Study: Average Lobster Cost (I found the best prices)
There are so many websites that sell lobster, which can make buying lobster overwhelming. To help you narrow down your options, I made a spreadsheet comparing the current prices of lobster products among 12 online vendors. I made it public and you can see it by clicking here, but it’s just messy data.
I made this article to summarize my findings, direct you to the lowest-priced lobster online, and compare different lobster options. I hope you find it helpful.
Disclaimer: To support my site, I am an affiliate for Cameron’s Seafood and Lobsters Anywhere. If you purchase from either site after clicking my link, Crabbinghub will receive a small commission. This comes at no extra cost to you.
Summary
I want to give you what you’re looking for right away. As far as lobster prices go, here are the tidbits of information from my study that I find most helpful:
What is the average price of lobster per pound?
After comparing several vendors, the average price per pound of live Maine lobster is $26.72. The price per pound of lobster increases as the size of the lobster decreases. For example, a 1.25 lb lobster costs $32.64 per pound on average, while a 5-6 lb lobster costs $20.82 per pound on average.
What size lobster tail is best?
An 8 to 10-ounce Maine lobster tail is your best option. When comparing online retailers, the cost of lobster per ounce at this size is marginally lower. This means you will get the most lobster at the lowest price. Two tails of this size are equivalent to one serving of lobster.
What is the best size lobster to buy?
Assuming every 1 pound of lobster yields 3.25 ounces of meat, the best size lobster to buy is a 3-pound lobster. At this size, the average cost per lb is $22.44, which is marginally better than a 2-lb lobster at $27.14. A 3-lb lobster will also provide 2 servings, or 400 calories, of pure meat.
Which is better, a whole lobster or lobster tail?
Buying a whole lobster is always the better option. A whole lobster contains more meat overall, including the sweeter and more-flavorful claw meat. Whole lobsters cost 66% less per ounce than buying only a lobster tail. The only drawback is having to clean and cook the lobster.
I found that you have three options when it comes to buying lobster: whole live lobsters, lobster tails, and lobster meat. I compared the prices of the three to find which is the better deal.
With the Holiday Season coming around, I put together a gift guide for anyone who loves to go crabbing. I was tired of generic crabbing gift ideas with a graphic of a crab on a mug or t-shirt. Instead, I wanted to make a list of what a crabber actually needs and will end up buying themselves.
If you’re interested, read my article: Gifts Ideas for Any Crabber (Items they’ll actually use!).
Live, Whole Lobster Price Breakdown
Remember those lobsters in a tank you felt bad for at the grocery store? That is what I mean by live, whole Maine lobsters. Whether you buy them online and have them shipped to your door, or pick them up from your local grocery or lobster vendor, they should arrive fresh and lively.
I found this variation of lobster, compared to tails and meat, to be the cheapest of the three. This makes sense as you will have to clean and cook the lobster yourself. When you buy tails or picked meat, it’s a lot more work on the lobsterman’s part.
I did some research and compared 12 lobster vendors, and found the average price of live lobster by their weight.
The Average Cost of Live Maine Lobster by Weight
| Lobster Weight (lbs) | Average Price | Lowest Price | Average Price per Pound |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 to 6 lbs | $114.50 | $81.00 | $20.82 |
| 3 lbs | $67.32 | $48.00 | $22.44 |
| 2 lbs | $54.28 | $35.00 | $27.14 |
| 1.5 lbs | $45.85 | $24.99 | $30.57 |
| 1.25 lbs | $40.83 | $19.99 | $32.64 |
Consistently, I found the vendors with the lowest lobster prices to be http://lobsters-online.com/ and https://www.thelobsterguy.com/index.html. I’m not affiliated with these companies, so I can’t speak about their reliability. However, they have the lowest-priced lobster I can find.
One thing to keep in mind is that some of these websites require that you buy more than one lobster. I’m comparing the price per lobster, but excluding forced bundles. This just makes the math easier. For example, on lukeslobster.com you must buy 2 whole lobsters per order. I left a comment in each cell on my spreadsheet where a website requires that you buy more than one lobster.
Since we’re talking about lobster here, you’re probably not trying to find the cheapest, lowest quality lobster out there. I assume you want to get your money’s worth. I hear exceptional reviews from Lobsters Anywhere (affiliate link to their lobster selection), which is why I am affiliated with them. If you purchase lobster on their site after clicking this link, I’ll receive a small commission I use to support Crabbinghub.
