USDA produces four food plans at successively higher cost levels: the Thrifty, Low-Cost, Moderate-Cost, and Liberal Food Plans, illustrating how a healthy diet can be achieved at various costs. Each food plan specifies quantities of foods and beverages that could be purchased and prepared to make healthy meals and snacks at home. Each food plan has an associated cost based on average prices of their respective foods and beverages at the time of publication plus adjustments each month to reflect inflation using the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U). Additional background information is available on the USDA Food Plans webpage.
For specific foods and quantities of foods in the Food Plans, and more information about the methods of development, see the Thrifty Food Plan, 2021 and The Low-Cost, Moderate-Cost, and Liberal Food Plans, 2007. More information on the cost adjustments to the Thrifty Food Plan for Alaska and Hawaii is available in the Thrifty Food Plan Cost Estimates for Alaska and Hawaii report.
📅Latest Monthly Cost of Food Report
View and download the most recent costs of each of the USDA Food Plans. The latest monthly costs are also available for download as an Excel file in the Monthly Cost of Food Report Archives section.
Thrifty Food Plan: September 20251
| Age-Sex Groups2 | Weekly Cost3 | Monthly Cost3 |
|---|---|---|
| Child | ||
| 1 year | $25.80 | $111.80 |
| 2-3 years | $38.90 | $168.60 |
| 4-5 years | $42.50 | $184.00 |
| 6-8 years | $47.20 | $204.60 |
| 9-11 years | $54.60 | $236.50 |
| Female | ||
| 12-13 years | $50.50 | $218.80 |
| 14-19 years | $58.60 | $254.10 |
| 20-50 years | $57.40 | $248.90 |
| 51-70 years | $53.50 | $231.60 |
| 71+ years | $58.80 | $255.00 |
| Male | ||
| 12-13 years | $58.30 | $252.60 |
| 14-19 years | $73.60 | $319.00 |
| 20-50 years | $72.10 | $312.20 |
| 51-70 years | $63.70 | $275.90 |
| 71+ years | $60.70 | $263.10 |
| Reference Family4 | ||
| Male and female, 20–50 years and two children, 6–8 and 9–11 years | $231.30 | $1,002.20 |
Note: To account for changes in food prices, the costs of the Thrifty Food Plan, 2021 Market Baskets for each age-sex group are updated monthly by using the Consumer Price Indexes (CPIs). Each Market Basket Category of the Thrifty Food Plan, 2021 is matched to one or more CPIs (e.g., the Market Basket Category “eggs” is matched to the CPI for eggs and the Market Basket Category “dark-green vegetables” is matched to CPIs for fresh vegetables, frozen vegetables, and canned vegetables). The costs of Market Basket Categories matched to one CPI are adjusted based on the percentage change in the matched CPI compared to June 2021. The costs of Market Basket Categories matched to more than one CPI are adjusted based on a weighted average of the percentage changes in the matched CPIs compared to June 2021, with weights based on expenditure patterns as outlined in BLS’ relative importance of CPI components for 2017–18 (the most current at the time of the 2021 update). After the CPI adjustments are applied to each Market Basket Category, the updated costs of the Market Basket Categories are summed to determine the new monthly total cost of the Thrifty Food Plan, 2021 Market Basket for each age-sex group.
Alaska and Hawaii: September 20251
| Reference Family5 | Anchorage6 Monthly Cost7 | Hawaii8 Monthly Cost7 |
|---|---|---|
| Male and female, 20–50 years and two children, 6–8 and 9–11 years | $1,303.10 | $1,491.70 |
Note: The costs of the Thrifty Food Plan in Alaska and Hawaii were informed by 2017 food price data in Anchorage, Honolulu, and the contiguous 48 states and DC updated for inflation to reflect June 2022 food prices using the Consumer Price Index. The June 2022 Thrifty Food Plan costs were updated to current September 2025 dollars using a weighted average percentage change in the Consumer Price Indexes for the major food-at-home categories in Urban Alaska and Urban Hawaii; the weights were based on the reevaluated Thrifty Food Plan, 2021 cost shares. For more information, see Appendix C of Thrifty Food Plan Cost Estimates for Alaska and Hawaii.
