Decade of Price Hikes: What Changed in Your Grocery Bill Since 2015

The average shopping trip now costs $150.84 in 2025—a 3.6% jump from last year alone. Certain items have seen even steeper climbs, with some cereals and sodas up more than 20%. But how dramatic is this shift compared to a full decade back? Comparing November 2015 prices to today’s market reveals a striking pattern of sustained inflation across everyday staples.

The Egg Rate Today Reflects Structural Supply Shocks

Few commodities have captured headlines like eggs in recent years. In November 2015, consumers paid an average of $2.66 per carton. Today’s egg rate tells a different story—currently sitting at $3.88 per carton after spiking above $6.20 in March 2025 following an avian flu crisis. This 46% increase over the decade reflects both short-term disease outbreaks and longer-term cost pressures in the industry.

Coffee Prices Reach Extreme Levels Amid Global Disruption

The most dramatic price movement belongs to ground coffee. A pound of 100% ground coffee cost $4.60 in October 2015. Fast forward to today, and consumers now pay $9.14 for the same quantity—a 99% surge. This near-doubling stems from two converging forces: severe droughts that crippled major coffee-producing regions worldwide, and tariff policies that increased export costs for Central American producers. Trade policy fluctuations throughout 2025 have kept prices volatile.

Dairy Products Show Steady Upward Pressure

Milk prices illustrate consistent cost creep across the decade. A gallon that cost $3.30 in November 2015 now averages $4.13 as of September 2025—roughly a 25% increase. This persistence reflects structural headwinds: feed costs remain elevated, labor expenses have climbed, and transportation fees continue rising. The dairy sector hasn’t experienced dramatic shocks like eggs or coffee, but rather faces relentless margin compression.

Protein Prices Climb on Multiple Fronts

Bacon exemplifies how animal agriculture faces mounting pressures. One pound of sliced bacon jumped from $5.90 in October 2015 to $7.29 today—a 23% increase. Disease outbreaks have periodically disrupted global supplies, while sustained growth in feed and labor costs has become the baseline operating environment for producers. Increased consumer demand compounds these supply-side challenges.

Even Bread and Bananas Show Inflation’s Reach

Two items once considered relatively stable have joined the price spiral. White bread climbed from $1.41 to $1.79 per pound (27% increase), though it’s worth noting prices peaked above $2 in late 2023 before settling. Bananas, historically resilient against inflation, moved from $0.58 to $0.67 per pound—a 16% bump driven partly by tariff impacts on Central American growers and a 5.4% cost surge between April and October alone.

The Underlying Story: Structural Cost Inflation

Across categories, the pattern is clear: a decade of sustained price increases driven by higher input costs, disease pressures, and trade policy changes. Consumers aren’t imagining their grocery bills’ weight on household budgets—the data confirms it’s real, widespread, and likely here to stay.