Are prices lower in stores compared to a year ago?

Overall: No, prices are generally higher than a year ago — but it's a mixed picture

Overall inflation is still up, not down. As of the latest data (August 2026), the annual inflation rate in the United States was 3.4% for the 12 months ending August, the same as in July. That's still above the Fed's 2% target, meaning average prices across the economy are higher than they were a year ago, not lower.

Groceries: A mixed bag, with overall prices still higher

For grocery/food-at-home prices specifically:

•The U.S. food-at-home price index was unchanged in August 2026 and stood 2.2% above its August 2025 level

•Some foods cost less than they did a year ago, but across the grocery basket, prices remain higher

What's cheaper:

•Fruit and vegetable prices fell 0.4% for the month, including a 6.2% decline in lettuce prices, and over the preceding 12 months, dairy prices were down 0.3%

•Egg prices have fallen dramatically in some markets — for example, one Minneapolis-area tracking effort found eggs are down from $5.45 in January 2025 to $2.05 in January 2026

What's more expensive:

•The cost of tomatoes is up 12.8% year over year, while apples cost 11% more; instant coffee is up 15.8% year over year, roasted coffee up 12.2%

•Beef roasts (up 13.5%), steaks (+9.6%), and ground beef (+9%) all posted increases over the past year

Other categories

Beyond groceries, the picture varies widely:

•The only categories to see price cuts in August were dairy products (-0.3%), used cars and trucks (-2.3%), vehicle insurance (-5.1%) and medical care commodities (-2.7%)

•On the flip side, the energy index posted the strongest advance with a 16.3% jump from August 2025, with gasoline and fuel oil driving increases of 27.4% and 52.0%

Bottom line: For the economy as a whole, prices are higher than a year ago, not lower. However, if you're asking about specific grocery items, it depends heavily on the category — eggs, dairy, lettuce, and a few other items have gotten cheaper, while beef, coffee, tomatoes, and apples have gotten notably more expensive. Whether "prices feel lower" really comes down to what's in your specific shopping cart.

Citations (10)

1usinflationcalculator.comData and tools
Current U.S. Inflation Rates: 2000-2026
Source excerpt: “Home Inflation and Prices Current U.S. Inflation Rates (2000-2026) The annual inflation rate in the United States was 3.4% for the 12 months ending Au...”
2foodtradenews.comNews and media
Are Groceries Getting Cheaper? Why Your Bill May Say Otherwise - Food Trade News & Food World
Source excerpt: “The U.S. food-at-home price index was unchanged in August 2026 and stood 2.2% above its August 2025 level, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics...”
3foodtradenews.comNews and media
Are Groceries Getting Cheaper? Why Your Bill May Say Otherwise - Food Trade News & Food World
Source excerpt: “Some foods cost less than they did a year ago. Across the grocery basket, prices remain higher. ”
4foodtradenews.comNews and media
Are Groceries Getting Cheaper? Why Your Bill May Say Otherwise - Food Trade News & Food World
Source excerpt: “Fruit and vegetable prices fell 0.4% for the month, including a 6.2% decline in lettuce prices. ”
5foodtradenews.comNews and media
Are Groceries Getting Cheaper? Why Your Bill May Say Otherwise - Food Trade News & Food World
Source excerpt: “Over the preceding 12 months, dairy prices were down 0.3%, but fruits and vegetables were up 3.2% and nonalcoholic beverages were up 3.7%. ”
6cbsnews.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. ”
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. ”
9naahq.orgNot yet classified
Inflation: September 2026 | National Apartment Association
Source excerpt: “Looking at core inflation, which excludes food and energy, prices rose 2.4% year-over-year, a slight deceleration from the prior two months.... Acros...”
10naahq.orgNot yet classified
Inflation: September 2026 | National Apartment Association
Source excerpt: “The energy index posted the strongest advance with a 16.3% jump from August 2025. Gasoline and fuel oil drove the increase with a 27.4% and 52.0% gain...”