Is a vegan diet more expensive than a regular diet?

Summary

Usually cheaper, not more expensive. A vegan diet built on staples — beans, lentils, rice, oats, potatoes, and seasonal produce — is typically the most affordable way to eat in high-income countries, cutting food costs by roughly 21-34% (Springmann et al., 2021). The "veganism is expensive" impression comes from specialty meat and cheese analogues, which are optional. One honest caveat: in some low- and middle-income countries where current diets are already very low-cost, a fully healthy plant-based diet can cost more — a reason to support food access, not a reason for most readers here to expect veganism to be pricey.