Are prices lower in stores compared to a year ago?

Short answer: No — overall, prices are still higher than a year ago, though a few specific items have gotten cheaper.

The big picture (overall inflation):
The latest official data shows the all items index rose 3.4 percent for the 12 months ending August, as it did for the 12 months ending July. For food specifically, the food index increased 2.7 percent over the last year.

Grocery store (food-at-home) prices:
As of the latest July 2026 data, food-at-home CPI was unchanged from June 2026 to July 2026 and 2.7 percent higher than in July 2025. So overall grocery bills are still trending up, not down.

But it's a mixed bag — some items ARE cheaper:

•Eggs have dropped dramatically. Data shows eggs, tomatoes, potatoes, bread and chicken were all cheaper as of January 2026 than a year prior, with egg prices decreasing the most (-48.0%), though tomato prices have since reversed and risen again by mid-2026.

•Local price checks confirm this pattern — one Minnesota outlet found eggs down from $5.45 in January 2025 to $2.05 in January 2026, chicken down from $8.85 to $6.91, bread slightly down from $1.87 to $1.57, and milk slightly down from $3.46 to $3.26.

•More broadly, of the nearly 400 items that BLS tracks, roughly 3 out of every 4 items (76 percent) increased in price between July 2024 and July 2025, while 1 in 4 (25 percent) were cheaper than a year prior.

Other categories are rising sharply, offsetting the gains:

•Tomatoes are up 12.8% year over year, apples cost 11% more, and coffee prices continue climbing — instant coffee up 15.8%, roasted coffee up 12.2%.

•Beef roasts are up 13.5%, steaks up 9.6%, and ground beef up 9% compared to last year.

•Sugar/sweets are also up — prices for sugar and sweets were 7.4 percent higher in July 2026 than in July 2025.

Bottom line: While a handful of grocery staples (notably eggs, and to a lesser extent chicken, bread, and milk) have gotten cheaper than a year ago, overall store prices — factoring in categories like beef, coffee, produce, and dairy staples like fresh milk — remain higher than they were 12 months ago. Consumers are noticing this too; shoppers in various markets report still feeling like they're "spending more for food now, versus, let's say, a year ago."

Citations (9)

1bls.govGovernment
Consumer Price Index Summary - 2026 M08 Results
Source excerpt: “The all items index rose 3.4 percent for the 12 months ending August as it did for the 12 months ending July. ”
2bls.govGovernment
Consumer Price Index Summary - 2026 M08 Results
Source excerpt: “The food index increased 2.7 percent over the last year. ”
3usda.govGovernment
Food Price Outlook - Summary Findings | Economic Research Service
Source excerpt: “The food-at-home (grocery store or supermarket food purchases) CPI was unchanged from June 2026 to July 2026 and 2.7 percent higher than in July 2025....”
4usafacts.orgData and toolsquality 0.91
Are groceries more expensive than last year? | USAFacts
Source excerpt: “... Eggs, tomatoes, potatoes, bread and chicken were all cheaper as of January 2026 than a year prior. Egg prices decreased the most (-48.0%), follo...”
5cbsnews.comNews and mediaquality 0.88
Costs appear to be down compared to a year ago for food staples in Twin Cities
Source excerpt: “On average, eggs are down from $5.45 in January 2025 to $2.05 in January 2026. Chicken is down from $8.85 to $6.91. Bread is slightly down from $1.87 ...”
6bankrate.comCommercial contentquality 0.59
Latest Inflation Statistics: The Prices Rising And Falling Most | Bankrate
Source excerpt: “Of the nearly 400 items that BLS tracks, roughly 3 out of every 4 items (or 76 percent) increased in price between July 2024 and July 2025. One in 4 (...”
7betterreport.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....”
8betterreport.comLow provenance
Some Grocery Prices Are Finally Going Down — Here’s What’s Getting Cheaper - Better Report
Source excerpt: “Beef roasts (up 13.5%), steaks (+9.6%), and ground beef (+9%) all posted increases over the past year. ”
9usda.govGovernment
Food Price Outlook - Summary Findings | Economic Research Service
Source excerpt: “Prices for sugar and sweets increased by 0.1 percent from June 2026 to July 2026 and were 7.4 percent higher in July 2026 than in July 2025. ”