Food & groceries · recorded cost ledger
The first box isn't the price. The ongoing cost is.
Two dated files: U.S. grocery staple prices from official BLS data — with the year-over-year move on each — and 7 meal-kit services ranked by what they actually cost per serving and per week, not the first-box promo. Open a meal-kit row for the plan detail and the catch.
Grocery figures are official BLS U.S. city-average readings (Feb 2026). Meal-kit per-serving prices are list prices read March 2026; weekly and first-box totals are modeled from those (2 people × 3 meals/week + shipping). Not a live feed — promos and prices change, so confirm with the provider before you buy.
Section · Grocery staples
U.S. grocery staple prices
15 everyday items at U.S. city-average prices, from the official BLS Average Price survey. Each row carries its year-over-year move. Sort by price or by the steepest year-over-year change.
A red ▲ marks a staple that costs more than a year ago; a muted ▼ marks one that costs less. Some months are missing where the BLS series wasn't published.
| Item | Unit | Price | YoY move | As of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coffee | per lb | $9.46 | +30.5% | Feb 2026 |
| Ground beef | per lb | $6.74 | +19.8% | Feb 2026 |
| Cheese | per lb | $5.99 | +8.1% | Feb 2026 |
| Orange juice | per 16 oz | $4.86 | +8.3% | Feb 2026 |
| Butter | per lb | $4.31 | -11.4% | Feb 2026 |
| Chicken breast | per lb | $4.14 | +1.5% | Feb 2026 |
| Milk | per gallon | $4.03 | flat | Feb 2026 |
| Strawberries | per 12 oz | $2.93 | +22.3% | Feb 2026 |
| Eggs | per dozen | $2.50 | -57.6% | Feb 2026 |
| Bread | per lb | $1.85 | -3.9% | Feb 2026 |
| Rice | per lb | $1.07 | +4.3% | Feb 2026 |
| Sugar | per lb | $1.02 | +0.4% | Feb 2026 |
| Potatoes | per lb | $0.87 | -7.8% | Feb 2026 |
| Bananas | per lb | $0.65 | +5.5% | Feb 2026 |
| Flour | per lb | $0.55 | -2.1% | Feb 2026 |
Section · Meal kits
Meal kits by real weekly cost
7 services on file: the list price per serving and the estimated weekly cost for 2 people (3 meals/week + shipping). Sort by either; open a row for plan detail, diet options and the first-box catch.
The advertised first-box price is discounted; the weekly figure here is what the plan costs once that promo ends. Weekly and first-box totals are modeled from each service's listed per-serving price and shipping.
| # | Service | $/serving | Est. weekly | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dinnerly Budget · 16 recipes/week | $4.69 | $38.13 | |
| 2 | EveryPlate Budget · 20 recipes/week | $4.99 | $39.93 | |
| 3 | HelloFresh Mid-range · 30 recipes/week | $8.99 | $64.93 | |
| 4 | Home Chef Mid-range · 30 recipes/week | $8.99 | $64.93 | |
| 5 | Blue Apron Mid-range · 18 recipes/week | $9.99 | $70.93 | |
| 6 | Sunbasket Premium · 20 recipes/week | $10.99 | $73.93 | |
| 7 | Factor Premium · 35 recipes/week | $11.00 | $66.00 | |
Per-serving prices are the providers' ongoing list prices (not first-box promos). Weekly and first-box totals are modeled for 2 people × 3 meals/week (6 servings) plus shipping; the discount applies to food only. Confirm current plans and promos with the provider before you buy.
Section · More food files
Other records in this department
Deeper files on meal kits and on the markups buried in grocery delivery passes.
Section · Sources
Where these figures come from
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Average Price Data. Read March 23, 2026.
View BLS source →Ongoing per-serving prices read from each provider's site. Weekly and first-box totals are modeled (6 servings/week + shipping). Confirm current plans with the provider before you buy.
Price the plan, not the promo.
The first box rarely reflects what a meal kit costs week after week — these are dated, recorded readings, so confirm the current price and promo with the provider before you buy.
Grocery staple prices are official BLS U.S. city-average readings (Feb 2026) with a recorded year-over-year move. Meal-kit per-serving figures are providers' ongoing list prices; weekly and first-box totals are modeled for 2 people × 3 meals/week (6 servings) plus shipping. Not a live feed; prices and promos change, so confirm with the provider before you buy. Coverage on record, not a promise of accuracy.