October’s USDA outlook reports September grocery prices up 1.8 percent from a year earlier, with egg and beef forecasts moving in different directions.
USDA’s October Food Price Outlook reports that U.S. grocery prices were 1.8 percent higher in September than a year earlier. Restaurant and other foodservice prices were up 3.5 percent over the same period.
Its forecast for calendar year 2026 puts grocery price growth at 2.3 percent, with a range of 1.9 to 2.7 percent. The agency forecasts beef and veal prices rising 8.7 percent while egg prices fall 29.3 percent, comparing annual averages with 2025.
Those annual forecasts are different from a price change between two months. They also describe national categories, so they cannot establish the cost of a particular basket at a particular shop.
For meal planning, compare the actual unit prices of ingredients used in your own kitchen. A substitution only helps when it suits the recipe, the portions and what will be eaten. The archive egg image illustrates one category, without claiming to show current shelf prices.