U.S. Grocery Prices Rise 1.8% as Beef and Coffee Climb, Eggs Fall

U.S. grocery prices rose 1.8% in the year through September as ground beef and coffee became more expensive while eggs and butter got cheaper, showing how sharply food costs can diverge.

The food-at-home index edged down 0.1% from August, even as overall consumer prices rose 3.7% from a year earlier. The index covering all food increased 2.5% over the year.

The index for uncooked ground beef climbed 5.4% from September 2025. A pound of 100% ground beef cost an average of $6.79 in September. The U.S. counted 28.5 million beef cows on July 1, 2026, 1% fewer than a year earlier. A forecast for 2026 beef production was cut because slaughter had been slower than expected.

Eggs offered a sharp contrast. Their price index was 20.6% lower than in September 2025, and a dozen large Grade A eggs averaged $2.27. Table egg output reached 676.8 million dozen in August 2026, a 6% increase from a year earlier as laying flocks recovered from earlier bird flu losses.

Coffee remained more costly. Its price index rose 7.1% over the year, while ground roast coffee averaged $9.33 a pound in September, up from $6.47 in September 2024. The index compares prices with September 2025; the retail price comparison spans two years. Poor weather had constrained Brazilian harvests for several years, though a larger crop is forecast for the 2026-27 season.

Butter moved in the opposite direction. Its index fell 10.3% from a year earlier, and its average price was $3.96 a pound. U.S. butter production totaled 187 million pounds in August 2026, up 6.3% from a year earlier.

Finished foods followed their own price patterns. The broad cookie index increased 3.6% over the year, while chocolate chip cookies averaged $5.15 a pound, virtually unchanged. The two figures measure different groups of products. Processing, transportation and retailing also contribute to the prices shoppers pay.

The next reading on U.S. consumer prices is due Nov. 10 at 8:30 a.m. ET (13:30 UTC).