Archive · May 2026
Restaurant food costs in May 2026.
2 months have been published since May 2026. This page stays on May 2026. Free to quote with a link.
Recomputed from current BLS data, not frozen: a Bureau revision moves the figure below. That is the published revision policy. The URL is permanent either way.
Index · May 2026
110.3
Base 2024-01 = 100
- vs Apr 2026
- −2.6%
- vs 3 months earlier
- +0.6%
- vs 12 months earlier
- −0.9%
- Since base (2024-01)
- +10.3%
2024-01 → 2026-05
The line stops at May 2026. Later months are on the live index.
What moved it
Attribution in index points across the 12 published months from May 2025 to May 2026. Contributions sum to the total move, so weight matters more than percentage.
| Commodity | Basket weight | Price in May 2026 | Change since May 2025 | Index points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eggs · grade A, dozen | 7% | $2.19 /dozen | −51.8% | -6.54 |
| Tomatoes · field grown, lb | 9% | $2.49 /lb | +46.0% | +3.29 |
| Ground beef · 100%, lb | 20% | $6.75 /lb | +12.8% | +3.04 |
| Coffee · ground roast, lb | 6% | $9.51 /lb | +19.9% | +1.55 |
| Butter · grade AA, lb | 7% | $3.93 /lb | −20.7% | -1.54 |
| Cheddar · natural, lb | 12% | $5.69 /lb | −3.8% | -0.47 |
| Milk · whole, gallon | 8% | $4.22 /gal | +4.8% | +0.39 |
| Bacon · sliced, lb | 7% | $6.71 /lb | −3.9% | -0.29 |
| Flour · all-purpose, lb | 8% | $0.54 /lb | −3.2% | -0.26 |
| Chicken breast · boneless, lb | 16% | $4.17 /lb | −1.1% | -0.18 |
US city averages, not wholesale quotes — see the series identifiers and weights.
What May 2026 cost a plate
Representative portions costed at May 2026's prices, and what they were twelve months earlier. Ingredient cost only — the rest of the plate and the labour behind it are yours.
| Dish | Costed on | May 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| House burger | 6 oz patty · ground beef | $2.53 | +$0.29 |
| Grilled chicken sandwich | 6 oz · chicken breast | $1.56 | −$0.02 |
| Cheeseburger (1 slice) | 1 oz · cheddar cheese | $0.36 | −$0.01 |
| Two-egg breakfast | 2 eggs · eggs | $0.37 | −$0.39 |
Citing May 2026
Marji Restaurant Food Cost Index, May 2026: 110.3 (2024-01 = 100). https://marji.co/food-cost-index/2026-05
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