Average Grocery Cost Calculator
One person in the United States spends about $441 a month on groceries in 2026, usually between $344 and $549 ($79 to $127 a week). $441 is the August 2026 USDA moderate plan rounded to the dollar, not a single number USDA printed: the average of a woman 19–50 living alone at $403.32 and a man 19–50 living alone at $477.72. Two adults are $808 a month ($807.62 rounded) and a family of four is $1,388 a month ($1,388.20 rounded). Official USDA Food Plans: Cost of Food at Home at Three Levels, U.S. Average, August 2026. Choose a household to see the same benchmark for a family, or for Canada and Australia.
Adults
Ages 19–50
Seniors
Ages 51+, a little less than a younger adult
Teens
Ages 12–18, about the same as an adult
Children
Ages 3–11, about 80% of an adult
Infants
Ages 0–2, formula & baby food
Estimated Monthly Grocery Cost
$1,091
$252/week · $364/person · $13,092/year
This is a benchmark for households like yours. Your own receipts show where you actually land, which a bank statement spread across several stores won't.
Turn smart shopping into a savings goalWhere the average goes
Average distribution. Your actual split may look different.
Key Statistics: Average Grocery Spending in 2026
The headline numbers on average US, Canadian, and Australian grocery spending, compiled from USDA Official Food Plans, Statistics Canada household food expenditure data, and ABS Household Expenditure Survey.
- National average per person (US, 2026): about $441/month on the August 2026 USDA moderate plan rounded to the dollar, not a single number USDA printed (the average of a woman 19–50 living alone at $403.32 and a man 19–50 living alone at $477.72), within a typical range of $344 to $549/month, or roughly $79 to $127 per week. Two adults are $808/month ($807.62 rounded).
- Family of four (US, 2026): about $1,388/month on the August 2026 USDA moderate plan rounded to the dollar ($1,388.20 rounded), not a single number USDA printed, ranging from $1,024 on the thrifty plan to $1,679 on the liberal plan.
- Canada (2026): a person living alone spends about C$418 a month on food from stores, from Statistics Canada's 2023 survey adjusted for food price inflation to August 2026. It is in Canadian dollars and measures what people actually spent, so it is not directly comparable with the US food plan figure.
- Price change: US food-at-home prices rose about 2.2% from 2024 to 2025, a sharp slowdown from the 22.5% increase between 2020 and 2024 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index).
- Your own number: these are benchmarks, not targets. Your receipts show where your household actually lands, and which categories push it up.
Average Monthly Grocery Cost Per Person in 2026
One American spends $344 to $549 a month on groceries in 2026, depending on diet and shopping habits. That works out to $79 to $127 a week. Below is a breakdown by household size so you can compare your spending to the national average.
| Household Size | Monthly (Low) | Monthly (Avg) | Monthly (High) | Weekly (Avg) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $344 | $441 | $549 | $102 |
| 2 people | $630 | $808 | $1,007 | $186 |
| Family of 3 | $821 | $1,091 | $1,335 | $252 |
| Family of 4 | $1,024 | $1,388 | $1,679 | $320 |
| Family of 5 | $1,187 | $1,629 | $1,958 | $376 |
The monthly averages for one adult ($441), two adults ($808), and a family of four ($1,388) are the August 2026 USDA moderate plan rounded to the dollar. They are not single numbers USDA printed. One adult $441 is the average of the woman 19–50 living alone at $403.32 and the man 19–50 living alone at $477.72, rounded to the dollar. Two adults $808 is $807.62 rounded. A family of four $1,388 is $1,388.20 rounded. Official USDA Food Plans: Cost of Food at Home at Three Levels, U.S. Average, August 2026.
Average Weekly Grocery Cost for One Person in the US
A single person in the United States spends $79 to $127 a week on groceries in 2026, depending on whether they follow a thrifty or liberal spending plan. Those on the USDA's thrifty plan spend closer to $79 a week, while those buying more organic, specialty, or convenience items land near $127. These figures are from the USDA's August 2026 food plan report.
Average Grocery Bill for a Family of 4 in 2026
A family of four in the US can expect to spend $1,024 to $1,679 a month on groceries, or roughly $236 to $387 a week. The wide range reflects differences in dietary preferences, regional pricing, and whether the household leans toward budget-friendly staples or premium products.
Use the calculator above to get a more specific estimate for your exact household composition, country, and spending style.
What's next
You know the average.
Do you know your actual?
The range above tells you what households like yours spend. Groceries Tracker tells you what you spend, broken down by category, store, and label.
Photograph a receipt and every item is categorized instantly. No manual entry.
See by category
Find out how much you actually spend on meat, snacks, produce, and everything else.
Track over time
Monthly trends show when your spending creeps up, and in which categories.
Want to set a target budget instead? Try our Grocery Budget Calculator
Frequently Asked Questions
Data Sources
- Official USDA Food Plans: Cost of Food at Home at Three Levels, U.S. Average, August 2026 - fns.usda.gov
- USDA Food Plans: Cost of Food Reports (Monthly) - fns.usda.gov
- Statistics Canada: Household spending by household type, Table 11-10-0224-01 - statcan.gc.ca
- Australian Bureau of Statistics: Household Expenditure Survey - abs.gov.au
- Australian Bureau of Statistics: Consumer Price Index (Food) - abs.gov.au
- Statistics Canada: Household spending by income quintile, Table 11-10-0223-01 - statcan.gc.ca
- Statistics Canada: Consumer Price Index, food purchased from stores, Table 18-10-0004-01 - statcan.gc.ca
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Consumer Price Index, food at home - bls.gov
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Consumer Expenditure Survey - bls.gov
- USDA Economic Research Service: Food Prices and Spending - ers.usda.gov
Average grocery costs are compiled from USDA food cost reports, Statistics Canada household spending surveys, the Australian Bureau of Statistics Household Expenditure Survey, Bureau of Labor Statistics consumer expenditure data, and verified third-party grocery spending research. Ranges reflect typical spending patterns across different shopping styles (budget, moderate, premium) and regional price variations. All values are adjusted for current food inflation. Individual spending varies based on diet, location, store choice, and shopping habits.