That Wasn't That Long Ago
The 2010s do not exactly feel like ancient history. Most of us can remember grocery shopping back then without needing to dig out an old photo album.
Which makes some of today's prices even harder to believe. Plenty of everyday groceries have doubled since then, and a few recently soared way past that mark. Apparently, those old grocery receipts were trying to warn us.
Ground Coffee
You can go all the way to December 2019 for this one. Ground coffee averaged $4.05 per pound then. By July 2026, it was $9.32. So forget comparing today with some distant childhood memory. We are talking about a grocery trip from less than seven years ago.
Frozen Orange Juice Concentrate
Remember those little cans in the freezer? In December 2019, frozen orange juice concentrate averaged $2.34 when standardized to 16 ounces. By July 2026, it was $4.82. Apparently, we should have been filling the freezer instead of making fun of them.
Romaine Lettuce
Romaine averaged about $1.66 per pound in September 2014. In July 2026, it was $3.47. Yes, lettuce has more than doubled. We have officially reached the point where even the thing underneath all the expensive salad toppings is helping wreck the grocery budget.
Forest & Kim Starr, Wikimedia Commons
Eggs
This one has a twist. A dozen large eggs averaged just $1.54 in December 2019. Then, in March 2025, they hit $6.23—more than four times as much. They have since dropped back to $2.19, but anyone who bought eggs last year remembers exactly how ugly this got.
Ground Beef
Regular ground beef averaged $3.39 per pound in October 2013. By July 2026, it was $6.89, a little more than twice as much. This was supposed to be the dependable dinner meat: burgers, tacos, meatloaf, spaghetti sauce. Somehow, the easy answer to “what are we having tonight?” stopped feeling quite so easy.
Grapefruit
This one misses doubling by practically nothing. Grapefruit averaged about 83 cents per pound in March 2010. By June 2026, it was $1.63—an increase of roughly 98%. Technically not double. But if somebody wants to argue about those last two percentage points at the checkout, they can go right ahead.
A 12-Pack Of Soda
You do not even have to go back to the beginning of the decade for this one. In May 2018, the national average worked out to about $3.91 for a 12-pack of canned soft drinks. By July 2026, it was about $7.27—roughly 86% higher. That old four-dollar case suddenly sounds like a doorbuster.
Sirloin Steak
In March 2014, USDA Choice boneless sirloin averaged $7.05 per pound. By July 2026, it was $14.59. Steak night was never exactly the cheapest dinner in town, but it certainly did not require quite this much emotional preparation.
Bacon
Bacon averaged $3.63 per pound in January 2010. By July 2026, it was $6.58, about 81% higher. But bacon actually crossed the double mark during the recent run-up, hitting $7.61 in October 2022. So no, you were not imagining those terrifying breakfast prices.
cyclonebill from Copenhagen, Denmark, Wikimedia Commons
Yes, More Meat Is Coming
At this point, you may be wondering whether somebody accidentally turned this into a meat article. Nope. The numbers really are that lopsided. Beef in particular has produced some of the biggest jumps in these grocery-price figures, so several more cuts genuinely clear our doubling rule. Sorry, vegetarians. Your section is coming back.
Beef For Stew
Stew is supposed to be the meal that stretches things. In September 2013, boneless stew beef averaged $4.43 per pound. By July 2026, it was $9.03. Apparently, even the meat specifically purchased to make an economical dinner has decided it would like to be fancy now.
Iceberg Lettuce
In December 2012, iceberg lettuce averaged about 87 cents per pound. By July 2026, it was $1.75. That is just over twice as much. The dollar increase may not sound huge, but when even iceberg lettuce starts doubling, the grocery cart is officially running out of places to hide.
Rasbak 13:13, 20 May 2007 (UTC), Wikimedia Commons
Ground Chuck
Ground chuck averaged $3.42 per pound in July 2013. By July 2026, it was $6.85, just barely more than twice as much. There was a time when grabbing several pounds for a backyard pile of hamburgers felt like one of the cheaper ways to feed everyone. That sentence has not aged particularly well.
Ham
Finally, a non-beef meat that actually clears the line. Ham averaged $2.23 per pound in January 2010. By July 2026, it was $4.49—just over twice as much. Breakfast, dinner, the holiday table...apparently ham looked around at beef prices and decided it wanted in on the action.
John Goetzinger, Wikimedia Commons
Lean Ground Beef
In November 2012, lean and extra-lean ground beef averaged about $4.18 per pound. By July 2026, it had reached $8.41, just over twice as much. Apparently choosing the leaner option now comes with an additional workout: carrying the grocery bill back to the car.
Why Today's Grocery Bill Feels So Different
The painful part is that nobody walks into the store, buys one grapefruit and leaves. Coffee goes in. Meat goes in. Produce goes in. Eggs go in. Soda goes in. Suddenly, price increases that look manageable one at a time are all sitting together in the same cart.
And somehow, the receipt keeps getting longer while the bags do not.
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