EGGS $2.19/doz ▼2.6%MILK $4.22/gal ▲2.0%BREAD $1.83/lb ▼2.1%FLOUR $0.54/lb ▲0.2%RICE $1.07/lb ▼0.5%SPAGHETTI & MACARONI $1.37/lb ▲2.3%GROUND BEEF $6.75/lb ▼2.2%CHICKEN $2.04/lb ▲0.5%CHICKEN BREAST $4.17/lb ▲0.1%BACON $6.71/lb ▼1.7%HAM $5.46/lb ▲1.0%PORK CHOPS $4.91/lb ▲6.7%TOMATOES $2.49/lb ▼7.4%POTATOES $0.89/lb ▲4.0%LETTUCE $1.96/lb ▲20.6%BANANAS $0.65/lb ▼1.2%ORANGES $1.54/lb ▲2.5%LEMONS $2.09/lb ▲2.9%COFFEE $9.51/lb ▼2.2%SUGAR $1.03/lb ▲2.8%BUTTER $3.93/lb ▼6.8%CHEDDAR CHEESE $5.69/lb ▼5.7%ORANGE JUICE $4.97/16oz ▲1.4%POTATO CHIPS $6.58/16oz ▼2.5%EGGS $2.19/doz ▼2.6%MILK $4.22/gal ▲2.0%BREAD $1.83/lb ▼2.1%FLOUR $0.54/lb ▲0.2%RICE $1.07/lb ▼0.5%SPAGHETTI & MACARONI $1.37/lb ▲2.3%GROUND BEEF $6.75/lb ▼2.2%CHICKEN $2.04/lb ▲0.5%CHICKEN BREAST $4.17/lb ▲0.1%BACON $6.71/lb ▼1.7%HAM $5.46/lb ▲1.0%PORK CHOPS $4.91/lb ▲6.7%TOMATOES $2.49/lb ▼7.4%POTATOES $0.89/lb ▲4.0%LETTUCE $1.96/lb ▲20.6%BANANAS $0.65/lb ▼1.2%ORANGES $1.54/lb ▲2.5%LEMONS $2.09/lb ▲2.9%COFFEE $9.51/lb ▼2.2%SUGAR $1.03/lb ▲2.8%BUTTER $3.93/lb ▼6.8%CHEDDAR CHEESE $5.69/lb ▼5.7%ORANGE JUICE $4.97/16oz ▲1.4%POTATO CHIPS $6.58/16oz ▼2.5%
THE GROCERY PRICE INDEX

The Receipt · May 2026

What moved in the basket this month

U.S. city average
Retrieved June 21, 2026
$111.46 ▼ 0.7% MoM · ▲ 0.1% YoY

The Basket Index fell 0.7% in May 2026, landing at $111.46 for the full 24-item staple basket. The year-over-year change was nearly flat at +0.1%. This issue is built from BLS CPI Average Price Data for the national U.S. city average, with every item priced and no imputed values.

What pushed it up

What pulled it down

The read

Tomatoes did the most work on the downside, subtracting $0.40 from the fixed basket on its own. Lettuce moved the other way and added $0.33. That split is the story of the month: a few produce and dairy lines moved sharply, while the all-in basket barely changed from a year ago.

For citation, use the Basket Index as the headline number: $111.46 for May 2026, covering 24 of 24 configured staples at the U.S. city average. Item pages below carry the underlying BLS series IDs, CSV/JSON downloads, charts, and embed codes for source-level follow-up.

Biggest single-item moves

ItemPriceMoMYoY
Lettuce /lb $1.96 +20.6% +36.6%
Tomatoes /lb $2.49 −7.4% +46.0%
Butter /lb $3.93 −6.8% −20.7%
Pork chops /lb $4.91 +6.7% +8.9%
Cheddar cheese /lb $5.69 −5.7% −3.8%
Open the Basket Index Download CSV RSS feed

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CPI Average Price Data. Retrieved June 21, 2026 via the BLS Public Data API. BLS.gov cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from BLS.gov.