Grocery Prices in September 2026: What’s Going Up and Down

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (The Grocery Brief, from Youdle)- Grocery prices overall are holding fairly steady right now, but that does not mean every aisle feels the same.

The latest U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data show that food-at-home prices were unchanged from July to August and were 2.2% higher than a year earlier. Inside that average, some staples are still noticeably more expensive, while others are finally giving households some relief.

For shoppers trying to plan a grocery trip and manage a household budget, the categories matter more than the headline number.

The quick grocery price check

What grocery prices are going up right now?
Beef, seafood, coffee, beverages and fresh fruit remain more expensive than they were a year ago.

What grocery prices are going down?
Eggs, chicken and cheese are all cheaper than they were a year ago.

Are grocery prices overall still rising?
Compared with August 2025, grocery prices were 2.2% higher. From July to August 2026, however, the overall grocery index did not increase.

Grocery category	Compared with a year ago
Beef and veal	+5.9%
Eggs	-23.0%
Chicken	-2.3%
Fish and seafood	+6.5%
Milk	+4.1%
Cheese	-3.8%
Fresh fruit	+3.8%
Nonalcoholic beverages	+3.7%

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, August 2026 Consumer Price Index.

Beef is still one of the biggest pressure points

If the meat section still feels expensive, beef is a big reason why.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, beef and veal prices were 5.9% higher in August 2026 than in August 2025. Ground beef was up 7.2%, and beef roasts were up 8.4%.

There was some relief from July to August. Beef and veal prices fell 1% for the month. But the broader supply picture remains tight.

USDA reported in September that federally inspected cattle slaughter remains historically low and lowered its beef production forecasts for 2026 and 2027.

What this means for your cart

A sale on one cut does not necessarily mean beef prices overall are coming down.

If you are flexible about protein, compare beef with chicken, pork or another option before building the week's meals. Youdle Search can help you look for the groceries you need instead of relying on one store or one option.

Eggs are much cheaper than last year

Egg prices tell a very different story.

Prices rose 2.9% from July to August, but they were still 23% lower than they were in August 2025.

Both of those things can be true.

A food can become slightly more expensive from one month to the next while still costing substantially less than it did a year ago.

What this means for your cart

Do not judge a grocery trend from one week's shelf price alone.

For eggs, the bigger picture is that prices remain well below last year's level even after the latest monthly increase.

Chicken is offering some relief

Chicken prices were 2.3% lower than a year ago, while fresh whole chicken was down 3%.

That creates a notable contrast with beef.

For a household deciding between the two, national price trends currently favor chicken compared with where prices stood last year.

What this means for your cart

Changing the protein in one or two meals may have a bigger effect on your weekly grocery total than saving a few cents on smaller items.

That is the kind of comparison worth making before you shop.

Seafood remains expensive

Fish and seafood prices were 6.5% higher than a year ago.

Frozen fish and seafood rose even more, up 8.2% year over year. Fresh seafood prices did fall from July to August, but they remain significantly higher than last year.

What this means for your cart

Compare fresh, frozen and shelf-stable seafood rather than assuming one format will always be the better value.

And if you are seeing something very different at stores near you, Youdle Community gives shoppers a place to share what they are finding locally.

Produce is moving in both directions

Produce is one of the clearest examples of why the overall grocery inflation number does not tell the whole story.

Fresh fruit prices were 3.8% higher than a year ago, although they fell slightly from July to August.

Fresh vegetables were 2.6% higher than last year, but prices fell 0.9% in August. Lettuce dropped 6.2% in August alone, while tomato prices fell 3%. Potatoes moved in the other direction, rising 1.2% for the month.

USDA's September Fruit and Tree Nuts Outlook also shows why individual produce categories can change quickly. Crop production, supply, demand and trade conditions vary from one fruit to another.

What this means for your cart

Produce is a good place to stay flexible.

If one fruit or vegetable suddenly looks expensive, another may be moving in the opposite direction. Check seasonal alternatives and compare what is available before automatically buying the same items each week.

Dairy is mixed too

Even the dairy aisle is telling more than one story.

The overall dairy category was 0.3% cheaper than a year ago, but milk was 4.1% more expensive.

Cheese, on the other hand, was 3.8% cheaper than a year earlier.

What this means for your cart

Category averages do not always match the groceries your household actually buys.

That is why watching individual foods can be more useful than watching grocery inflation alone.

Coffee and drinks are still adding pressure

Coffee prices were 6.1% higher than a year ago, even after declining in August.

Instant coffee stood out, with prices 11% higher than a year earlier.

Nonalcoholic beverages overall were 3.7% higher than last year, and carbonated drinks were up 4.4%.

These may not generate the same headlines as beef or eggs, but frequently purchased drinks can quietly add to the grocery total.

So, are grocery prices going up or down?

Both.

The overall cost of groceries was essentially unchanged from July to August, but prices were still 2.2% higher than they were a year earlier.

What matters to your household is what is actually in your cart.

A cart with beef, seafood, coffee and fresh fruit may still feel noticeably more expensive.

A household buying more chicken, eggs and cheese may be seeing some relief.

That is why The Grocery Brief looks beyond the headline inflation number and focuses on what those changes could mean for the groceries your household actually buys.

What we're watching next

For now, the national picture looks like this:

Still elevated compared with last year: beef, seafood, coffee, beverages and fresh fruit.

Providing some relief compared with last year: eggs, chicken and cheese.

But grocery prices can change quickly, and national averages will not always match what is happening at your store.

Use Youdle Search to find what you need, check Youdle Community to see what other shoppers are finding, and follow The Grocery Brief for the grocery news and changes worth knowing before your next trip.

Each month, The Grocery Brief will update this report with the latest national grocery price data so you can see what is going up, what is coming down and what it could mean for your household.

About the data

This article uses the latest available U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index data for food, covering August 2026 and released September 11, 2026. It also incorporates September 2026 market reporting from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service.

National averages will not match every store, city or household. The Grocery Brief uses national data to identify broader price trends and explains what those trends could mean when you shop.