Midwest
Comparable 11-item basket · as of May 2026+ $55.81 -0.4% vs U.S.
Comparable basket, Midwest. Monthly values use items priced that month; some staples report bi-monthly.
Groceries in the Midwest are 0.4% cheaper than the national average. The comparable 11-item basket costs $55.81 here versus $56.03 for the U.S. city average, using each item's latest BLS price. Over the past year the regional basket is up 2.6%.
Relative to the rest of the country, the Midwest pays the most above average for lemons (+12%) and chicken (+7%). It comes in below the national average on potatoes (-15%) and bread (-9%). Each figure is the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average price, not an estimate.
Item by item vs. the national average
| Item | Midwest | U.S. avg | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lemons /lb | $2.35 | $2.09 | +12.3% |
| Chicken /lb | $2.17 | $2.04 | +6.5% |
| Ham /lb | $5.67 | $5.46 | +4% |
| Ground beef /lb | $6.89 | $6.75 | +2.2% |
| Chicken breast /lb | $4.17 | $4.17 | 0% |
| Oranges /lb | $1.52 | $1.54 | -1.2% |
| Bacon /lb | $6.54 | $6.71 | -2.5% |
| Bananas /lb | $0.62 | $0.65 | -3.6% |
| Potato chips /16oz | $6.09 | $6.58 | -7.5% |
| Bread /lb | $1.66 | $1.83 | -9.4% |
| Potatoes /lb | $0.76 | $0.89 | -15.1% |