Pizza Math – Which size is a better deal?

Is it better to buy 2 small or medium pizzas or to buy one large pizza? Is a large pizza cheaper when considering the size difference? People guess a lot about this and make decisions based on what they think is right. Here’s a bit of pizza math that should help you decide which is a better deal.

Let’s look at the two big pizza delivery services in the U.S: Papa John’s and Dominos. Both have the same menu structure when it comes to pizza sizes (diameter in inches):

Pizza size to size comparison

Let’s start with comparing the sizes to each other. Are two small pizzas comparable to one large?

The area of a 10 inch pizza is roughly 78.5 square inches. Double that, 157 square inches is indeed comparable to the area of a 14 inch pizza, which is 154 square inches. It is somewhat similar for the medium to Xtra large relationship. A medium has about 113 square inches and an Xtra large about 201 square inches which is somewhat less than the area of two mediums (226).

But this is just a first step. To be more accurate we should consider the crust as well. Each pizza has a crust around the circumference that usually has no toppings on it. If you want to maximize your yield of the inside area of your pizza you have to look at the diameters without the crust.

As an average I will assume ¾ of an inch as the width of the crust. This comes very close to what I experienced from the big two companies over time but if you do this math for your local gourmet pizza store you may want to check out their measurements, of course.

With a crust of ¾ of an inch your total diameter decreases by 1.5 inches (if you cut straight through you’ll cut the crust on both sides). This gives us the following areas for each size:

The ultimate pizza size buying guide

Now look at the graph below. This chart will be all you ever need when deciding on how many pizzas of which size to buy. It gives you a visual overview of how the different sizes compare. Take two mediums for example and compare them to one extra large. On the two mediums you get a tiny bit more topping area but you have to consider that one extra large normally is cheaper than two mediums. Of course it boils down to the pricing structure of your local pizza delivery service, their current special offers and whether or not you can earn any loyalty points. In some cases you may be earning more points for two mediums than you may earn for one extra large. It likely will not offset the price difference but you can take it into consideration.

Now go out and enjoy your pizza. After all it is the best comfort food. And remember: pizza without bacon is like French fries without potato.