Are prices lower in stores compared to a year ago?

Short answer: No — on average, prices are still higher than a year ago, but it's a mixed picture depending on the item

Overall inflation: Prices across the U.S. economy are broadly higher than a year ago, not lower. The all items index rose 3.7 percent for the 12 months ending September, a larger increase than the 3.4-percent increase reported for the 12 months ending in August. The all items less food and energy index rose 2.6 percent over the year, and the energy index increased 20.4 percent for the 12 months ending September.

Groceries specifically: Grocery (food-at-home) prices are also higher than a year ago, just by a smaller margin. The food index increased 2.5 percent over the last year. Looking at the store level, over the past 12 months, grocery prices have risen 1.8%, roughly half the pace of menu price inflation.

Restaurant prices: Eating out costs noticeably more than a year ago — compared with a year earlier, menu prices were up 3.5% in September.

But it's not uniform — some items really are cheaper:

•Eggs have seen the biggest drop. Egg prices were 20.6 percent lower in September 2026 than in September 2025, continuing a recovery from the bird flu-driven spike.

•Other items down year-over-year include bacon, which costs 3.3% less than it did a year ago, and butter prices which plunged 10.3% compared to a year earlier, while ice cream, milk and cheese each fell more than 2%.

•Retailers have also been actively cutting some prices to win back budget-conscious shoppers — America's grocery stores are cutting prices to attract consumers who have pared back spending to cope with rising costs, with Walmart lowering the price of ground beef rolls, fresh corn, cherries, potato chips, and Coca-Cola as part of broader discounting efforts.

Meanwhile, other staples are still rising sharply:

•Beef and veal prices were 3.5 percent higher in September 2026 than in September 2025, and federally inspected beef production has been lower in most months of 2026 than in 2025, and is expected to remain below year-ago levels through the end of 2026 — which is why beef keeps getting more expensive.

•tomatoes were up 12.8% year over year, apples cost 11% more, and coffee prices climbed, with instant coffee up 15.8% and roasted coffee up 12.2% (as of mid-2026 data).

Bottom line: No, overall your grocery bill and most other prices are still higher than a year ago (roughly 1.8–2.5% higher for groceries, 3.7% for the broader economy). However, a handful of specific items — most notably eggs, along with bacon, butter, and some dairy — are genuinely cheaper than last year, while beef, coffee, and several produce items are up significantly.

Citations (14)

1bls.govGovernment
Consumer Price Index Summary - 2026 M09 Results
Source excerpt: “The all items index rose 3.7 percent for the 12 months ending September, a larger increase than the 3.4-percent increase reported for the 12 months en...”
2bls.govGovernment
Consumer Price Index Summary - 2026 M09 Results
Source excerpt: “The all items less food and energy index rose 2.6 percent over the year, following a 2.4-percent increase over the 12 months ending August. ”
3bls.govGovernment
Consumer Price Index Summary - 2026 M09 Results
Source excerpt: “The energy index increased 20.4 percent for the 12 months ending September. ”
4bls.govGovernment
Consumer Price Index Summary - 2026 M09 Results
Source excerpt: “The food index increased 2.5 percent over the last year. ”
5restaurant.orgNonprofits and think tanks
Menu Prices | Economic Indicators | Research | National Restaurant Association | National Restaurant Association
Source excerpt: “Over the past 12 months, grocery prices have risen 1.8%, roughly half the pace of menu price inflation. ”
6restaurant.orgNonprofits and think tanks
Menu Prices | Economic Indicators | Research | National Restaurant Association | National Restaurant Association
Source excerpt: “Compared with a year earlier, menu prices were up 3.5% in September. ”
7usda.govGovernment
Food Price Outlook - Summary Findings | Economic Research Service
Source excerpt: “Egg prices increased 1.0 percent from August 2026 to September 2026 but were 20.6 percent lower in September 2026 than in September 2025. ”
8abcnews.comNews and mediaquality 0.67
Which grocery prices are rising the fastest and which are falling? - ABC News
Source excerpt: “The cooldown in meat prices hit a range of products, including bacon, which costs 3.3% less than it did a year ago. ”
9abcnews.comNews and mediaquality 0.67
Which grocery prices are rising the fastest and which are falling? - ABC News
Source excerpt: “Butter prices plunged 10.3% last month compared to a year earlier, while prices for ice cream, milk and cheese each fell more than 2% over that period...”
10inquirer.comNews and mediaquality 0.84
As consumers pare spending, grocery stores race to cut prices
Source excerpt: “ET · America’s grocery stores are cutting prices to attract consumers who have pared back spending to cope with rising costs. ”
11inquirer.comNews and mediaquality 0.84
As consumers pare spending, grocery stores race to cut prices
Source excerpt: “Walmart, the nation’s largest retailer, said Monday that it would lower the price of ground beef rolls, fresh corn, cherries, potato chips, and Coca-C...”
12usda.govGovernment
Food Price Outlook - Summary Findings | Economic Research Service
Source excerpt: “Beef and veal prices decreased by 1.3 percent from August 2026 to September 2026 but were 3.5 percent higher in September 2026 than in September 2025....”
13usda.govGovernment
Food Price Outlook - Summary Findings | Economic Research Service
Source excerpt: “Based on ERS Livestock and Meat Domestic Data and the ERS Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry Outlook reports, federally inspected beef production has been ...”
14betterreport.comLow provenance
Some Grocery Prices Are Finally Going Down — Here’s What’s Getting Cheaper - Better Report
Source excerpt: “According to the latest BLS data, the cost of tomatoes is up 12.8% year over year, while apples cost 11% more in July 2026 than they did in July 2025....”