Prices for common vitamin and mineral supplements vary considerably, even when products appear similar at first glance.
In our 20-product retail snapshot, recorded on 20 August 2026, the median price per tablet, capsule or softgel ranged from approximately 4.4p for general multivitamins to 10.6p for vitamin B12.
Those figures do not mean one category offers better quality or value than another. Nutrient amounts, formulations, pack sizes and recommended servings vary. Some products require one unit per day, while others require two or three.
The most useful comparison is therefore not simply the price on the bottle. It is the price of one complete labelled daily serving, considered alongside the nutrient amounts, formulation, suitability and any delivery charges.
What does this UK supplement price index measure?
This article is an independent retail snapshot rather than an official economic price index.
We recorded the displayed single-purchase prices of 20 supplements from Boots, Holland & Barrett, Superdrug and Myvitamins. The sample covered four listings in each of five categories:
- Vitamin D
- Vitamin C
- Magnesium
- Vitamin B12
- General multivitamins
Displayed promotional prices were recorded where applicable. Additional multi-buy, subscription and bundle discounts were excluded, as were delivery charges.
The price per unit was calculated by dividing the displayed container price by the number of tablets, capsules or softgels in the pack.
This allows a basic comparison, but it is not a direct comparison of formulations, nutrient amounts or health effects. A tablet containing one amount or form of a nutrient is not automatically equivalent to another tablet in the same category.
UK supplement prices: the August 2026 snapshot
| Supplement category | Listings sampled | Container-price range | Price-per-unit range | Median price per unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vitamin D | 4 | £2.75–£5.59 | 3.1p–10.0p | 5.3p |
| Vitamin C | 4 | £4.49–£10.79 | 6.0p–11.6p | 8.2p |
| Magnesium | 4 | £4.19–£9.19 | 4.7p–10.8p | 9.9p |
| Vitamin B12 | 4 | £3.59–£6.50 | 6.0p–10.8p | 10.6p |
| Multivitamins | 4 | £2.92–£5.39 | 1.6p–7.9p | 4.4p |
Prices were checked on 20 August 2026 and can change without notice. The median is the midpoint of the four calculated unit prices in each category.
1. Vitamin D had a relatively low unit cost
The four vitamin D products cost between £2.75 and £5.59 per container, with unit prices from approximately 3.1p to 10.0p.
The median was approximately 5.3p per tablet or softgel.
Pack size had a noticeable effect. The least expensive bottle was not necessarily the most expensive by unit once the number of tablets or softgels was considered.
The products also provided different amounts of vitamin D. A lower unit price therefore does not establish that two products have equal strength or suitability.
Read the NHS guidance on vitamin D before deciding whether a supplement is appropriate for you.
2. Multivitamins had the lowest sampled median unit price
General multivitamins produced the lowest median in this snapshot at approximately 4.4p per tablet.
The sampled container prices ranged from £2.92 to £5.39, while calculated unit prices ranged from around 1.6p to 7.9p.
This category also presents one of the greatest comparison challenges. Multivitamins can differ in:
- The vitamins and minerals included
- The amount of each nutrient
- Whether iron is included
- The recommended serving
- Ingredients used in the tablet or capsule
- Age or lifestyle positioning
- Allergen and dietary-suitability information
A low price per tablet may be useful, but it does not tell you whether a formula suits your dietary needs. Check each nutrient against its stated Nutrient Reference Value and consider supplements you already take to avoid unnecessary duplication.
3. Vitamin C prices varied with strength and format
The sampled vitamin C products ranged from £4.49 to £10.79 per container. The calculated unit prices were approximately 6.0p to 11.6p, producing a median of 8.2p.
The products were not identical: tablet strength, serving count and formulation varied.
Vitamin C is also available in standard tablets, chewable tablets, effervescent products, capsules, powders and liquid or liposomal preparations. These formats can carry different manufacturing, packaging and ingredient costs.
Our guide to liposomal and standard vitamin C explains why a specialist format should not be judged by its front-label description alone.
4. Magnesium shows why unit price can be misleading
The four magnesium containers ranged from £4.19 to £9.19, while the unit price ranged from approximately 4.7p to 10.8p. The median was about 9.9p per tablet.
However, one sampled 90-tablet product was described as providing a one-month supply. That indicates a serving of three tablets per day.
Its unit price appears low, but multiplying it by three produces a substantially different daily cost. This is why the number of tablets in a bottle cannot be treated automatically as the number of daily servings.
Magnesium products may also use forms such as oxide, citrate, glycinate or bisglycinate. Our comparison of magnesium glycinate and citrate explains the label details to examine.
5. Vitamin B12 had the highest sampled median
The vitamin B12 products cost between £3.59 and £6.50 per container, with unit prices from approximately 6.0p to 10.8p.
