- It’s easy to blow your budget on groceries.
- Because of differences in cost of living, how much people spend on average varies across the US.
- The average household grocery spend across major US cities ranges from $314 a month in Atlanta to $516 a month in Seattle.
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It’s easy to get carried away at the grocery store. She who isn’t tempted fill up a basket or cart with extra chips, produce, ice cream, or frozen meals “just in case” is a hero among us.
Buying in bulk, keeping an eye out for deals, or heading to the grocery store with a detailed meal plan can help reduce that grocery bill.
To find out what the average grocery budget looks like in various cities, we consulted the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Expenditure Surveys. The most recent data available covers the period of 2017 to 2018 and reveals average annual expenditures for consumer units of 22 major metros in the Northeast, South, West, and Midwest.
A consumer unit, as defined by BLS, is a household ranging in size from one individual to three or more people.
The data show what Americans spend on "food at home," which includes dairy products, fruits and vegetables, meats, poultry, fish, eggs, cereals and bakery products, annually. The survey also considers total food spending, including money spent on dining out. We divided both totals by 12 to get the monthly cost. The total spent on groceries for the average household ranges from $314 a month in Atlanta to $516 a month in Seattle.
Below, find out how much people spend, on average, on groceries in major US cities.
22. Atlanta
Average grocery spend: $314.91/month
Average total food spend: $622.91/month
21. Dallas-Fort Worth
Average grocery spend: $321.75/month
Average total food spend: $610.83/month
20. Phoenix
Average grocery spend: $327.17/month
Average total food spend: $651.42/month
19. Miami
Average grocery spend: $333.41/month
Average total food spend: $563.58/month
18. Tampa
Average grocery spend: $347.41/month
Average total food spend: $601.50/month
17. St. Louis
Average grocery spend: $353.58/month
Average total food spend: $625.91/month
16. Detroit
Average grocery spend: $369.08/month
Average total food spend: $666.50/month
15. Baltimore
Average grocery spend: $377.33/month
Average total food spend: $734.41/month
14. Los Angeles
Average grocery spend: $378.59/month
Average total food spend: $747.83/month
13. Houston
Average grocery spend: $393.75/month
Average total food spend: $681.83/month
12. Chicago
Average grocery spend: $396.75/month
Average total food spend: $706.75/month
11. Minneapolis-St. Paul
Average grocery spend: $400.75/month
Average total food spend: $700.25/month
10. New York
Average grocery spend: $401.75/month
Average total food spend: $725.50/month
9. Philadelphia
Average grocery spend: $423.75/month
Average total food spend: $743.25/month
8. San Francisco
Average grocery spend: $432.67/month
Average total food spend: $845.50/month
7. Denver
Average grocery spend: $438/month
Average total food spend: $758.83/month
6. San Diego
Average grocery spend: $465/month
Average total food spend: $884.41/month
5. Washington, DC
Average grocery spend: $465.17/month
Average total food spend: $934.25/month
4. Anchorage
Average grocery spend: $481.58/month
Average total food spend: $752.58/month
3. Boston
Average grocery spend: $489.16/month
Average total food spend: $805.58/month
2. Honolulu
Average grocery spend: $491.58/month
Average total food spend: $915.41/month
1. Seattle
Average grocery spend: $516.25/month
Average total food spend: $951/month