Grocery Prices — October 2026
U.S. grocery shelf prices fell 1.79% in October 2026, according to the GroceryChop Price Index, which tracked 34,937 prices across 1,790 stores and 25 grocery banners.
The biggest category move: cereals & bakery products up 6.99% on the month.
National, by category
Month-over-month change is matched-sample: the same items at the same stores in both months.
| Category (BLS food-at-home) | MoM | Index | Basket cost | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All food at home | −1.79% | 98.6 | $3.68 | 34,937 prices (123,414 readings) · 1,790 stores |
| Meats, poultry, fish & eggs | −6.26% | 92.7 | $4.54 | 12,421 prices (37,329 readings) · 1,362 stores |
| Dairy & related products | −1.87% | 99.5 | $3.11 | 7,411 prices (29,294 readings) · 1,090 stores |
| Fruits & vegetables | −4.14% | 93.5 | $2.08 | 819 prices (2,953 readings) · 263 stores |
| Cereals & bakery products | +6.99% | 109.2 | $3.17 | 2,865 prices (11,471 readings) · 259 stores |
| Nonalcoholic beverages | −2.07% | 101.6 | $7.71 | 9,702 prices (30,238 readings) · 1,790 stores |
| Other food at home | −0.41% | 100.2 | $2.49 | 1,719 prices (12,129 readings) · 534 stores |
“—” means the figure didn't meet our publication thresholds and is withheld rather than estimated.
By metro — all groceries
| Metro | MoM | Basket cost | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CAlive prices & deals → | −3.54% | $4.43 | 597 prices (1,264 readings) · 34 stores · 5 banners |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CAlive prices & deals → | −6.27% | $4.38 | 2,036 prices (3,127 readings) · 138 stores · 8 banners |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WAlive prices & deals → | +1.08% | $4.26 | 495 prices (927 readings) · 35 stores · 5 banners |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CAlive prices & deals → | −3.73% | $3.91 | 891 prices (2,298 readings) · 40 stores · 8 banners |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WIlive prices & deals → | −3.93% | $3.88 | 1,212 prices (2,579 readings) · 67 stores · 6 banners |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FLlive prices & deals → | — | $3.88 | 411 prices (1,213 readings) · 31 stores · 3 banners |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, INlive prices & deals → | −3.48% | $3.84 | 3,928 prices (38,424 readings) · 34 stores · 6 banners |
| Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NClive prices & deals → | — | $3.82 | 424 prices (1,739 readings) · 16 stores · 4 banners |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TXlive prices & deals → | −0.54% | $3.79 | 1,491 prices (4,025 readings) · 71 stores · 6 banners |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-INlive prices & deals → | — | $3.75 | 622 prices (2,795 readings) · 24 stores · 4 banners |
| Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NVlive prices & deals → | — | $3.70 | 480 prices (1,924 readings) · 21 stores · 7 banners |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, GAlive prices & deals → | −6.32% | $3.69 | 1,284 prices (3,159 readings) · 58 stores · 5 banners |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZlive prices & deals → | +1.33% | $3.69 | 768 prices (2,685 readings) · 44 stores · 6 banners |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TXlive prices & deals → | −2.98% | $3.61 | 934 prices (2,410 readings) · 52 stores · 6 banners |
How this compares to official CPI
The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes the official food-at-home CPI for October 2026 on its scheduled CPI release date, typically mid-month. Our figures come from observed shelf prices rather than a survey, use our own store panel, and are not seasonally adjusted — so the two series measure related but not identical things. We publish our number first; compare responsibly.
Cite or reuse this release
Suggested citation (free to use with attribution, CC BY 4.0):
GroceryChop Price Index, October 2026. grocerychop.com/price-index/vs-cpi/2026-10
About GroceryChop
The GroceryChop Price Index is built from the live price data behind GroceryChop, a free tool that compares a full shopping list across every grocery store near you and finds the cheapest basket. Shoppers can compare prices, browse today's deals, or get the app.