Cost of Living
Grocery prices, gas prices, utility costs, inflation impacts on everyday expenses, consumer sentiment, and the real-world financial pressures facing households.
Latest in Cost of Living
One chart that explains why 22.7 million renters are cost-burdened even as rent growth hits a 15-year low
Rents are rising at their slowest pace in about 15 years. That sounds like good news until you see the other number: 22.7 million renter...
The Iran ceasefire expires Monday — 3 things that could change about your gas bill, grocery prices, and travel costs by next week
A two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran is set to expire Monday, and the economic consequences for American households could materialize within days....
The “affordability economy” is flipping the housing map: Sun Belt prices collapsing, Rust Belt soaring
A three-bedroom ranch in Cleveland’s West Park neighborhood listed at $189,000 in January would have sat for weeks five years ago. In early 2026, houses...
ACA health insurance premiums are up 26% this year — and Ozempic is one of the reasons why
A record 23.1 million Americans signed up for Affordable Care Act marketplace coverage during the most recent open enrollment period, according to the Centers for...
Ticketmaster found to be an illegal monopoly — jury says fans were overcharged $1.72 per ticket
A Manhattan federal jury decided in May 2026 that Live Nation Entertainment and its subsidiary Ticketmaster ran an illegal monopoly over ticketing at large concert...
The ‘affordability economy’ is flipping the housing map: Sun Belt prices collapsing, Rust Belt soaring
For most of the last decade, the housing market had a simple rule: follow the sun. Buyers, builders, and investors poured money into Phoenix, Austin,...
Oil jumps 8% on Strait of Hormuz blockade — what it means for gas and grocery prices
Crude oil surged roughly 8% in early Monday trading after the U.S. military announced it would blockade all Iranian ports, including traffic through the Strait...
Beef prices forecast to jump 10.1% in 2026; canned goods up as much as 15% on tariffs
The USDA’s Economic Research Service is projecting beef and veal prices will rise 10.1% in 2026, the steepest single-year increase the agency has forecast for...
Gas prices up 33% year-over-year — why your $4.12/gallon is now the #1 financial worry for 86% of Americans
The last time Sarah Mendez filled up her Honda CR-V in suburban Dallas, she watched the pump tick past $55 and kept climbing. A year...
Survey: 62% of shoppers say they’re spending more on groceries
A bag of groceries that cost $100 before the pandemic now runs about $130. American shoppers do not need a chart to know that, but...
Gas prices jump 21.2% in March, biggest monthly rise since 1967
American drivers got walloped at the pump in March 2026. Gasoline prices surged 21.2% in a single month, the sharpest spike since the Bureau of...
AAA: U.S. gas price average hits $4.12 a gallon
Filling up the family car just got noticeably more expensive. The national average price of regular gasoline has climbed to $4.12 per gallon, according to...
Inflation’s hidden cost: rising prices steadily erode idle cash
A family that deposited $10,000 into a standard checking account in January 2021 still sees $10,000 on the statement today. But that balance is a...
Stagnant wages and high costs leave many Americans falling behind
On a Saturday morning in April 2026, a home health aide in suburban Atlanta opens her banking app and stares at the number. After taxes,...
Reading a CPI report to see what inflation really means for your bills
On April 10, the Bureau of Labor Statistics published its Consumer Price Index report for March 2026, and within minutes the number that landed on...
It now costs over $310,000 to raise a child in America: a full cost breakdown by age
Raising a child in the United States has never been inexpensive, but the price tag facing parents today is far higher than many realize. The...
Grocery prices are still rising at 2.5% in 2026 despite overall inflation slowing to 2.4%
Inflation in the U.S. economy has cooled from the highs seen earlier in the decade, but grocery shoppers are still facing steady price increases. Even...
Airlines posted record profits in 2025 amid high fares: where your ticket money goes
U.S. airlines reported strong profits in 2025, even as many travelers continued to face expensive ticket prices. During the second quarter of the year, scheduled...
Home insurance premiums are up double digits for the second year in a row
Homeowners across the U.S. are facing another year of sharply rising insurance costs. In several markets, premiums have climbed at double-digit rates for a second...
Egg prices dropped 34% but beef is up 15%: what is actually getting cheaper at the grocery store?
Grocery shoppers received a mixed bag of relief and frustration in the latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) data. Egg prices fell roughly 34% compared with...