I am the first to admit that I spend a lot of money on food. Therefore, I was not surprised to learn that my monthly spending exceeds that of even the most expensive average grocery spending across the United States. However, I was surpirsed to learn that the average grocery spending in my city of San Francisco didn’t even make the top ten list! Looking closer, though, I could see why.
Average Grocery Spending vs. Average Food Spending
Business Insider recently reported on average grocery spending statistics as determined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Expenditure Surveys. They listed 22 cities showing average grocery spending per month that ranged from $286 – $500. That’s for households of 1-3 people.
I was surprised to see that San Francisco was ranked #11 on the list with average grocery spending of just $374. I easily spend more than $500 per month on groceries. However, when I looked more closely, I saw that they also list “average total food spend.” In other words, people don’t just get their food from grocery stores. We also eat at restaurants.
San Francisco’s average total food spend is $743 per month. While that’s certainly not the highest on the list, it looks like it would place this city in the top ten for highest total food spending. That makes more sense. We not only dine out a lot but our restaurants are expensive.
Average Grocery and Food Spending Across 10 Major Cities
Here are the numbers for the ten most expensive cities on the list (as ranked by average grocery spending alone, not total food spending combined):
1. Chicago, IL
People in Chicago spend about $376 per month at the grocery store. However, they spend $680 per month total on food.
2. Washington, DC
People in Chicago spend about $392 per month at the grocery store. However, they spend $765 per month total on food.
3. Twin Cities, MN
People in Minneapolis-St. Paul spend about $393 per month at the grocery store. However, they spend $714 per month total on food. It’s important to note that rent prices can impact how much people spend on food.
4. Philadelphia, PA
People in Philly spend about $405 per month at the grocery store. However, they spend $683 per month total on food.
5. Denver, CO
People in Denver spend about $421 per month at the grocery store. However, they spend $737 per month total on food.
6. Boston, MA
Bostonians spend about $426 per month at the grocery store. However, they spend $688 per month total on food.
7. Anchorage, Alaska
People in Anchorage spend about $440 per month at the grocery store. However, they spend $692 per month total on food.
8. Honoloulu, HI
People in Honolulu spend about $430 per month at the grocery store. However, they spend $836 per month total on food. It’s not surprising that Alaska and Hawaii are among the top spenders. After all, it costs a lot of money to transport food to those locations. Therefore, food costs are higher there.
9. San Diego, CA
People in Chicago spend about $447 per month at the grocery store. However, they spend $832 per month total on food. I was surprised to see that San Diego was the California city that topped the list for average grocery spending and average food spending in total. I would have guessed that San Francisco would be higher and Los Angeles would be up there as well. I would have guessed wrong.
10. Seattle, WA
People in Seattle spend about $498 per month at the grocery store. However, they spend $913 per month total on food.
My own personal spending tends to line up more with the pricey Seattle rates than the average grocery spending for my own area. This is due largely to the fact that I tend to buy a lot of prepackaged foods. I know what I’m doing wrong and where I could save money on groceries. It’s just a matter of implementing that more. Therefore, this list is a bit of a wake up call!
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