Every US food got more expensive since 2019. Only 18 of 42 rose less than inflation.
Butter costs what it did in 2019, $3.98 a pound. Coffee more than doubled. Overall inflation was 31%.
Price change of every food, against inflation
Change in US average prices from October 2019 to October 2026 for all 42 foods BLS priced in both months. 24 rose faster than overall inflation, 18 slower.
Up to and including October 2026
- Coffee+122%, faster than overall inflation
- Eggs+81%, faster than overall inflation
- Chuck roast+77%, faster than overall inflation
- Ground beef+76%, faster than overall inflation
- Round steak+75%, faster than overall inflation
- Iceberg lettuce+73%, faster than overall inflation
- Soft drinks, cans+72%, faster than overall inflation
- Sugar+70%, faster than overall inflation
- Sirloin steak+68%, faster than overall inflation
- Round roast+68%, faster than overall inflation
- Ground chuck+67%, faster than overall inflation
- Romaine lettuce+58%, faster than overall inflation
- Stew beef+56%, faster than overall inflation
- Lean ground beef+54%, faster than overall inflation
- Potato chips+51%, faster than overall inflation
- Yogurt+50%, faster than overall inflation
- Cookies+46%, faster than overall inflation
- Soft drinks, 2 liter+45%, faster than overall inflation
- Rice+42%, faster than overall inflation
- Bread+40%, faster than overall inflation
- Chicken breast+39%, faster than overall inflation
- Beer+32.2%, faster than overall inflation
- Whole chicken+31.7%, faster than overall inflation
- Whole milk+31.5%, faster than overall inflation
- Low-fat milk+27%, slower than overall inflation
- Potatoes+26%, slower than overall inflation
- Dried beans+25%, slower than overall inflation
- Flour+24%, slower than overall inflation
- American cheese+23%, slower than overall inflation
- Chicken legs+22%, slower than overall inflation
- Ice cream+22%, slower than overall inflation
- Pork chops+22%, slower than overall inflation
- Bacon+18%, slower than overall inflation
- Ham+18%, slower than overall inflation
- Pasta+17%, slower than overall inflation
- Tomatoes+17%, slower than overall inflation
- Strawberries+17%, slower than overall inflation
- Cheddar cheese+16%, slower than overall inflation
- Wine+16%, slower than overall inflation
- Bananas+14%, slower than overall inflation
- Lemons+4%, slower than overall inflation
- Butter0%, slower than overall inflation
Red bars rose faster than overall inflation, blue bars slower. Overall inflation is the rise in all consumer prices (CPI-U, all items) over the same months.
| Food | October 2019 | October 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coffee | $4.17 a lb | $9.25 | +122% |
| Eggs | $1.28 a dozen | $2.32 | +81% |
| Chuck roast | $5.13 a lb | $9.08 | +77% |
| Ground beef | $3.84 a lb | $6.75 | +76% |
| Round steak | $5.77 a lb | $10.11 | +75% |
| Iceberg lettuce | $1.13 a lb | $1.96 | +73% |
| Soft drinks, cans | $0.35 a 12 oz can | $0.60 | +72% |
| Sugar | $0.59 a lb | $1.00 | +70% |
| Sirloin steak | $8.22 a lb | $13.85 | +68% |
| Round roast | $4.99 a lb | $8.37 | +68% |
| Ground chuck | $4.03 a lb | $6.73 | +67% |
| Romaine lettuce | $2.20 a lb | $3.49 | +58% |
| Stew beef | $5.57 a lb | $8.67 | +56% |
| Lean ground beef | $5.46 a lb | $8.40 | +54% |
| Potato chips | $4.39 a 16 oz bag | $6.64 | +51% |
| Yogurt | $1.11 a 8 oz | $1.66 | +50% |
| Cookies | $3.60 a lb | $5.25 | +46% |
| Soft drinks, 2 liter | $1.57 a bottle | $2.27 | +45% |
| Rice | $0.77 a lb | $1.10 | +42% |
| Bread | $1.32 a lb | $1.86 | +40% |
| Chicken breast | $2.95 a lb | $4.10 | +39% |
| Beer | $1.44 a 16 oz | $1.90 | +32.2% |
| Whole chicken | $1.54 a lb | $2.03 | +31.7% |
| Whole milk | $3.12 a gallon | $4.10 | +31.5% |
| Low-fat milk | $2.82 a gallon | $3.59 | +27% |
| Potatoes | $0.79 a lb | $0.99 | +26% |
| Dried beans | $1.35 a lb | $1.68 | +25% |
| Flour | $0.43 a lb | $0.54 | +24% |
| American cheese | $3.82 a lb | $4.71 | +23% |
| Chicken legs | $1.43 a lb | $1.75 | +22% |
| Ice cream | $4.94 a half gallon | $6.03 | +22% |
| Pork chops | $3.71 a lb | $4.52 | +22% |
| Bacon | $5.65 a lb | $6.69 | +18% |
| Ham | $4.46 a lb | $5.26 | +18% |
| Pasta | $1.18 a lb | $1.38 | +17% |
| Tomatoes | $1.78 a lb | $2.08 | +17% |
| Strawberries | $2.40 a pint | $2.81 | +17% |
| Cheddar cheese | $5.28 a lb | $6.13 | +16% |
| Wine | $12.12 a liter | $14.05 | +16% |
| Bananas | $0.57 a lb | $0.66 | +14% |
| Lemons | $2.06 a lb | $2.14 | +4% |
| Butter | $3.98 a lb | $3.98 | 0% |
Each food's price in October 2019 and October 2026, its change and overall inflation, as a gzipped CSV.
Download CSV (gzip)About the data
- Prices are BLS average prices for the US city average, not seasonally adjusted, in October 2019 and October 2026. The same month in both years keeps seasonal foods comparable.
- Every food BLS priced in both months is shown. BLS also publishes category totals, such as all steaks or all ham, which overlap the single foods, so those are left out.
- Prices are not adjusted for inflation. The dashed line is overall inflation over the same months, so a food left of it got cheaper in real terms although its price rose.
- Butter was $3.979 a pound in October 2019 and $3.977 in October 2026, the only food that did not rise.