Food prices are soaring. Food prices keep climbing. Food prices are defying cooling inflation.
You’ve heard us say it every which way recently, and maybe it’s starting to feel like a tired refrain. But the fact remains: Food is expensive. And even if Canadians haven’t shifted their shopping habits yet — although many have — they’ve likely at least noticed that their grocery bill seems a lot higher than usual lately.
Canada’s annual inflation rate stayed flat in November, but grocery inflation reached its highest rate in nearly two years, Statistics Canada said on Monday, with the price of food bought from stores rising 4.7 per cent in November year over year.
But which items are hitting your grocery bill hardest this holiday season?
There are a few repeat offenders, such as beef and coffee, but the costs of some others, like lettuce, might come as a bit of a surprise. But there’s at least one sliver of good news for anyone planning a traditional Christmas dinner.
Let’s break down which basic food items have champagne tastes these days.
At this point, it just feels cruel.
But after months of skyrocketing coffee prices, they jumped again in November. The cost of roasted or ground coffee increased 3.1 per cent from October, and a whopping 36. 4 per cent compared to this time last year.
That’s the biggest annual increase of any grocery item Statistics Canada tracks in its Consumer Price Index, making roasted or ground coffee the winner, and those of us hooked on caffeine, well… you know.
But why? Earlier this year, global prices hit record highs due to shortages in major producing countries such as Brazil and Vietnam. At the same time, U.S. tariffs on goods from Brazil have upended the global coffee market, pushing prices upward.
Climbing grocery prices defy cooling inflation
When CBC News checked various grocery store websites Thursday, the average price of a large tub of ground coffee was around $25, depending on the brand and quantity.
For instance, 930 grams of President’s Choice ground coffee cost $25.99 at Loblaws, 930 grams of Nabob roast coffee was $24.99 at Food Basics (on sale from $29.99), 900 grams of Maxwell House cost $19.97 at Walmart, and 865 grams of Folgers went for $24.99 at Sobeys.
If you’re looking for a more specific brand, it’s even worse: 825 grams of roast ground Tim Hortons coffee cost $32.99 at Metro.
Lettuce, really? But yes, the leafy green salad filler shot up in November straight into the No. 2 spot for annual increases on grocery items.
The price of lettuce increased 26.8 per cent compared to November last year, and 25.5 per cent compared to October alone. It’s reminiscent of 2022, when lettuce prices jumped so high that some restaurants had to take greens off the menu.
So, what happened?
Southern California, which produces most of the lettuce for North America in November, had a tough season, according to Michael von Massow, a food agriculture professor at the University of Guelph in Ontario.
Producers had problems with disease and weather, which affected quality and yield, he says.
“When there is an issue in Southern California, prices get dramatically affected because there’s not a good place to substitute it from,” von Massow told CBC News.
But he says he expects to see a price correction soon, because production moved farther east into Arizona in December, will keep shifting into Florida in January, then continue up the Eastern Seaboard.
How many food puns can we fit into one story before someone stops us? Let’s not stew on it.
CBC News has reported extensively on the high price of beef. In general, meat prices rose by the highest rate of any food category in 2025, driven by the soaring cost of beef, according to the recent national food price report by Dalhousie University in Halifax.
And the new November numbers are no different, with the cost of fresh or frozen beef climbing 17.7 per cent year over year.
Certain cuts were worse offenders than others. Beef loin cuts increased 21.9 per cent compared to November last year, fresh stewing beef jumped 19 per cent, and fresh or frozen ground beef went up 18.7 per cent.
Why you might need to pay more for meat next year
High demand, drought and international trade all play a role in the prices. Persistent droughts are shrinking herds in Western Canada, and the cost for feed is higher. In addition, more ranchers are leaving the industry, according to Canada’s Food Price Report.
But beef isn’t the only culprit. Pretty much every meat on the meat spectrum increased in November, from chicken and bacon to shrimp. Pork shoulder cuts shot up 17.5 per cent — the largest non-beef year-over-year increase.
We have good news and bad news when it comes to the rest of it. And a reminder — these are November figures. We won’t get December CPI data until Jan. 19. First, the bad:
The following items were more expensive this November compared to last:
But these holiday favourites were less expensive, even if only a little:
And finally, drumroll… turkey, which falls under “other fresh or frozen poultry” in the CPI, dropped 1.4 per cent in November compared to November last year.
In a previous statement to CBC News last week, Turkey Farmers of Canada said that so far prices in Canada are very similar to last year. Whole turkeys range from about $0.99 to $3.33 per pound, with an average price of $2.29 a pound in early December, the group said.
“While production is slightly lower this year due to factors such as avian influenza, there are no current concerns about supply for the holidays,” it said. “Canadians can be confident they will find a turkey option in store, and with steady pricing.”
We’ll let you baste in the good news, and see ourselves out.
