How much does a private chef cost? For a single dinner served at the table, my reference rate is €99 per person. For a villa or chalet stay, I charge by the day: €400 for one meal, €450 for two meals or €600 for three meals plus an afternoon snack, including VAT. Ingredients are charged at actual cost in addition. Travel, accommodation and any additional staff are separate.
This guide explains my own rates and how to plan your budget for a stay in destinations such as Mallorca, Ibiza, the Algarve or Mykonos. The final quote depends on your dates, villa location, group and service requirements.
Private Chef Cost per Person, per Day and per Week
The answer depends on the format: a one-off dinner is priced per guest, while a villa or chalet stay is priced per day for the whole group.
| Format | My price | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Dinner served at the table | €99 per guest | Full gourmet menu with ingredients, cooking, service and cleanup; drinks extra |
| Cocktail dinner | €70 per guest | 12 different canapés served twice, 24 per guest, from 6 guests |
| Villa stay, per day | €400, €450 or €600 excl. VAT | One, two or three meals a day for 1 to 10 guests; groceries at cost |
| Villa stay, per week | €3,150 excl. VAT | 7 days with two meals a day, chef fee only |
My daily rates are the same in every destination, from Mallorca and Ibiza to the Algarve and Mykonos; only travel and accommodation change. Villa stays start at four days, and groups of 11 to 15 guests add €100 per day. For 6 guests with two meals a day and groceries, plan for roughly €115 per person per day: see the cost per person table below.
Private Villa Chef Prices: One, Two or Three Meals a Day
Choose the number of meals you would like prepared each day. The prices below are for my chef service, in euros, including VAT. We agree the meal schedule and arrangements for your group before booking.
Daily Chef Fees
One Meal per Day
Excluding VAT
One meal per day: lunch or dinner.
Two Meals per Day
Excluding VAT
Two meals per day, typically lunch and dinner, with arrangements agreed for your stay.
Three Meals per Day
Excluding VAT
Three meals per day: breakfast, lunch and dinner, plus an afternoon snack.
Ingredients at actual cost, travel, accommodation and any additional staff are separate. Minimum booking: four days.
Get a quote for your villa stay
Send your destination, dates, number of adults and children, and preferred meals. Mention any dietary requirements and whether the villa has a staff room.
What Is Included in the Chef Fee?
The fee covers the work involved in preparing and serving the meals agreed for your stay:
Your Chef Service
- Menu planning around your preferences and the agreed meal schedule
- Grocery shopping for the planned menus
- Meal preparation in your villa kitchen
- Meal service
- Kitchen cleanup after the meals prepared
Share allergies and dietary requirements before booking so we can discuss suitable menus and the kitchen arrangements. For more about how a stay works, see my private villa chef service.
What Changes When a Chef Takes Over the Meals
A private chef is not just someone who cooks. For the meals agreed in your plan, the daily organisation around food is handled for you:
- Shopping: I go to the markets and shops, choose the produce and manage the stock. You don't need to find a supermarket.
- Cooking: every dish is prepared in your villa kitchen with fresh ingredients, from starter to dessert.
- Service: the dishes are served at the table. You simply sit down.
- Cleaning: the kitchen is left clean after each meal prepared.
- Children: if you wish, children can eat earlier, with menus adapted to them, and the adults dine afterwards.
- Your time: you finally enjoy the terrace and the view you chose the villa for.
In short, you go from managing the meals to enjoying them.
Which Costs Are Separate?
Ingredients at Actual Cost
The shopping service is included in the chef fee; the ingredients themselves are charged separately at their actual cost, with receipts provided. As a planning guide, allow around €30 to €50 per person per day, depending on the menus. This is an estimate, not a fixed package or a spending cap. The actual cost depends on your group, chosen ingredients and number of meals. We discuss your preferences and any budget limit before the stay.
Travel and Accommodation
Travel and accommodation are separate from the daily chef fee. The arrangements and costs are confirmed for your destination and dates in the quote.
Planning Tip: Check the Villa Facilities
When enquiring, share the villa location, kitchen details and whether a suitable staff room is available. This helps us agree the practical arrangements and accommodation needs.
Additional Staff
Your group size and preferred service format determine whether additional help is needed. Any extra chefs, assistants or servers are quoted separately. Include the number of adults and children in your enquiry so I can propose the appropriate arrangements.
