5 Most Expensive Grocery Products Ahead of Fall
Shoppers who find themselves shocked at the prices of everyday grocery staples are not imagining it—certain products are reaching record high prices, and consumers are not happy. While egg prices are finally stabilizing after over a year of avian flu-related chaos (remember those viral videos of people fighting over eggs in Costco?) other items are becoming incredibly expensive if not downright unaffordable. Here are five of the most expensive grocery products ahead of fall.
Beef
Beef prices are sky-high right now thanks to soaring demand and limited supply, impacting everything from fast-food burgers to supermarket steaks. “U.S. cattle inventories are projected to reach a multidecade low in 2025 after a recent peak in 2019,” says the U.S. Department of Agriculture. “Record high beef cattle and feeder steer prices are projected in 2026 and high retail beef prices could continue for several years.”
Coffee
Coffee prices have skyrocketed, with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index showing America’s favorite drink is up 33% compared to this time last year at $8.41 per pound. Weather volatility and drought in places like Brazil have caused a significant shortage in supply, while demand is as high as ever. “Your standard season isn’t as it should be,” Mike Hoffmann, professor emeritus at Cornell University, told CNBC. “Drought stresses the coffee plants, then you get way too much water, and it affects the quality and quantity of the bean, the berries.”
Chicken
Chicken is still very expensive, with even the traditionally cheaper cuts like thighs and wings going up in price—especially for organic chicken. “Wholesale boneless, skinless chicken breasts were $1 higher per pound than this time last year – $2.75 per pound compared to $1.75 per pound,” said Texas A&M University. “Legs, another favorite for summer grilling, were 88 cents per pound compared to 72 cents per pound last year.”
Cheese
No, you’re not just imagining it—your delicious cheese is more expensive thanks to rising milk costs and feed supply issues. Strong global demand from regions such as Asia are also driving higher exports of cheese, leading to prices going up domestically. “We get our milk from small farms, we expect high quality milk, and we pay a premium price for it,” said cheesemaker Tony Hook. “Artisan makers like us are likely to use higher quality ingredients including starters and rennet.”
Bacon
Breakfast foods were already breaking the bank thanks to soaring egg costs (which are thankfully stabilizing) but bacon is also very expensive right now. The nationwide average price for a pound of pork bacon reached $6.61 in May, reports NBC News. “It’s just the cost of doing business,” said Jim Eadie, the founder and publisher of Swineweb.com. “With tariffs, wages going up, product supply and demand, the cost to produce a pig … everything combines into that inflation for bacon.”
