Grocery price explainers

Plain-English explainers, each backed by the same official BLS numbers behind the Basket Index — and refreshed every month so they never go stale.

• Why are grocery prices still high?

  Grocery prices are up 39% since 2020 — the Basket Index sits at $111.46 as of May 2026. Here's what the BLS data shows.

• Are eggs cheaper now?

  Eggs average $2.19 per dozen as of May 2026 — −51.8% versus a year ago and 65% below the March 2025 record. The BLS numbers, charted.

• Why is coffee so expensive?

  Ground coffee averages $9.51 per pound as of May 2026, +19.9% year over year and near its all-time high. What the BLS price data shows.

• Why are beef prices still high?

  Ground beef averages $6.75 per pound as of May 2026, +12.8% year over year and near record levels. The BLS data and the cattle-cycle reason.

• Where are groceries most expensive?

  Groceries cost most in the Northeast and least in the South, on a comparable 11-item BLS basket. See how the four U.S. regions compare.

• What is the BLS average grocery price?

  BLS "average price" (APU) data is the actual dollar price of staple groceries — e.g. $4.22 for a gallon of milk (May 2026). What it is and how to read it.