $146 a year. First harvest in about 75 days, in a pot of about 15 litres.
Arugula: buying it costs about $150 a year; growing it in a pot costs roughly $6 a season, so you keep about $144 a year. First harvest in about 30 days, in a pot of about 3 litres.
Mint: buying it costs about $130 a year; growing it in a pot costs roughly $5 a season, so you keep about $125 a year. First harvest in about 60 days, in a pot of about 3 litres.
Cherry Tomato: buying it costs about $134 a year; growing it in a pot costs roughly $10 a season, so you keep about $124 a year. First harvest in about 65 days, in a pot of about 15 litres.
Kale: buying it costs about $130 a year; growing it in a pot costs roughly $6 a season, so you keep about $124 a year. First harvest in about 55 days, in a pot of about 5 litres.
Swiss Chard: buying it costs about $130 a year; growing it in a pot costs roughly $6 a season, so you keep about $124 a year. First harvest in about 55 days, in a pot of about 5 litres.
Microgreens: buying it costs about $120 a year; growing it in a pot costs roughly $6 a season, so you keep about $114 a year. First harvest in about 10 days, in a pot of about 1 litres.

Every row below is a real shop price with the date it was checked, not an estimate. "Cost to grow" covers seed, potting mix and organic feed for one season in a container. All of it works without a garden — a windowsill, balcony or doorstep is enough — and all of it is organic: no chemical fertiliser, no synthetic pesticide.

Vegetable	Shop price	Cost to grow	You keep / year	First harvest	Pot size
Snap Pea	~$3.98/8oz	$8	$199	60 days	8L
Spinach	~$3.48/box	$8	$173	40 days	3L
Leaf Lettuce	~$3.48/salad box	$8	$173	45 days	3L
Chives	~$2.98/pack	$5	$150	60 days	2L
Basil	~$3/tiny pack	$6	$149	60 days	3L
Bell Pepper	~$1.50 each	$10	$146	75 days	15L
Arugula	~$3.50/box in stores	$6	$144	30 days	3L
Mint	~$2.50/pack	$5	$125	60 days	3L
Cherry Tomato	$2.57/box in stores	$10	$124	65 days	15L
Kale	~$2.50/bunch in stores	$6	$124	55 days	5L
Swiss Chard	~$2.50/bunch in stores	$6	$124	55 days	5L
Microgreens	~$4.00/box in stores	$6	$114	10 days	1L
Pea Shoots	~$4.00/box in stores	$6	$114	14 days	2L
Strawberry	~$3.50/lb in stores	$12	$108	90 days	5L
Dill	~$2.00/pack in stores	$4	$100	50 days	3L
Romaine	~$2.00/head in stores	$6	$98	70 days	5L
Thyme	~$2.98/pack in stores	$5	$95	80 days	2L
Oregano	~$2.98/pack in stores	$5	$95	70 days	2L
Cucumber	~$0.98 each	$8	$94	55 days	10L
Rosemary	~$2.98/pack in stores	$6	$94	90 days	3L
Bok Choy	~$1.80/head in stores	$6	$88	45 days	4L
Celery	~$1.80/bunch in stores	$5	$85	90 days	5L
Broccoli	~$2.00/head in stores	$6	$84	85 days	10L
Cauliflower	~$2.50/head in stores	$6	$84	90 days	10L
Okra	~$3.50/lb in stores	$6	$84	60 days	15L
Eggplant	~$1.80 each in stores	$8	$82	80 days	15L
Zucchini	~$1.30 each in stores	$6	$74	55 days	20L
Leek	~$1.80 each in stores	$5	$65	100 days	5L
Cabbage	~$1.80/head in stores	$5	$65	90 days	10L
Oyster Mushroom	~$5.00/lb in stores	$15	$65	30 days	5L
Bush Beans	~$1.60/lb in stores	$6	$64	55 days	8L
Cilantro	~$1.25/bunch	$4	$61	40 days	3L
Green Onion	~$1.18/bunch	$3	$58	30 days	1L
Parsley	~$1.20/bunch in stores	$4	$58	70 days	3L
Sweet Potato Greens	rarely sold in stores	$3	$57	30 days	3L
Carrot	~$1.30/lb in stores	$5	$55	70 days	8L
Ginger	~$3.50/lb in stores	$5	$55	180 days	5L
Chili Pepper	~$4.00/lb in stores	$6	$54	70 days	10L
Potato	~$0.90/lb in stores	$8	$52	90 days	20L
Beet	~$1.80/bunch in stores	$5	$50	55 days	5L
Onion	~$1.20/lb in stores	$4	$46	110 days	8L
Turnip	~$1.50/lb in stores	$4	$41	45 days	5L
Garlic	~$0.80/head in stores	$3	$39	240 days	5L
Garlic Greens	~$1.50/bunch in stores	$2	$38	20 days	1L
Radish	~$1.30/bunch in stores	$4	$36	25 days	3L

Questions people actually ask

Is growing your own vegetables actually cheaper than buying them?

For the right crops, yes — clearly. The ones that pay off are expensive to buy and cheap to grow: herbs and salad leaves you'd otherwise buy in small bags every week. Crops that are cheap in the shops and slow to grow (potatoes, onions) save far less, though they're still worth growing for freshness.

How much money can you save growing your own food?

It depends entirely on which crops you pick. From this table, the top ten come to about $1507 a year. One basil plant alone replaces roughly $60–70 of shop-bought herbs. The savings come from replacing things you buy weekly, not from growing everything.

Do I need a garden to save money growing vegetables?

No. Every crop in this table grows in a container on a windowsill, balcony or doorstep. Pot size and hours of direct sun decide what works, not whether you own a yard.

Which of these is right for your spot?

The direction your window faces, the month it is now, and the size of pot you actually own decide which of these is worth your six weeks. The free web version works that out for you — no download.

Work out my plan — free