Study: Tampa Bay grocery prices up more than anywhere else in the continental U.S.

The average cost for groceries for the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater metro area has gone up more over the last year than anywhere else in the continental United States, according to a new study from SmartAsset.

The study found the average consumer was spending 4.3% more on groceries this March than at the same point in 2024. The only metro area with an average cost increase more than Tampa Bay was in Honolulu. The average in Honolulu is 5.3%.

The Tampa metro’s increases were driven by the cost of eggs, meats, poultry and fish, which jumped 7.8%. Cereals and bakery products jumped 5.3%.

– Janelle Irwin, Florida Politics