diff --git a/pytato/utils.py b/pytato/utils.py
index c475e1da1d51808527fe735c8e6b3a944de56971..fe48c136824cab01a678b39d7888c7ab700da4b3 100644
--- a/pytato/utils.py
+++ b/pytato/utils.py
@@ -32,7 +32,8 @@ from pytato.array import (Array, ShapeType, IndexLambda, SizeParam, ShapeCompone
                           DtypeOrScalar, ArrayOrScalar, BasicIndex,
                           AdvancedIndexInContiguousAxes,
                           AdvancedIndexInNoncontiguousAxes,
-                          ConvertibleToIndexExpr, IndexExpr, NormalizedSlice)
+                          ConvertibleToIndexExpr, IndexExpr, NormalizedSlice,
+                          _dtype_any)
 from pytato.scalar_expr import (ScalarExpression, IntegralScalarExpression,
                                 SCALAR_CLASSES, INT_CLASSES, BoolT)
 from pytools import UniqueNameGenerator
@@ -47,6 +48,7 @@ Helper routines
 .. autofunction:: are_shapes_equal
 .. autofunction:: get_shape_after_broadcasting
 .. autofunction:: dim_to_index_lambda_components
+.. autofunction:: get_common_dtype_of_ary_or_scalars
 """
 
 
@@ -565,3 +567,21 @@ def _index_into(ary: Array, indices: Tuple[ConvertibleToIndexExpr, ...]) -> Arra
                                    if isinstance(idx, NormalizedSlice)])))
 
 # }}}
+
+
+def get_common_dtype_of_ary_or_scalars(ary_or_scalars: Sequence[ArrayOrScalar]
+                                       ) -> _dtype_any:
+    array_types: List[_dtype_any] = []
+    scalar_types: List[_dtype_any] = []
+
+    for ary_or_scalar in ary_or_scalars:
+        if isinstance(ary_or_scalar, Array):
+            array_types.append(ary_or_scalar.dtype)
+        else:
+            assert isinstance(ary_or_scalar, SCALAR_CLASSES)
+            scalar_types.append(np.array(ary_or_scalar).dtype)
+
+    return np.find_common_type(array_types=array_types,
+                               scalar_types=scalar_types)
+
+# vim: fdm=marker