If you’ve found yourself wincing at grocery checkout lately, you’re far from alone. According to Statistics Canada, food prices rose 4 per cent in September compared with a year earlier — but some staples have become shockingly more expensive than others. From your morning coffee to your barbecue beef, a few everyday essentials are hitting Canadians’ wallets especially hard.
Coffee tops the list
For caffeine lovers, it’s been a bitter brew. The price of coffee has surged 28.6 per cent over the past year, the steepest jump of any grocery item tracked. Ground and roasted coffee — the kind most Canadians buy — rose an eye-popping 41 per cent year over year.
A 915-gram tub of Nabob Bold coffee now costs nearly $36 at Sobeys, while Maxwell House sells for around $20 at Loblaws. Even Tim Hortons raised its prices for the first time in three years. The culprit? Global supply disruptions in Brazil and Vietnam, compounded by U.S. tariffs on Brazilian imports, have sent coffee futures soaring to record highs.
Beef isn’t far behind
Meat lovers are feeling the squeeze too. Prices for fresh or frozen beef are up 14 per cent, with ground beef climbing 17.4 per cent. Drought conditions in Western Canada have reduced cattle herds, while higher feed costs have compounded the problem.
In August, ground beef averaged $15.06 per kilogram, but some grocery stores are now charging over $22 per kilogram. Bacon also saw an 8.2 per cent increase, while canned salmon rose 8.3 per cent.
Nuts, seeds, and sweets surge
Nuts and seeds — once considered a budget-friendly protein alternative — now cost 15.7 per cent more than last year. Import shortages from the U.S., smaller harvests, and booming global demand (especially for pistachios) have all contributed. Trail mix that used to be a snack is now a splurge, with some bags selling for $18.
Chocolate hasn’t escaped inflation either. Confectionery prices climbed 10.4 per cent, driven by cocoa shortages in West Africa, where bad weather and crop disease have devastated production. Manufacturers are responding with smaller product sizes and higher prices — the classic “shrinkflation” effect.
Juice and produce follow suit
Fruit juices, especially orange juice, are also pricier — up 10.5 per cent year over year. Frosts and hurricanes in Florida and Latin America have tightened supply, pushing the price of a two-litre carton from $5.62 in January to $6.29 in August.
And while some fresh produce got cheaper — berries dropped 13 per cent thanks to strong Canadian harvests and increased imports — cucumbers surprised shoppers with a 24.7 per cent jump in just one month. The seasonal end of local production in September and the shift to higher-priced imports explain the spike.
The bottom line
Canadians are paying more across the board for groceries, with coffee, meat, nuts, and sweets among the hardest hit. The ongoing mix of climate issues, trade tariffs, and supply disruptions has made food inflation a stubborn reality — one that experts warn may persist well into 2026.
As Food Banks Canada recently reported, even employed Canadians are struggling to afford groceries — a sign that food inflation isn’t just squeezing budgets, it’s reshaping how the country eats.