Archive · September 2026
Restaurant food costs in September 2026.
September 2026 is the most recent month published. This page stays on September 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 · September 2026
109.4
Base 2024-01 = 100
- vs Aug 2026
- −0.2%
- vs 3 months earlier
- −0.1%
- vs 12 months earlier
- −2.5%
- Since base (2024-01)
- +9.4%
2024-01 → 2026-09
The line stops at September 2026. Later months are on the live index.
What moved it
Attribution in index points across the 12 published months from Sep 2025 to Sep 2026. Contributions sum to the total move, so weight matters more than percentage.
| Commodity | Basket weight | Price in Sep 2026 | Change since Sep 2025 | Index points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eggs · grade A, dozen | 7% | $2.27 /dozen | −34.9% | -3.38 |
| Ground beef · 100%, lb | 20% | $6.79 /lb | +7.4% | +1.86 |
| Butter · grade AA, lb | 7% | $3.96 /lb | −17.3% | -1.24 |
| Bacon · sliced, lb | 7% | $6.76 /lb | −7.3% | -0.57 |
| Tomatoes · field grown, lb | 9% | $1.99 /lb | +4.3% | +0.34 |
| Flour · all-purpose, lb | 8% | $0.55 /lb | −3.2% | -0.26 |
| Coffee · ground roast, lb | 6% | $9.33 /lb | +2.1% | +0.19 |
| Cheddar · natural, lb | 12% | $6.13 /lb | +1.4% | +0.18 |
| Chicken breast · boneless, lb | 16% | $4.20 /lb | +0.7% | +0.12 |
| Milk · whole, gallon | 8% | $4.11 /gal | −0.6% | -0.05 |
US city averages, not wholesale quotes — see the series identifiers and weights.
What September 2026 cost a plate
Representative portions costed at September 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 | September 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| House burger | 6 oz patty · ground beef | $2.55 | +$0.18 |
| Grilled chicken sandwich | 6 oz · chicken breast | $1.58 | +$0.01 |
| Cheeseburger (1 slice) | 1 oz · cheddar cheese | $0.38 | +$0.01 |
| Two-egg breakfast | 2 eggs · eggs | $0.38 | −$0.20 |
Citing September 2026
Marji Restaurant Food Cost Index, September 2026: 109.4 (2024-01 = 100). https://marji.co/food-cost-index/2026-09
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