Featured explainer
Why do grocery prices still feel high?
The basket is 38.6% higher than January 2020.
Read explainerSource: Basket Report · BLS CPI Average Price Data
Answers behind grocery prices
Plain-English answers to the questions behind your grocery bill—why prices remain high, why eggs and beef move, and how costs differ by region. Every guide is built from official U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average price data and refreshed monthly as new numbers land.
- 18 explainers
- Updated monthly
- BLS-backed
- 36 tracked prices · 24 included in the Basket Index
Inflation
Why do grocery prices still feel high?
The basket is 38.6% higher than January 2020.
2 min read InflationAre grocery prices higher than in 2019?
The basket is 39.1% higher than the 2019 average.
1 min read InflationWhy doesn't lower inflation mean lower grocery prices?
Inflation measures a rate of change, while the price level measures the bill.
1 min read Data & MethodologyHow often does BLS update grocery prices?
BLS updates grocery average-price data monthly as part of the Consumer Price Index program.
2 min read Food CategoriesWhy do produce prices change so much?
Produce prices vary because fresh fruits and vegetables are harvested seasonally, spoil quickly and face weather, dis…
2 min read Food CategoriesWhy is orange juice so expensive?
Orange juice has a history of supply pressure from citrus greening and reduced citrus acreage.
1 min read InflationAre grocery prices rising faster than restaurant prices?
The BLS grocery inflation rate is lower than the restaurant rate.
2 min read Food CategoriesAre eggs cheaper now?
The dozen-egg price is 34.9% lower than a year ago.
1 min read Food CategoriesIs butter cheaper than last year?
The butter price is 17.3% lower than a year ago.
1 min read Food CategoriesWhy is milk so expensive?
Milk is expensive because the retail price tracks the farm price of raw milk, which depends on the size of the dairy…
2 min read Food CategoriesWhy is sugar so expensive?
U.S.
2 min read InflationHow much does Thanksgiving dinner cost?
A classic Thanksgiving dinner for 10 cost about $55 in the American Farm Bureau Federation's 2025 survey, driven most…
2 min read Food CategoriesWhy is coffee so expensive?
The ground-coffee price is within 5% of its BLS record high.
2 min read Food CategoriesWhy are beef prices still high?
Ground beef is within 5% of its BLS record high.
1 min read Food CategoriesWhy is bacon so expensive?
Bacon is expensive because it is cured pork belly — a single cut whose price often jumps on its own when bacon demand…
2 min read Food CategoriesWhy is chicken cheaper than beef?
Whole chicken averages $2.06 per pound (September 2026); ground beef averages $6.79 per pound (September 2026).
2 min read Regional PricesWhere are groceries most expensive?
Groceries are most expensive in the Northeast and least expensive in the South based on Basket Report’s comparable re…
2 min read Data & MethodologyWhat is the BLS average grocery price?
The BLS average grocery price is the average dollar price paid for a specific grocery item, such as a gallon of milk,…
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