The category’s median was approximately 10.6p per tablet—the highest among the five categories sampled.
That does not mean B12 is always the most expensive common vitamin. The result reflects these four particular products on one date. Their stated amounts and formulations also varied.
Different B12 products can use different forms and strengths, so compare the complete supplement label rather than choosing solely by cost.
Why specialist supplement formats may cost more
Capsules and standard tablets are only part of the market. Supplements are also available as gummies, liquids, powders, sachets, sprays, patches and effervescent tablets.
A different format may involve additional flavouring, packaging or manufacturing costs. It may also contain fewer servings per pack.
This does not automatically make the product better or worse. The practical questions are:
- What is one complete serving?
- How many servings are in the container?
- How much of each active ingredient is supplied?
- Does the format suit the person taking it?
- Are there added sugars, sweeteners or other ingredients?
- Does it require refrigeration or special storage?
- Is the higher cost justified for that individual?
See our detailed comparisons of gummy vitamins and capsules and liquid vitamins and capsules.
How to calculate the true daily cost
Use the number of complete labelled servings—not simply the number of tablets or capsules.
Price paid ÷ number of complete daily servings = daily cost
You can then estimate a monthly cost:
Daily cost × 30 = approximate 30-day cost
For example:
- A £12 bottle containing 90 capsules, taken as three capsules daily, provides 30 servings. Its cost is 40p per day.
- An £8 bottle containing 60 tablets, taken as one tablet daily, provides 60 servings. Its cost is approximately 13.3p per day.
The £8 product has a lower bottle price, but the important point is that pack quantity and serving quantity are different measurements.
This calculation still does not make unlike formulas equivalent. Nutrient amount, form and supporting ingredients must also be compared.
What affects the price of a supplement?
Several factors can influence the displayed price:
Formulation
Single-nutrient products are generally easier to compare than multi-ingredient formulas. Added vitamins, minerals, botanical ingredients, flavourings or prebiotics may increase costs.
Nutrient form
Two products may contain different chemical forms of the same mineral or vitamin. The front label may not show enough information to identify this difference.
Delivery format
Tablets, capsules, softgels, gummies, powders and liquid drops require different production and packaging processes.
Pack and serving size
A larger bottle can have a lower unit price, but only if the serving directions and active amounts make the products reasonably comparable.
Testing and traceability
Testing documentation, manufacturing standards and supply-chain controls can affect costs. Look for precise, verifiable information rather than relying on vague phrases such as “premium quality”.
Promotions and subscriptions
Retail prices can be influenced by temporary sales, loyalty prices, multi-buy offers and subscriptions. Always check the final checkout price and whether the lower figure requires an ongoing commitment.
Delivery charges
A small online price saving can disappear when delivery is added. Include postage when comparing the total cost of an order.
How to compare supplement value safely
Before buying, check:
- The complete daily serving. Confirm how many tablets, capsules, gummies or millilitres are required.
- The amount of each active ingredient. Do not rely solely on a large number displayed on the front.
- The number of servings. A 90-capsule bottle might provide 90, 45 or 30 servings.
- The Nutrient Reference Value. This provides context for vitamin and mineral amounts.
- Duplicated ingredients. Check other supplements and fortified foods you use.
- Allergens and suitability. Review the complete ingredient and allergen information.
- Warnings. Follow the label and seek professional advice where appropriate.
- The total delivered cost. Include postage and any subscription conditions.
- The claims being made. In Great Britain, health claims used for foods and supplements must comply with the GB Nutrition and Health Claims Register.
The government’s food-supplement guidance also explains the responsibilities applying to supplements sold in the UK.
Does general inflation explain supplement prices?
The Office for National Statistics reported that the Consumer Prices Index rose by 2.9% in the 12 months to July 2026.
This provides useful background on the wider cost environment, but it does not show that supplement prices increased by 2.9%. Measuring supplement-specific inflation would require the same representative products, retailers and pricing method to be tracked consistently over time.
You can read the complete ONS Consumer Price Inflation bulletin for July 2026.
Repeating this supplement snapshot annually could eventually show how advertised prices and pack sizes change, but this first edition should be treated as a baseline rather than a historical inflation measure.
Price sources used
The following displayed prices formed the core 20-listing sample:
- Vitamin D: Boots Vitamin D 10µg, Holland & Barrett Vitamin D3 25µg, Superdrug vitamin D listings and Myvitamins Vitamin D3 Softgels.
- Vitamin C: Holland & Barrett Vitamin C 1000mg, Boots vitamin C listings, Superdrug vitamin C listings and Myvitamins Vitamin C Plus.
- Magnesium: Holland & Barrett Magnesium Citrate, Boots Magnesium 375mg, Superdrug Magnesium Oxide and Myvitamins Magnesium Tablets.
