Residents of New York City are bracing themselves financially this Thanksgiving as grocery prices rise sharply.
The total cost for a traditional Thanksgiving meal—including a 20-pound turkey and 17 side dishes—has jumped to $220.05, reflecting a 23% increase from $178.81 last year.
Many New Yorkers seem to have taken notice of these changes.
“I picked up just five items, and it rang up to about $70. What on earth happened?” shared Susan, 79, who lives nearby Morton Williams on Bleecker Street. “I felt embarrassed to return anything, so I just went with it.”
Another customer, Paul, 78, from Greenwich Village, expressed his frustration, saying that shopping around felt futile.
“Honestly, none of these stores are really affordable,” he noted. “Everything’s just costly. You see it everywhere.”
Yams experienced some of the most significant price hikes, soaring 188% to $1.99 per pound, compared to $0.69 last year.
This overall price increase can be linked to inflation and tariffs, which have elevated production costs for farmers, according to reports.
Interestingly, turkey prices have remained stable, with a 20-pound frozen turkey still priced at $67.80.
However, New Yorkers still pay more for turkey at an average of $2.31 per pound, whereas the average American spends $1.79 per pound.
At both Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s, organic frozen turkeys are priced at $3.49 per pound.
In the Bronx, local poultry markets boasted in colorful language, promising fresh poultry to their customers.
Butter prices have surged by 58% from last year, now just under $10 a pound, while Pillsbury’s crescent rolls have gone up by 50% to $5.99 for an 8-ounce pack. Consumers can also expect to pay 33% more for apple cider this year.
If you’re baking an apple pie, expect to spend more as well. Granny Smith apples cost 50% more now, and a 5-pound bag of Hecker flour has risen by 40% to $6.99.
A half-gallon of whole milk, often used in cooking, is priced at $5.99—another 50% increase compared to last year.
Brand-name desserts are not immune to these hikes either. Ghirardelli brownie mix has increased by 34%, and Haagen-Dazs ice cream is now $4.99 for a pint, up 25% from last year.
The rising prices extend to catered meals as well; D’AG and Gristedes now offer a “Complete Thanksgiving Dinner” for 10 at $269.99, up from $249.99 last year.
To help shoppers adjust, ShopRite has lowered their spending threshold for a free turkey or ham from $400 to $350 this year.
This wave of price increases follows a 3% rise in the consumer price index, which includes a 2.7% uptick in “Meals at Home.”
The Bureau of Labor Statistics also points out that prices for meat, poultry, fish, and eggs have increased by 5.2% between September 2024 and this past September.
