Are prices lower in stores compared to a year ago?

No — overall, prices in stores are still higher than a year ago, not lower. The general cost of living continues to rise, though at a somewhat slower pace than the sharp spikes seen in 2022.

Overall inflation: As of the latest CPI report (August 2026), the consumer price index rose 0.4% in August, putting the 12-month increase at 3.4%. So across the broad economy, prices are about 3.4% higher than a year ago, not lower.

Groceries specifically: 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. As one analysis put it, grocery prices are rising more slowly, but groceries are not getting cheaper overall. An inflation rate of 2.2% means prices are increasing more slowly than they were during the worst of the food-price surge — it does not mean the earlier increases have been erased.

Why bills still feel high: shoppers pay today's prices, which include increases accumulated over several years. Food-at-home prices rose 11.4% in 2022 and 5% in 2023, followed by smaller increases in 2024 and 2025 — and slower inflation in 2026 does not reverse that buildup.

Some individual items are cheaper: It's not uniform across every product. For instance:

Energy is a big driver right now: Gasoline prices jumped 3.9% in August, accounting for more than one-third of the index's gain, and the energy index broadly rose 2.1%, up 16.3% from a year ago, with gasoline up 27.4% and fuel oil up 52% on a 12-month basis.

Bottom line: While specific items (like eggs) have gotten cheaper and the overall pace of price increases has slowed compared to the 2022 peak, the broad basket of goods — and groceries specifically — remains more expensive than a year ago, not less.