Maine Lobster Tail Price Breakdown
Instead of a whole lobster, now you’re just getting the tail. These are sold frozen at grocery stores, and seafood vendors, and shipped on ice from various online suppliers. Because online suppliers are more consistent in prices than various locations, I’m focusing on their prices. They mostly reflect average prices no matter where you are in the United States.
I found that buying just lobster tails is, on average, 60% more expensive than buying a whole lobster. Shipping will be less than buying a whole lobster because the package is much lighter. However, you are paying much more for less meat than you would by buying a whole lobster.
On the other hand, I know a lot of people do not enjoy cooking live shellfish. As an avid crabber, I’ve run into people who hate the idea of cooking live blue crabs. When you buy just the lobster tail, you do not have to go through the trouble and guilt of cooking a live lobster and cleaning its body of its inedible parts.
Personally, I do not find the 66% markup to justify a little extra work. You will get more meat from the lobster’s claws and knuckles than you would from just the tail. I also think that the claw meat is sweeter and juicier than the tail meat. I have a large pot to cook lobster and I’m content with going through the process of cooking lobster. That’s just my opinion, and I highly recommend you do what’s best for you.
The Average Cost of Maine Lobster Tails by Weight
| Tail Weight (oz.) | Average Price (1 Tail) | Lowest Price (1 Tail) | Average Price per Ounce |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 to 16 | $76.83 | $55.00 | $4.27 |
| 14 to 12 | $66.60 | $49.25 | $5.12 |
| 12 to 10 | $62.16 | $49.99 | $5.65 |
| 10 to 8 | $44.31 | $29.95 | $4.92 |
| 7 to 6 | $35.73 | $24.50 | $5.10 |
I found that http://thefreshlobstercompany.com/ has the cheapest lobster tails for most sizes, but it varies when you get below 10 to 8 oz tails. I highly recommend you check my messy spreadsheet for all the prices.
I wanted to figure out what the best size lobster tail was to buy. I compared the average price of the tail by the ounce and found that a 10 to 8 oz lobster tail was the best price per ounce at the lowest overall price. To be more clear, an 10 to 8 oz lobster tail is the cheapest option at the best price.
Maine Lobster Meat Price Breakdown
Say you want to make a dish with just lobster meat such as lobster bisque, lobster rolls, and even lobster mac and cheese. Lobster mac and cheese was one of the best meals I’ve ever had.
I compared the price of lobster meat by several online retailers and found that the average cost will set you back $90 per pound on average. This will include one pound of lobster tail, claw, and knuckle meat mixed. I found that you will save $5 on average with each additional pound of meat you buy.
I found that The Lobster Guy sells lobster for the lowest price online. Check out the table below to see all of the vendors and their prices.
Maine Lobster Meat Cost by Vendor
| Vendor Name | 1 Pound | 2 Pounds |
|---|---|---|
| The Lobster Guy | $68.00 | $136.99 |
| Lobster Anywhere | $68.00 | $139.95 |
| The Fresh Lobster Company | $68.50 | $137.00 |
| Maine Lobster Now | $76.99 | $153.98 |
| Lobsters Online | $84.00 | $168.00 |
| Get Maine Lobster | $100.00 | $199.99 |
| Luke’s Lobster | $110.00 | $185.00 |
| My Live Lobster | $144.95 | $269.95 |
| Wholey’s | n/a | $137.00 |
| Lobster Gram | n/a | $150.00 |
| Cameron’s Seafood | n/a | $192.99 |
How does this compare to buying a whole lobster? It’s widely agreed that one lobster will yield about 20% of meat from its whole weight. So, if you buy a 1-pound lobster, you will get about 3.2 ounces of pure lobster meat. With lobster tails, you will get about 15% meat from its whole tail weight
With this, we can find that buying a 5-lb lobster will yield 1 pound of pure lobster meat. A lobster this heavy will cost $114.50 on average while buying pure lobster meat will be $90 on average. This makes buying just lobster meat a better deal, and you don’t have to go through the trouble of cooking and cleaning a live lobster.
I want to reiterate that these prices will change, and I’ll do my best to keep them updated.
