Lettuce, lemons, and other groceries that dropped in price in August

Grocery shoppers felt a slight reprieve this spring as grocery prices fell after a run of increases dating to September 2020.

So far this summer, grocery prices have remained relatively steady, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data. In August, prices inflated by 0.2% compared to July, and were up 3% from August 2022. Urban prices have fallen in many grocery categories, including eggs, meats, vegetables, grains, and dairy products. Overall inflation is cooling as well after a series of interest rate hikes by the Fed to temper the record inflation plaguing Americans over the past two years.

While costs remain high overall, the decreases mean dollars can stretch a bit further at the grocery store. Stacker used monthly Bureau of Labor Statistics data to find the grocery items that experienced the largest price decreases in August, using year-over-year changes as a tiebreaker where needed. Stacker excluded some hyper-specific meat categories in order to better understand grocery price fluctuations more broadly.

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#17. Potato chips (per 16 oz.)

- One-month decrease in cost: -0.2%
- Annual change in cost: +8.8%
- August 2023 cost: $6.46

#16. Cheddar cheese, natural (per lb.)

- One-month decrease in cost: -0.2%
- Annual change in cost: -1.6%
- August 2023 cost: $5.90

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#15. White bread (per lb.)

- One-month decrease in cost: -0.5%
- Annual change in cost: +12.2%
- August 2023 cost: $1.97

#14. Chocolate chip cookies (per lb.)

- One-month decrease in cost: -0.7%
- Annual change in cost: +8.1%
- August 2023 cost: $5.06

#13. Ground coffee (per lb.)

- One-month decrease in cost: -0.8%
- Annual change in cost: -2.3%
- August 2023 cost: $6.09

#12. Long-grain white rice (per lb.)

- One-month decrease in cost: -0.9%
- Annual change in cost: +7.8%
- August 2023 cost: $1.00

#11. Tomatoes (per lb.)

- One-month decrease in cost: -1%
- Annual change in cost: -0.7%
- August 2023 cost: $1.88

#10. Grapefruit (per lb.)

- One-month decrease in cost: -1.1%
- Annual change in cost: Not available
- August 2023 cost: $1.57

#9. American processed cheese (per lb.)

- One-month decrease in cost: -1.1%
- Annual change in cost: +2.8%
- August 2023 cost: $4.73

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#8. Spaghetti and macaroni (per lb.)

- One-month decrease in cost: -1.1%
- Annual change in cost: +2.6%
- August 2023 cost: $1.40

#7. Dried beans (per lb.)

- One-month decrease in cost: -1.1%
- Annual change in cost: +1.5%
- August 2023 cost: $1.70

#6. Whole milk (per gal.)

- One-month decrease in cost: -1.1%
- Annual change in cost: -6.4%
- August 2023 cost: $3.93

#5. Whole wheat bread (per lb.)

- One-month decrease in cost: -1.7%
- Annual change in cost: +10.3%
- August 2023 cost: $2.54

#4. Eggs (per doz.)

- One-month decrease in cost: -2.4%
- Annual change in cost: -34.4%
- August 2023 cost: $2.04

#3. Lemons (per lb.)

- One-month decrease in cost: -3.9%
- Annual change in cost: +2.2%
- August 2023 cost: $2.08

#2. Iceberg lettuce (per lb.)

- One-month decrease in cost: -4.2%
- Annual change in cost: Not available
- August 2023 cost: $1.60

#1. Romaine lettuce (per lb.)

- One-month decrease in cost: -4.4%
- Annual change in cost: -10.2%
- August 2023 cost: $2.55