Between August 2025 and August 2026 US consumer prices rose 3.4% on average (CPI-U, all items). The average hides very different moves: gasoline +27.4%, airline fares +23.4%, coffee +6.1%, while used cars (−2.3%), car insurance (−5.1%), eggs (−23.0%) got cheaper.
In dollars: a gallon of regular gasoline averaged $4.20 in August, up from $3.29 a year earlier; a dozen grade A large eggs cost $2.27 vs $3.59; a pound of ground roast coffee $9.30; a pound of ground beef $6.92. Average prices are national averages; your store will differ, but the direction is usually the same.
Category inflation matters more than the headline number: someone who drives a lot and flies twice a year felt this year very differently from someone who mostly buys groceries and pays rent. The chart is a quick way to see which of your spending categories outran the average.
We update the chart every month on the day BLS publishes the CPI. One known gap: BLS did not collect October 2025 prices (the 2025 lapse in appropriations), so a 12-month change for October 2026 cannot be computed from the index levels — for that month the chart keeps the previous release.
See your own category inflation: sort receipts by category in Tratobor
The numbers
| Category | BLS series | 12-month change | Since December 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| All items | CUUR0000SA0 | +3.4% | +3.4% |
| Gasoline | CUUR0000SETB01 | +27.4% | +37.6% |
| Airline fares | CUUR0000SETG01 | +23.4% | +22.1% |
| Coffee | CUUR0000SEFP01 | +6.1% | +3.6% |
| Beef | CUUR0000SEFC | +5.9% | +2.9% |
| Utility gas | CUUR0000SEHF02 | +4.4% | −0.7% |
| Day care | CUUR0000SEEB03 | +4.0% | +2.3% |
| Electricity | CUUR0000SEHF01 | +3.8% | +5.1% |
| Restaurants | CUUR0000SEFV | +3.4% | +2.0% |
| Rent | CUUR0000SEHA | +2.7% | +1.9% |
| Groceries | CUUR0000SAF11 | +2.2% | +1.8% |
| Pet food | CUUR0000SS61031 | +1.6% | +1.8% |
| Internet | CUUR0000SEEE03 | +1.5% | +1.4% |
| Used cars | CUUR0000SETA02 | −2.3% | +0.7% |
| Car insurance | CUUR0000SETE | −5.1% | −5.0% |
| Eggs | CUUR0000SEFH | −23.0% | −10.2% |
| Average price | BLS series | August 2026 | August 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gasoline, regular, per gallon | APU000074714 | $4.20 | $3.29 |
| Eggs, grade A large, per dozen | APU0000708111 | $2.27 | $3.59 |
| Coffee, ground roast, per lb | APU0000717311 | $9.30 | $8.87 |
| Ground beef, per lb | APU0000703112 | $6.92 | $6.32 |
More: how we calculated
- 12-month change = index level for August 2026 ÷ level for August 2025 − 1, CPI-U, U.S. city average, not seasonally adjusted (series IDs in the table).
- Average prices: BLS CPI Average Price Data (AP), U.S. city average, same months.
- Labels are shortened: Groceries = food at home, Restaurants = food away from home, Car insurance = motor vehicle insurance, Gasoline = gasoline (all types).
- Data retrieved via the BLS Public Data API on October 8, 2026. BLS.gov cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from BLS.gov.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, «Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), U.S. city average, not seasonally adjusted» (bls.gov/cpi); U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, «CPI Average Price Data (AP), U.S. city average» (Average price data). Charts and calculations are ours; the agencies have not reviewed or endorsed them. No agency logos are used.