I bought the exact same Aldi groceries I purchased in 2019 to see how much grocery prices have actually increased in 2026. Spoiler alert: it’s more than they say.
Grocery prices have gone up a lot in the last few years. But just how much more are we paying for groceries now compared to 2019?
I thought it would be interesting to find out.
Back in 2019, I spent $50.51 on a weekly grocery trip to Aldi. And I recorded the whole thing here on my blog.
So, I decided to take that exact same grocery list and go back into Aldi in 2026. I purchased all the same groceries, the same amounts, the same brands, and everything I could find as closely as possible.
Then I compared the prices.
The internet tells me that prices have gone up about 30% in the last 7 years. But looking at this grocery list, I felt like it was going to be a little bit worse than that.
And I was right.
2019 Grocery Prices Compared to 2026 Prices
Here is a closer look at my exact grocery list. The original 2019 prices are listed first, followed by the 2026 prices.
| Grocery Item | 2019 Price | 2026 Price |
|---|---|---|
| Oranges | $1.79 | $2.69 |
| Bananas (about 2 lbs.) | $0.87 | $0.96 |
| Strawberries | $1.49 | $2.19 |
| Baby carrots | $0.89 | $1.29 |
| Tomatoes (2) | $0.36 | $0.30 |
| Frozen corn | $0.95 | $0.97 |
| Frozen peas | $0.85 | $0.97 |
| Whole wheat spaghetti | $1.09 | $1.65 |
| Pasta sauce (3 jars) | $2.55 | $5.07 |
| Aldi-brand Cheerios | $1.29 | $1.79 |
| Aldi-brand Pop-Tarts | $1.09 | $2.18 |
| Pretzels | $0.59 | $2.19 |
| Refried beans | $0.75 | $0.95 |
| Pinto beans | $0.99 | $1.59 |
| Diced tomatoes (3) | $1.05 | $2.67 |
| Diced green chilies | $0.65 | $0.85 |
| Graham crackers | $1.25 | $1.99 |
| Applesauce | $1.89 | $3.19 |
| Tostadas | $1.89 | $2.46 |
| Wheat tortillas* | $1.19 | $1.79 |
| Honey wheat bread | $0.89 | $1.75 |
| Italian bread | $1.99 | $3.15 |
| Milk | $1.59 | $2.56 |
| Sour cream | $0.89 | $1.75 |
| Cream cheese | $0.79 | $1.49 |
| Cheese sticks | $2.99 | $3.09 |
| Shredded mozzarella (2 16 oz. bags) | $4.98 | $6.58 |
| Eggs (a dozen) | $0.78 | $1.46 |
| Pepperoni | $2.19 | $2.75 |
| Ground beef (5 lbs.) | $9.95 | $21.45 |
I couldn’t find the same whole wheat tortillas in 2026, so I purchased the cheapest regular tortillas I could find instead.
2019 Total: $50.51
2026 Total: $83.77
That’s a difference of $33.26, or a 66% increase.
Some Grocery Prices Have Gone Up A LOT
Looking at the list, it’s interesting to see which prices have changed a lot and which ones are still relatively close to what they were seven years ago.
Ground Beef
Probably one of the biggest changes on this list is the ground beef.
Back in 2019, I bought 5 pounds of basic 73/27 ground beef for $9.95. Can you believe we used to be able to get 5 pounds for $10? Amazing!
Today, that same amount was $21.45. So, more than double the price. That’s really no surprise though, as I’m sure we’ve all noticed those higher prices for ground beef.
Pretzels
We also need to talk about pretzels.
I always liked getting pretzels because it was just like the cheap, basic snack I could have on hand. And back in the day, they definitely were. They were 59 cents a bag back in 2019.
Today they are $2.19 at Aldi (and more than that elsewhere!)
What is it about pretzels you guys? I’m kind of stumped why the price of such a basic snack has gone up so much!
Pasta Sauce
Another big jump was the pasta sauce.
I bought three jars back in 2019 for a total of $2.55. Today, those same three jars cost $5.07 which is double the price. Bummer!
Eggs
The eggs were only 78 cents back in 2019 – now they cost $1.46.
Still, I consider that a pretty good price, especially considering how much we’ve seen egg prices skyrocket in recent years. Thankfully they’ve come back down from the insane prices two years ago!
But it is crazy that they used to only be 78 cents. That was really good!
Canned Goods
I also noticed quite a few increases in the canned goods.
The three cans of diced tomatoes were only $1.05 back in 2019. Today they were $2.67. That’s a pretty big price increase.
The refried beans went from 75 cents to 95 cents, and the pinto beans went from 99 cents to $1.59. The little cans of diced green chilies went from 65 cents to 85 cents.
While some of these increases aren’t huge individually, they definitely add up when you’re buying a whole cart full of groceries.
A 66% Increase Is a Big Deal
So, like I said, I spent $50.51 for all these items back in 2019. Today my grand total was $83.77, a 66% increase.
I thought that 30% did not sound accurate, but wow – 66% is much higher!
To put that into perspective a little bit, if you spent $100 on groceries back in 2019, today you would be spending $166.
If you regularly spent $200 on groceries back in 2019, today you’d be spending $332.
If you’ve been feeling like you’ve been spending a lot on groceries lately, that is why.
How My Grocery Shopping Has Changed Since 2019
I’ve done some things since 2019 to change how I grocery shop because of the price increases.
Back in 2019, I was doing a lot of my shopping at Aldi, but I was hardly ever checking sales at Kroger or doing coupons or things like that. So I’ve really upped that in the past seven years.
I’ve started doing a lot more sales shopping, clipping digital coupons, making price comparisons across stores, and things like that.
I also shared in a blog post earlier this year how I’m trying to get to the store for physical shopping to look for marked-down items instead of only doing grocery orders online. I’ve found some great discounts on meat, bakery items, salad kits, and more this way.
How Have Your Grocery Shopping Habits Changed?
I’d love to hear from you.
What are some things that you’ve changed in the last seven years as the grocery prices have gone up?
Is everything the same for you as far as your grocery shopping habits? Or do you find yourself doing more couponing and sales shopping and looking for discounts and things like that?
You Can Still Save Money on Groceries
Anyway, to end on a positive note, even though grocery prices have gone up, there are definitely still ways you can save money on groceries. It just takes a little more effort than it used to (along with avoiding some bad grocery shopping habits too!)
Over on my YouTube channel I share a lot of grocery hauls as well as frugal meal plans because I’m always trying to feed my family well on a budget. If that kind of content interests you, I hope you’ll click over there and subscribe.
Thanks for stopping by the blog today!
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