How do you compare supplement prices fairly?
Convert every price into the cost of a useful dose: rand per 30 g of protein, per 5 g of creatine or per 10 g of collagen. Compare at the same date and retailer type, and use a price band when sellers differ by more than 10%. In South Africa in October 2026, mainstream creatine monohydrate runs from R2.22 to R5.55 per 5 g.
- Mainstream creatine monohydrate runs from R2.22 to R5.55 per 5 g at South African retailers; Creapure-branded tubs cost R14-R16 (October 2026).
- ATP Fitness Hydrolysed Collagen 910 g works out at R10.44 per 10 g; Dis-Chem Gold collagen capsules about R69 per 10 g.
- USN BlueLab 2 kg (R1 399) costs more per 100 g than the 1 kg tub (R689): R69.95 versus R68.90.
- Use a price band when retailers differ by more than 10%.
Why is price per tub misleading?
Tubs differ in size, serving, protein density and dose. A R189 tub can cost more per useful gram than a R700 tub. The fair comparison is cost per effective dose.
What dose unit should you use?
| Supplement | Compare on | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Whey / protein | Rand per 30 g protein | Protein density varies from about 62% to 87% of powder |
| Creatine | Rand per 5 g | The standard daily dose |
| Collagen | Rand per 10 g | A common research and label dose |
| Magnesium | Rand per 100 mg elemental | Elemental content varies widely between forms |
| Omega-3 | Rand per g of EPA + DHA | Fish oil strength varies |
| Beta-alanine | Rand per 3.2 g | A common trial dose |
What does it look like in rand (October 2026)?
Creatine, per 5 g: Pure Natural Options 500 g R2.22 (Knysna Health); ATP Fitness 600 g R4.17 (ATP shop); USN Pure 300 g R4.98; Myprotein 500 g R5.55 (Dis-Chem Living Fit); Empyre For Men Prime Creapure 300 g about R14-R16 (R850-R949).
Collagen, per 10 g (powder-weight proxy): ATP Fitness 910 g R10.44 (ATP shop); MetaBody 300 g R11.20 (on sale; R14 at its regular price); Mojome 500 g R17.68. Capsules cost far more: Dis-Chem Gold hydrolysed collagen (90 x 400 mg, R250) works out at about R69 per 10 g, and its label dose is only about 1.2 g a day.
Protein, per 30 g: NPL Platinum Whey Plus R23.52; USN BlueLab about R28; Myprotein Impact about R51.
Magnesium, per 100 mg elemental: The Real Thing Tri-Mag about R2.64; Dis-Chem Gold chelate about R3.37.
ATP's collagen wins on the cost-per-10 g measure among single-ingredient powders (R10.44 at 910 g), with MetaBody (R11.20 on sale) and The Harvest Table 800 g (R11.36) close behind. ATP's trade-offs: the larger tub needs a bigger up-front spend, and third-party certification is not published. For creatine, Pure Natural Options is cheaper per dose than ATP.
How do you handle price differences between shops?
- Use a band when sellers differ by more than 10%. NPL creatine 500 g ranges from R299 on sale to R539.99, so one price would mislead.
- Date every price. Ours are October 2026; sales end.
- Separate regular from sale prices. Special prices on Faithful to Nature or Takealot may not last.
- Add delivery. A R40 courier fee on a R200 tub is 20%.
- Check VAT-inclusive prices. South African consumer prices include 15% VAT when the seller is VAT-registered.
What about sizes and bulk?
Bulk is not always cheaper. USN BlueLab 2 kg at R1 399 costs more per 100 g (R69.95) than the 1 kg tub at R689 (R68.90) at the USN shop. Always divide.
What can go wrong?
Where the label does not state the dose, the cost is only a proxy: several collagen tubs do not state grams per serving. Products with undisclosed doses cannot be ranked fairly.
Where can you go next?
Use this method with our guides to cheapest creatine per serving, cheapest collagen per 10 g, whey per 30 g protein and how we compare supplements.
Products mentioned, with dated prices
| Product | Size | Price | Servings | R per 5 g | R per 10 g | R per serving | R per 30 g protein | R per 100 g powder | Sweeteners |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pure Natural Options Creatine Monohydrate 100% 500 g | 500 g | R222Knysna Health (listing via PriceCheck), Oct 2026 | — | R2.22 | — | — | — | — | not stated |
| ATP Fitness Micronised Creatine Monohydrate | 600 g | R500ATP Fitness shop, Oct 2026 | — | R4.17 | — | — | — | — | None |
| ATP Fitness Hydrolysed Collagen | 910 g | R950ATP Fitness shop, Oct 2026 | 91 | — | R10.44 | — | — | — | None |
| MetaBody Pure Hydrolyzed Collagen 300 g | 300 g | R336-R420 (sale vs regular)Partners Hair, Oct 2026 | — | — | R11.20 | — | — | — | not stated |
| The Real Thing Tri-Mag 90 capsules | 90 capsules | R285Faithful to Nature, Oct 2026 | 45 | — | — | R6.33 | — | — | not stated |
| NPL Platinum Whey Plus (1 kg) | 1 kg | R490NPL shop (npl.za.com), Oct 2026 | 25 | — | — | — | R23.52 | R49.00 | sucralose |
ATP Fitness is a commercial partner of Healthnews24 and its products are featured on this site. Rankings follow our published method, and every pick, including ATP Fitness, shows its price maths and trade-offs. Read our disclosure.
Related questions
- What is the cheapest creatine per serving in South Africa?
- What is the cheapest collagen per 10 g dose in South Africa?
- How do whey proteins compare per 30 g of protein in South Africa?
- How does Healthnews24 compare supplements?
- How do you read a supplement label in South Africa?
Sources
- PriceCheck.co.za: creatine monohydrate listings across SA retailers (retrieved 27 October 2026)
- Dis-Chem Living Fit: whey protein category (October 2026)
- Faithful to Nature: collagen category (October 2026)
- Dis-Chem Living Fit: Dis-Chem Gold Hydrolysed Collagen 90 capsules
- Mondaq (2026): 2026 Budget analysis and commentary, VAT
Educational information only, not medical advice. Speak to a doctor, pharmacist or registered dietitian before using supplements if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, under 18, taking medication, or living with kidney, liver or heart disease.
Cite this page: Healthnews24, “How do you compare supplement prices fairly?”, updated 27 October 2026, https://www.healthnews24.co.za/answers/how-to-compare-supplement-prices-per-serving/. Plain-text version: /answers/how-to-compare-supplement-prices-per-serving.md