- Vitamin B12: Holland & Barrett Vitamin B12, Boots High Strength Vitamin B12, Superdrug High Strength Vitamin B12 and Myvitamins Vitamin B12.
- Multivitamins: Holland & Barrett ABC-Z Multivitamins, Boots Multivitamins with Iron, Superdrug multivitamin listings and Myvitamins A–Z Multivitamin.
September 2026 update: iHerb and creatine benchmarks
We have expanded the index with a fresh price check on 23 September 2026. This update adds iHerb UK as a useful multi-brand online-retail benchmark and adds a separate creatine-monohydrate comparison. These figures are supplementary to the original 20-product August sample rather than a replacement for it.
Magnesium glycinate and related magnesium products
| Retailer | Product | Pack | Listed price | Approx. price per unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| iHerb UK | NOW Foods Magnesium Glycinate | 180 tablets | £21.00 | 11.7p |
| Boots | Healthspan Magnesium Glycinate | 120 tablets | £13.99 | 11.7p |
| Boots | Boots Magnesium Bisglycinate | 30 capsules | £7.50 | 25.0p |
| Holland & Barrett | Vitawell Magnesium Glycinate | 120 capsules | £8.00 | 6.7p |
| Wellbeing Vitamins | Magnesium 8-in-1 Complex | 90 capsules | £9.95 | 11.1p |
| Wellbeing Vitamins | Arbor Vitamins Magnesium Bisglycinate & Taurate | 60 capsules | £17.99 | 30.0p |
This magnesium table is deliberately labelled as a benchmark rather than a strict like-for-like ranking. Products differ in elemental magnesium, serving size and formulation. A mixed magnesium complex, a buffered glycinate formula and a bisglycinate/taurate formula should not be treated as equivalent simply because each contains magnesium.
Creatine monohydrate powder: price per kilogram
| Retailer | Product | Pack | Listed price | Approx. price per kg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boots | 4HIM&HER Creatine Monohydrate | 500g | £14.99 | £29.98/kg |
| Boots | WeightWorld Creatine Monohydrate | 500g | £18.99 | £37.98/kg |
| Boots | WeightWorld Creatine Monohydrate | 1kg | £27.99 | £27.99/kg |
| Wellbeing Vitamins | Beast Pharm Micronised Creatine Monohydrate | 500g | £18.99 | £37.98/kg |
| Wellbeing Vitamins | NUTRABYTES Creatine Monohydrate | 300g | £14.99 | £49.97/kg |
Pack size materially affects creatine value. The 1kg example had the lowest price per kilogram in this sample even though its checkout price was higher than the smaller packs. Flavoured products, gummies and multi-ingredient creatine formulas are excluded from this plain-powder comparison because they are not directly equivalent.
Why iHerb is useful as a benchmark
iHerb is a multi-brand supplement retailer rather than a single supplement brand, which makes it structurally closer to the direction of Wellbeing Vitamins than many brand-owned stores. Including iHerb in future checks helps the index compare UK high-street retailers with a large specialist online retailer while keeping the methodology focused on UK-facing prices.
Frequently asked questions
How much do vitamin supplements cost in the UK?
In this 20-product snapshot, the standard products cost between £2.75 and £10.79 per container. This is not the full market range: specialist formulas, larger packs and alternative formats may cost more.
Which supplement category was cheapest per unit?
General multivitamins had the lowest median unit price at approximately 4.4p. This does not establish that they provide better value because formulations and nutrient amounts differ.
Are gummies more expensive than tablets?
They can be, but this snapshot did not calculate a separate gummy-price index. Compare the price of a complete daily serving and the nutrient amount rather than assuming either format is cheaper.
Is a bigger bottle always better value?
No. A larger pack can reduce the price per unit, but daily serving size, active amounts, expiry dates and how consistently you will use the product also matter.
Does a higher price mean better absorption or quality?
Not automatically. Price alone cannot establish absorption, product quality or suitability. Examine the formulation, serving, testing information, warnings and evidence relevant to the specific product.
How often should this index be updated?
Retail prices and promotions change regularly. An annual update using the same method would provide a clearer view of longer-term movement, while more frequent checks could capture temporary promotional changes.
The bottom line
Our August 2026 snapshot found median unit prices ranging from approximately 4.4p for multivitamins to 10.6p for vitamin B12. However, the cheapest tablet is not necessarily the cheapest complete serving—or the most appropriate formula.
Compare the labelled serving, nutrient amounts, form, number of servings, warnings and total delivered cost before ordering.
You can browse Wellbeing Vitamins’ capsules, gummies, liquid drops or complete supplement collection. Always read the full product label and suitability information before purchasing.
Prices and product details were checked on 20 August 2026. Retailers may change prices, pack sizes, promotions and availability without notice. This article provides general shopping information and is not medical advice.