Cost of Food at Home at Three Levels: U.S. Average, September 20259
| Age-Sex Groups2 | Low-Cost Plan Weekly Cost3 | Low-Cost Plan Monthly Cost3 | Moderate-Cost Plan Weekly Cost | Moderate-Cost Plan Monthly Cost | Liberal Plan Weekly Cost | Liberal Plan Monthly Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Child | ||||||
| 1 year | $37.10 | $160.80 | $41.80 | $181.10 | $50.60 | $219.40 |
| 2-3 years | $38.70 | $167.70 | $46.30 | $200.70 | $56.50 | $244.80 |
| 4-5 years | $40.10 | $173.60 | $49.50 | $214.40 | $59.80 | $259.00 |
| 6-8 years | $58.90 | $255.10 | $68.10 | $295.30 | $79.50 | $344.50 |
| 9-11 years | $60.50 | $262.30 | $78.10 | $338.40 | $91.20 | $395.20 |
| Female | ||||||
| 12-13 years | $60.40 | $261.80 | $72.00 | $311.90 | $89.90 | $389.70 |
| 14-19 years | $60.90 | $263.90 | $72.60 | $314.70 | $89.80 | $388.90 |
| 20-50 years | $62.10 | $269.30 | $75.70 | $328.00 | $96.30 | $417.30 |
| 51-70 years | $60.30 | $261.50 | $74.40 | $322.30 | $89.30 | $387.00 |
| 71+ years | $60.40 | $261.50 | $74.10 | $321.30 | $88.40 | $383.10 |
| Male | ||||||
| 12-13 years | $71.30 | $308.90 | $88.30 | $382.60 | $103.50 | $448.40 |
| 14-19 years | $72.50 | $314.40 | $90.70 | $393.10 | $106.40 | $461.10 |
| 20-50 years | $71.60 | $310.40 | $89.70 | $388.80 | $109.40 | $474.10 |
| 51-70 years | $67.20 | $291.30 | $84.60 | $366.40 | $100.80 | $436.90 |
| 71+ years | $66.80 | $289.30 | $82.10 | $355.60 | $100.70 | $436.40 |
🗄️Monthly Cost of Food Report Archive
The USDA Food Plans market baskets have been updated several times since their inception based on food prices, food composition data, consumption patterns, and dietary guidance. These updates create distinct time periods with their own data structure and methodology. Monthly food plan costs based on different underlying market baskets should not be combined into a single continuous time series because methods and definitions change between periods.
The archive contains historical monthly food plan costs as Excel files. The original PDF versions of the monthly cost of food reports are also available for download as zip files. Each Excel file includes the food plan costs presented in the monthly report for the respective USDA Food Plans and date ranges. The archive is updated every month alongside the release of the latest monthly cost of food report.
| Market Basket Time Period | Mainland U.S. | Alaska | Hawaii |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 2021-present | |||
| April 2007 - June 2021 | |||
| September 1999 - April 2007 | |||
| Pre-September 1999 |
| Market Basket Time Period | Low-Cost | Moderate-Cost | Liberal |
|---|---|---|---|
| November 2007-present | |||
| March 2003-November 2007 | |||
| Pre-March 2003 |
1 The Thrifty Food Plan, 2021 represents a nutritious, practical, cost-effective diet. The nutritional bases of the Thrifty Food Plan are the Dietary Reference Intakes and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025 (including Healthy U.S.-Style Dietary Pattern food-group and -subgroup amounts). Another basis of the Thrifty Food Plan is that all meals and snacks are prepared at home. For specific foods and quantities of foods in the Thrifty Food Plan, see Thrifty Food Plan, 2021. The Thrifty Food Plan is based on 2013-16 consumption and 2015-16 price data and updated to current dollars by using the Consumer Price Index for specific food items.
2 The costs given are for individuals in 4-person households. For individuals in other size households, the following adjustments are suggested: 1-person—add 20%; 2-person—add 10%; 3-person—add 5%; 4-person—no adjustment; 5- or 6-person—subtract 5%; 7- (or more) person—subtract 10%. To calculate total foods costs for a household, (1) sum the food costs for each individual in the household and then (2) apply the appropriate adjustment factor based on household size.
3 All costs are rounded to nearest 10 cents. Monthly costs are calculated by multiplying the weekly costs by 4.333.
4 Defined in the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, this reference family of four is used to determine the maximum Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) allotment, which is then adjusted downward for smaller households and upward for larger households.
5 Defined in 7 USC § 2012, this reference family of four is used to determine the maximum Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) allotment, which is then adjusted downward for smaller households and upward for larger households.
6 Per 7 CFR 273.10(e)(4)(i), the cost of the Thrifty Food Plan for Anchorage is the cost of the Thrifty Food Plan for the contiguous 48 states and DC adjusted for the price of food in Anchorage. Per 7 CFR 272.7(b), the costs of the Thrifty Food Plan in Urban, Rural I, and Rural II areas of Alaska are 0.79%, 28.52%, and 56.42% higher than the cost of the Thrifty Food Plan in Anchorage. For more information, see Thrifty Food Plan Cost Estimates for Alaska and Hawaii.
7 All costs are rounded to nearest 10 cents.
8 Per 7 CFR 273.10(e)(4)(i), the cost of the Thrifty Food Plan for Hawaii is the cost of the Thrifty Food Plan for the contiguous 48 states and DC adjusted for the price of food in Honolulu. For more information, see Thrifty Food Plan Cost Estimates for Alaska and Hawaii.
9 The Food Plans represent a nutritious diet at three different cost levels. The nutritional bases of the Food Plans are the 1997-2005 Dietary Reference Intakes, 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, and 2005 MyPyramid food intake recommendations. In addition to cost, differences among plans are in specific foods and quantities of foods. Another basis of the Food Plans is that all meals and snacks are prepared at home. For specific foods and quantities of foods in the Food Plans, as well as the methodology used to update the monthly costs of the Food Plan market baskets, see The Low-Cost, Moderate-Cost, and Liberal Food Plans, 2007. All three Food Plans are based on 2001-02 data and updated to current dollars by using the Consumer Price Index for specific food items. Reevaluation of the Thrifty Food Plan, 2021 begins the process to address the three other USDA Food Plans: the Low-Cost, Moderate-Cost, and Liberal Food Plans.