What does a Christmas dinner at home cost?
A ready-made Christmas dinner delivered to your door in the Netherlands costs between €17 and €50 per person. The price is determined mainly by how much work has already been done for you: a meal kit where you do the cooking yourself is the cheapest option, a four-course dinner box prepared by chefs sits between €37.50 and €50, and a warm-delivered Christmas buffet becomes more cost-effective per person as your group grows larger. Delivery costs between free and around €50 extra per order.
Price per person, per format
Prices based on the Christmas season 2025–2026, including VAT. The ranges are drawn from a comparison of nationwide dinner box providers, meal kits, department stores and caterers.
| Format | Price p.p. | What you do yourself |
|---|---|---|
| Meal kit (ingredients, you cook) | €17–22 | Two to three hours of cooking |
| Chef-prepared dinner box (chilled delivery) | €37.50–50 | Just reheat and serve |
| Christmas buffet, delivered warm | €29–46 | Nothing, arrives ready to eat |
Below €25 per person you are almost always buying a cooking kit, not a prepared dinner. Above €40 you are in the segment where chefs deliver individually portioned courses.
Want a complete Christmas dinner at home? KOM delivers four-course dinner boxes, sharing boards and a breakfast box across the whole of the Netherlands. Order online and choose your own delivery date.
Order onlineWhat determines the price of a Christmas dinner at home?
Level of preparation. The biggest price difference lies between cooking yourself and having a prepared meal delivered. Every step the kitchen takes off your hands adds to the price per person, but saves you hours on Christmas Day.
Individually portioned or buffet. Separate courses per person require more work than sharing dishes for the whole table. A buffet therefore becomes more cost-effective per person as the group grows; for two to six people, a dinner box makes more sense.
Delivery and minimum order. Some providers offer free delivery, others charge up to €50 per delivery or apply a minimum order value. Always compare the total all-in price at the table, not just the per-person price shown on the website.
Extras. Wine, crockery and cutlery, or collection of used tableware are rarely included in the per-person price. Budget €1 to €2 per person for crockery and cutlery if you would rather not wash up yourself.
Delivery date. 22 to 24 December are the scarcest days of the year in any professional kitchen. Ordering early matters more than hunting for a discount: the popular delivery dates simply fill up.
Cost example: what do you pay all-in?
Two examples using KOM's current prices, including VAT and delivery:
| Group | Order | Total | Per person at the table |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 people | 4x four-course meat menu (€42.50) + delivery (€25) | €195 | €48.75 |
| 8 people | 4x meat (€42.50), 2x fish (€45), 2x vegetarian (€37.50) + delivery (€25) | €360 | €45 |
The pattern: the larger the group, the lower the all-in price per person, because the delivery cost is shared across more people.
How it works at KOM
For home delivery we offer four-course Christmas menus in a dinner box (meat €42.50, fish €45, vegetarian €37.50 per person, including VAT), with clear reheating instructions, alongside sharing boards for 6 people and a breakfast box for Christmas morning. Delivery costs €25, anywhere in the Netherlands, on a date of your choosing.
Celebrating with twenty or more guests, or looking for a Christmas drinks reception or Christmas dinner at the office with staff and equipment? Take a look at our corporate Christmas catering: warm-delivered Christmas buffets from €36.50 per person excluding VAT, through to fully catered dinners for 500 guests.
Frequently asked questions about the cost of a Christmas dinner at home
What does a ready-made Christmas dinner for 4 people cost?
Budget all-in between €150 and €220 for four people, including delivery. At KOM, the four-course meat menu costs €42.50 per person: four menus plus €25 delivery comes to €195, which works out at €48.75 per person at the table.
Is having a Christmas dinner delivered cheaper than going to a restaurant?
Generally, yes. A three- to four-course Christmas dinner at a restaurant can easily cost €60 to €100 per person excluding drinks, compared to €37.50 to €50 for a chef-prepared dinner box at home. Add to that the fact that at home you serve your own wine and have no travel or babysitting costs.
Why is a dinner box more expensive than a meal kit?
With a meal kit at €17 to €22 per person you receive ingredients and spend two to three hours cooking yourself. With a dinner box, chefs have already prepared and portioned everything: at home you only reheat. You are paying for the skilled preparation and the festive-season production, not just the food itself.
What does delivery of a Christmas dinner cost?
This varies considerably by provider: from free delivery to around €50 per delivery, often with a minimum order value. KOM delivers the festive range across the whole of the Netherlands for €25 per order, and at checkout you choose your own delivery date and time slot.
When do I need to order a Christmas dinner at home by?
The popular delivery dates of 22 to 24 December fill up with most providers as December progresses; many delivery services close Christmas orders in mid-December. Order in good time. At KOM you can still adjust quantities and menu choices up to 7 working days before your delivery date.
Can a Christmas dinner at home also be vegetarian or cater for dietary requirements?
Yes. KOM has a full vegetarian four-course menu at €37.50 per person. A gluten-free option is available as standard; halal, vegan and kosher on request. Please notify us of any allergies at least seven working days before delivery.
Ready to order? View the complete festive range and pay directly online, or request a quote for a larger group. We respond within 24 hours.
Go to the festive range