How Much Groceries Cost Americans 10 Years Ago vs. Today
- - How Much Groceries Cost Americans 10 Years Ago vs. Today
Crystal MayerDecember 20, 2025 at 3:02 PM
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For many Americans, going to the grocery store can drain the wallet. Grocery prices seem higher than ever with little relief in sight.
According to Consumer Affairs, the average shopping cart in 2025 totaled $150.84, up 3.6% from the previous year. Some items, like certain cereals and sodas, jumped over 20% during that time period.
But while many people are feeling the pain at the store, it can be hard to tell whether food prices are really that much more than they were a decade ago. Here’s how much groceries cost 10 years ago versus today.
Eggs
Eggs have been making headlines this year. After a devastating avian flu outbreak, the price of eggs soared in early 2025.
According to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the average price of a carton of eggs reached a record-setting high of over $6.20 in March, before settling to its current price of $3.88.
In comparison, the average cost for a carton of eggs in November 2015 was $2.66.
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Milk
Ten years ago, a gallon of milk cost an average of $3.30 in the month of November. Fast forward to September 2025, and the same gallon of milk cost $4.13.
Climbing dairy prices can be attributed to multiple factors, including higher feed costs, increased labor costs and rising transportation expenses.
Bacon
While bacon may be many people’s favorite breakfast meat, it comes at a price. In October 2015, one pound of sliced bacon cost $5.90, on average. A decade later, a pound of sliced bacon is up to $7.29, according to the BLS.
Over that period the industry has been affected by increasing feed and labor costs. Additional factors include outbreaks of disease, which have primarily affected the global market, as well as increased demand.
Bananas
In November 2015, the price of a pound of bananas was $0.58, on average. Ten years later, the same bunch costs $0.67.
Once believed to be inflation-proof, even bananas have seen a price jump. As reported by CNBC, bananas saw a 5.4% cost increase from April to October of this year, likely influenced by tariffs imposed on Central American producers.
Coffee
In 2025, coffee prices hit record highs after intense droughts affected some of the largest coffee-producing regions in the world. On top of the droughts, new trade policy imposed pricey tariffs on these exporters, although tariff rates have fluctuated over the course of the year and vary by country.
As per the CPI, one pound of 100% ground coffee cost an average of $4.60 in October 2015. Today, coffee drinkers pay an average of $9.14 for the same amount.
Bread
A pound of white bread in the U.S. cost $1.41, on average, in the month of November 2015. Today, that same pound costs $1.79, according to the CPI.
Luckily for sandwich lovers, the price of bread has come down since late 2023 when it hit over $2 per pound.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: How Much Groceries Cost Americans 10 Years Ago vs. Today
Source: “AOL Money”
