Kilojoules to Kilocalories
One kilojoule equals 0.239006 kilocalories.
Kilocalories = kilojoules ÷ 4.184
Energy Converter
Common Conversions
Energy Examples
Household Energy
- • Average home daily use: ~30 kWh
- • LED bulb (10W, 1 hour): 36 kJ
- • Microwave (1000W, 2 min): 120 kJ
- • Electric car (100 miles): ~30 kWh
Food Energy
- • Apple: ~350 kJ (80 kcal)
- • Slice of bread: ~315 kJ (75 kcal)
- • Can of soda: ~590 kJ (140 kcal)
- • Daily intake: ~8400 kJ (2000 kcal)
Energy Unit Reference
Scientific Units
- • Joule (J): SI base unit of energy
- • Calorie (cal): Energy to heat 1g water by 1°C
- • Electron Volt (eV): Atomic scale energy
- • Erg: CGS unit (very small)
Practical Units
- • kWh: Electrical energy billing
- • BTU: Heating/cooling systems
- • Therm: Natural gas billing
- • kcal: Food energy (Calories)
Kilojoules to Kilocalories Conversion Table
| kJ | kcal |
|---|---|
| 100 | 23.9006 |
| 200 | 47.8011 |
| 300 | 71.7017 |
| 400 | 95.6023 |
| 500 | 119.5029 |
| 750 | 179.2543 |
| 1000 | 239.0057 |
| 1500 | 358.5086 |
| 2000 | 478.0115 |
| 4000 | 956.0229 |
| 6000 | 1434.0344 |
| 8000 | 1912.0459 |
| 8700 | 2079.3499 |
| 10000 | 2390.0574 |
About This Conversion
Kilojoules to kilocalories divides by 4.184, the conversion needed to read a European or Australian food label in the Calorie figures used in the US and UK.
A rough mental version is to divide by four and take off a little, which is accurate to about 4 percent: 500 kJ estimated as 125 kcal is really 119.5. For counting over a day the exact divisor is worth using, since the error compounds across every entry.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Calories is 1000 kJ?
1,000 kJ is about 239 kcal.
How many Calories is 8700 kJ?
8,700 kJ is about 2,079 kcal.
What is the quick way to convert kJ to Calories?
Divide by 4.184. Dividing by 4 gets you within about 4 percent.
Why do labels show both?
Kilojoules are the SI unit and required in many countries; kilocalories are what most consumers recognise.
Worth Knowing
Calorie vs Kilocalorie
One food Calorie is one kilocalorie, equal to 1,000 small calories or 4,184 joules.
Related Conversions
Converting the other way? Kilocalories to Kilojoules
Need a different unit? Open the full energy converter