Seven grocery items that have doubled in price in the past four years
Australians don’t need a spreadsheet to know some grocery items have soared over the past four years – they feel it every week at the supermarket checkout.
While gradual price increases are to be expected, some grocery staples – like the seven listed below – have as much as doubled in price in a short period of time, with no relief in sight thanks to new pricing pressures, including increased production and transport costs.
The cost of some grocery items has doubled in recent years. Graphic: Tara Blancato
Nine.com.au takes a look at the staples that have doubled in price over the past four years, what’s behind the dramatic increases, and the impact these additional costs have had on Aussie shoppers.
Olive oil
Sharp increases in olive oil prices began in late 2022 due to severe droughts in growing regions, ahead of historic surges in 2023 and 2024. A standard 1L bottle of supermarket olive oil used to cost $12-$14 at the checkout.
Today, that same bottle costs $24-28.
Olive oil soared in 2024, with prices increasing by an average of 70 per cent in Australia. This was due to a combination of reasons.
Extreme weather conditions in Europe in 2023 and 2024 including in Spain, Italy and Greece, where most of the world’s olive oil is made, led to reduced yields and resulting price increases.
Australian imports approximately 60 per cent of our olive oil.
With less supply for Europe, this placed pressure on the local olive oil industry which also suffered from unfavourable weather conditions.
Supermarket shoppers have been left shocked by the soaring price of olive oil. Jo Abi
Snacks
Biscuits and chips have also doubled in price since 2022. A half-price cost of Arnott’s Tim Tams is the same as the full price charged four years ago. This has also been seen with snack items like Smith’s chips.
In 2022, a pack of Tim Tams was $2-$2.50. That same packet is now $5-$7, making those weekly discounts even more important.
Meanwhile, Smiths chips used to cost $3.50-$3.80 for a 175g bag in 2022. Today, shoppers will pay closer to $5-$6 for that same pack, which has also been reduced from 175g to 170g.
The reason for these price hikes are many. Soaring cocoa prices in 2023 affected all chocolate-coated biscuits, especially Tim Tams, which include chocolate biscuits, chocolate cream, and a chocolate coating.
Chips have also been impacted by price increases. Jo Abi
This combined with higher wheat and sugar costs and increasing prices of packaging and transport saw the price of Australia’s favourite biscuit steadily increase over the past four years.
Smith’s chips have been hit by increasing potato prices due to adverse growing conditions around the world, as well as increases in oil prices and production costs such as packaging and transport.
Eggs
Avian flu arrived in Australia in 2024, leading to the mass culling of 1.8 million hens in Victoria, NSW, and the ACT, in an effort to prevent the spread of the deadly virus. This resulted in a 7-10 per cent decrease in laying flock in just a few months.
Supermarket egg prices quickly climbed as stock dwindled.
It takes months for a chick to grow into a productive laying hen, resulting in a prolonged gap in the market well into 2025.
Eggs have been hit with a double-whammy of Avian flu and transport costs. Jo Abi
Additional pricing pressure including the cost of chicken feed has seen egg prices stabilise, but not fall significantly.
The ACCC reported egg prices rose 47 per cent at the peak of the crisis in 2024. Today, free-range eggs that once cost around $4-$5 now cost $8-$10.
Chocolate
Cadbury has dealt with increased production costs with price hikes and reducing sizes. Jo Abi
The same global cocoa shortage that contributed to the increased cost of Tim Tams had a significant impact on chocolate prices.
Shoppers have seen popular chocolate brand Cadbury’s simultaneously reduce product sizes and increase prices in what is known as “shrinkflation”.
The majority of the world’s cocoa is grown in West Africa, where a combination of disease and adverse weather conditions greatly impacted cocoa prices.
A standard block of Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate once cost around $5 for a 200g block and is now priced at $8 for 180g block.
The increased cost of chocolate reached a peak at Easter, with dramatically increased prices for standard chocolate eggs.
While global cocoa prices have stabilised and there have been predictions they will fall, any flow-on effect from this will likely be cancelled out by subsequent increased production, packaging, and transport costs.
Coffee
Coffee supplies were also impacted globally due to adverse weather conditions, sending prices of the world’s favourite beverage soaring.
Brazil and Vietnam are the world’s major coffee producers, with both countries experiencing extreme weather conditions in 2023 that reduced yields and led to supply shortages and increased prices.
Instant coffee and coffee beans have soared in price, as well as cafe favourites. Jo Abi
Some coffee beans cost as much as $60 per kilo. Jo Abi
The ACCC found coffee, tea and cocoa prices increased around 19 per cent overall, though many branded supermarket coffee products rose much higher than that in practice.
A one kilo packet of Vittoria or Lavazza coffee beans increased from $28-$35 in 2022 to $45-$56 today.
A 250g jar of Nescafe Blend 43 cost approximately $14-$16 in 2022 and is now $23-$27.50.
Barista coffee has also been impacted, with the average cost of a small flat white increasing from $3-$3.20 in 2022 to $5.50-$6 in 2026 at some cafes.
Dairy
Milk and cheese have doubled in price in the past four years, with the Australian dairy industry hit by multiple price pressures that resulted in supermarkets hiking the price of their home brand milk in April 2026 after a plea from dairy farmers.
Milk prices have also increased, with supermarkets hiking theirs again due to a plea from dairy farmers. Jo Abi
The cost of a 2L home brand milk in supermarkets was $2-$2.60 in 2022, compared to $3.55 in 2026.
The increase in milk prices has been due to a range of factors.
These including soaring feed and fertiliser costs on dairy farms and increased costs of packaging and transport as well as reports of labour shortages.
Cheese has also been hit, with a 500g packet of home brand supermarket tasty cheese slices increasing from $4.50-$5 in 2022 to $7.50 to $8.90 in 2026.
Popular brand Bega has increased the price of its tasty cheese slices in 500g packs from $7.50-$9 in 2022 to $11-$11.80 today.
Cheese has also been impacted by dairy production cost increases. Jo Abi
Meat
Beef mince is one of the most popular supermarket sellers, but price increases have resulted in Aussies turning to meat-free meals and more affordable cuts to make ends meet.
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Extreme way Aussie shoppers are saving on beef and meat – stacking up discounts of up to $805
For many households, mince shifted from a cheap staple to a more carefully budgeted purchase.
This is compounded by the same production and transport costs that have impacted multiple food and grocery items across the country.
Five-star beef mince cost approximately $16 per kilo in 2022 and is now closer to $26 – not quite double the price but significantly higher.
Beef prices have been steadily increasing in price over the past four years. Jo Abi
Meat prices that have doubled in price are lamb chops, increasing from $14-$16 in 2022 to $24-$28 in 2026 due to a drought in 2024 and 2025, which saw reduced stock.
The cost of chicken has also soared, due to Avian flu impacts and associated production cost increases.
Chicken wings cost $3.50-$4 in 2022 and are now priced at $8-$9.50 a kilo.
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