Example: A Private Chef for Seven Days
For a seven-day villa stay with two meals per day, the chef fee is:
7 Days × €450 = €3,150 Excluding VAT
This is the chef service fee for the week. To plan the full budget, add the following costs:
- Ingredients, charged at actual cost
- Travel and accommodation, confirmed in the quote
- Any additional staff required, quoted separately
Your final quote sets out the arrangements for your stay and any applicable tax. Grocery spending depends on the menus and purchases agreed for your group.
Private Chef Cost per Person: The Larger the Group, the Lower the Cost Each
The chef fee is a daily rate for the whole group, so the cost per person falls as the group grows. The estimates below are for two meals per day (€450 chef fee including VAT) plus groceries estimated at €40 per person per day:
| Group size | Estimated total per day | Per person per day |
|---|---|---|
| 4 guests | about €610 | about €153 |
| 6 guests | about €690 | about €115 |
| 8 guests | about €770 | about €96 |
| 10 guests | about €850 | about €85 |
Estimates only: chef fee including VAT, groceries at actual cost depending on the menus, travel and accommodation not included.
Example: a family of 6 in a Mallorca villa for 7 days
Two meals per day: chef fee 7 × €450 = €3,150 including VAT, plus groceries of around €1,680 (6 guests × €40 × 7 days). That is about €4,830 before travel and accommodation, or roughly €115 per person per day for two complete meals, served and cleared.
Cooking Yourselves, Restaurants or a Private Chef: The Time It Takes
Cost is only part of the comparison. Here is the time a group of 6 typically spends on meals during a 7-day villa stay:
| Option | Who shops, cooks and clears | Time spent by your group |
|---|---|---|
| Doing everything yourselves | You | 15 to 20 hours of shopping, cooking and washing up |
| Restaurants every evening | You for lunches, restaurants for dinners | Around 7 hours of driving, plus cooking lunches |
| A mix of restaurants and cooking | Shared | Around 12 hours |
| Private chef | The chef, for the agreed meals | Close to none for those meals |
To compare budgets, use the full quote for the chef stay, including ingredients and separate expenses, against your own dining budget. A private chef is not necessarily cheaper than restaurants; what changes is how your group spends its holiday.
Is a Private Chef Right for Your Group?
A good fit if
- You are travelling as a group of 6 or more
- You have children on different schedules
- You want a real break: no shopping, no cooking
- You have rented a beautiful villa and want to enjoy it
- Meals have caused tension on past holidays
Probably not for you if
- You are a couple who love cooking together
- Your budget is very tight
- You prefer discovering local restaurants every evening
Choosing a Meal Plan for Your Holiday
If you plan to explore local restaurants during the day, one lunch or dinner at the villa may suit your schedule. Two meals a day typically means lunch and dinner, with the meal schedule and arrangements agreed for your stay. The three-meal option covers breakfast, lunch and dinner at the villa.
When comparing options, use the full cost of the chef stay, including ingredients and separate expenses. The choice also depends on how much cooking you want to do, your meal times and how your group plans to spend the holiday.
Minimum Booking and Planning Your Stay
My villa chef service has a minimum booking of four days. For a week-long rental, tell me which days and meals you would like covered, including any days you plan to dine out. Availability and the schedule are confirmed in your quote.
Plan Your Villa Stay by Destination
Choose your destination in France or abroad. Explore the options for your villa or private residence; availability, travel and accommodation are confirmed for your dates and group in the quote.
Monaco
Portugal
Italy
Croatia
Montenegro
United Arab Emirates
Azerbaijan
For the general arrangements, see my private villa chef service.
Planning a Chalet Stay in the Alps?
For a mountain holiday, explore the chalet service in these French and Swiss resorts. Send your resort, dates and group details so I can confirm the arrangements for your stay.
French Alps
Swiss Alps
I can’t see my destination
Tell Me About Your Destination
Tell me where you are staying. I’ll confirm availability and travel arrangements in your quote.
In Summary
A one-off dinner with me costs €99 per guest, ingredients included. For a villa stay, my private chef service costs €400, €450 or €600 per day including VAT for one, two or three meals, with groceries at actual cost (around €30 to €50 per person per day) and travel and accommodation separate. For 6 guests over 7 days with two meals a day, plan for around €4,830 before travel. The real question is not only whether it is expensive, but what you want to do with your week of holiday.
What to Send for a Personalised Quote
Send your destination and villa location, dates, number of adults and children, and whether you would like one, two or three meals per day. Add your dietary requirements, any grocery budget you have in mind and the staff accommodation available at the villa.
With these details, I can set out the chef fee and practical arrangements for your stay. Request your villa chef quote to discuss your plans.
