Key takeaway: Grocery prices in the Chicago area rose just 1.4% over the year to September 2026, and the average Chicago-area household spends about $596 a month on groceries and $381 eating out.
Good news for your grocery budget: food at home is rising more slowly than most other costs here. And where you shop matters more than almost anything else, with store prices varying by a third or more.
How fast grocery prices are rising
| Category | 12-month change, Chicago area |
|---|---|
| Food at home (groceries) | +1.4% |
| Food away from home (restaurants) | +4.1% |
| All items | +2.9% |
| Energy | +15.1% |
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index for Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, September 2026, released October 14, 2026.
What Chicago households spend on food
| Measure | Per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| Groceries (food at home) | $7,148 | about $596 |
| Eating out | $4,567 | about $381 |
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Expenditures in the Chicago area, 2023 to 2024, released January 21, 2026. The average household has 2.4 people; monthly figures are our calculation.
A grocery budget by eating style
| USDA food plan | Adult woman, per month | Adult man, per month |
|---|---|---|
| Thrifty | $253.90 | $319.00 |
| Low-cost | $276.30 | $317.70 |
| Moderate | $336.40 | $398.40 |
| Liberal | $429.60 | $486.80 |
Source: USDA Cost of Food reports, September 2026 national averages (thrifty plan; low-cost, moderate and liberal plans). Ages 19 or 20 to 50, priced for a four-person household; USDA suggests adding about 10% for a two-person household and 20% for one person living alone. The thrifty plan comes from a separate USDA report, which is why it isn’t always the lowest number.
Where you shop matters
Chicago-area Checkbook, a nonprofit consumer group, compared prices at area grocery chains against the all-store average in its most recent survey (updated November 2025).
| Store | Prices vs. area average |
|---|---|
| ALDI | about 33% lower |
| Amazon Fresh | about 13% lower |
| Walmart | about 12% lower |
| Food 4 Less | about 9% lower |
| Meijer | about 9% lower |
| Mariano’s | about 8% higher |
| Fresh Thyme | about 16% higher |
| Whole Foods | about 29% higher |
Source: Chicago-area Checkbook supermarket survey. Prices change, so treat these as a guide to which stores tend to cost less, not exact savings.
Ways to spend less
- Split your list: staples at a discount store, specialty items wherever you like.
- Bring your own bags to skip the 15 cent bag tax.
- Cook more nights: restaurant prices are rising almost three times as fast as grocery prices here.
- Check store apps for weekly digital deals before you go.