Historical comparison · Updated July 2026
Have grocery prices risen faster than overall inflation?
The fixed 24-item grocery basket was $110.50 in July 2026, +38.4% versus July 2019; the dollar difference was $30.66 higher.
$79.84 in July 2019 → $110.50 in July 2026
Basket change versus CPI-U
The Basket Index changed +38.4% over this same-month period. The all-items CPI-U changed +30.1%. The comparison uses percentage movement, not the unlike raw index levels.
Comparison methodology
Both series are rebased to their same-month 2019 observations. The grocery basket is a dollar index; CPI-U is an official price-level index.
Baseline observation: 2019-07. Latest observation: 2026-07. The item table includes 23 weighted items with an observed value in both periods; excluded observations are not estimated.
Grocery basket history
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CPI Average Price Data. Retrieved 2026-08-13. BLS.gov cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from BLS.gov.
Largest contributors
Ground beef contributed $6.17 of increase; Milk contributed $2.56 of increase; Orange juice contributed $2.41 of increase; Potato chips contributed $2.18 of increase; Eggs contributed $1.89 of increase. Contributions use fixed Basket Report quantities.
Item-level comparison
| Item | 2019-07 | Current | Change | Weighted $ difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ground beef | $3.80 | $6.89 | +81.2% | $6.17 |
| Milk | $3.03 | $4.31 | +42.3% | $2.56 |
| Orange juice | $2.40 | $4.82 | +100.4% | $2.41 |
| Potato chips | $4.38 | $6.56 | +49.9% | $2.18 |
| Eggs | $1.24 | $2.19 | +76.1% | $1.89 |
| Ham | $4.24 | $5.49 | +29.6% | $1.25 |
| Chicken breast | $2.98 | $4.15 | +39.6% | $1.18 |
| Bread | $1.28 | $1.82 | +42.1% | $1.08 |
| Chicken | $1.56 | $2.01 | +28.4% | $0.89 |
| Bacon | $5.70 | $6.58 | +15.5% | $0.88 |
| Sugar | $0.59 | $1.02 | +73.9% | $0.87 |
| Pork chops | $4.04 | $4.91 | +21.4% | $0.86 |
| Rice | $0.80 | $1.10 | +37.8% | $0.60 |
| Lettuce | $1.21 | $1.75 | +45.2% | $0.55 |
| Potatoes | $0.78 | $0.94 | +20.8% | $0.49 |
| Tomatoes | $1.80 | $2.00 | +11.3% | $0.41 |
| Cheddar cheese | $5.35 | $5.74 | +7.3% | $0.39 |
| Oranges | $1.41 | $1.54 | +9.1% | $0.26 |
| Bananas | $0.57 | $0.65 | +14.2% | $0.24 |
| Spaghetti & macaroni | $1.20 | $1.38 | +15.3% | $0.18 |
| Flour | $0.45 | $0.54 | +19.6% | $0.18 |
| Lemons | $2.04 | $2.13 | +4.2% | $0.17 |
| Butter | $3.98 | $3.92 | −1.4% | $-0.05 |
Important limitations
The two series cover different goods and weights. Their percentage changes are comparable; their raw index levels are not.
Basket Report uses U.S. city-average BLS observations. Store, region, brand, package-size, and household spending patterns vary. No missing value is filled or forecast.
Frequently asked questions
Is Basket Report a replacement for CPI-U?
No. Basket Report is a narrow grocery benchmark derived from BLS average prices.
Why rebase both series?
Rebasing compares percentage movement from a common starting point without equating unlike raw levels.