A Decade Of BBQ Prices: Burgers up are 32%

A new study says Fourth of July BBQ prices are up, but there's some surprisingly good news for your wallet.

If you're getting ready to fire up the grill for the Fourth of July, you've probably noticed grocery prices aren't what they used to be. But a new study suggests the cost of your holiday cookout may not be as painful as it feels.

Researchers at Oxylabs analyzed 10 years of publicly available government data, comparing the inflation-adjusted cost of classic BBQ favorites from 2016 through 2026.

Here's what they found:

• Ground beef is up 32% over the past decade, making burgers the biggest driver of higher cookout costs.
• Burger ingredients helped offset that increase. Cheese prices have dropped 17%, while tomatoes are down 18%, leaving the overall burger meal about 11% more expensive than it was in 2016.
• Hot dogs are the bargain of the backyard. Despite higher sausage prices, cheaper buns and ketchup mean the average hot dog meal costs about the same as it did 10 years ago.
• Soft drinks have jumped 30% in price since 2016, although prices have eased slightly after peaking in early 2024.
• A classic cookout meal consisting of a burger, hot dog and soda still costs about 0.6% of the median American's weekly paycheck, essentially unchanged from a decade ago.

Researchers say affordability actually improved between 2016 and 2020 before inflation reversed that trend. While 2026 ranks as the second least affordable year of the past decade, the overall cost of a backyard BBQ remains surprisingly stable when compared to wages.

The takeaway? If you're looking to save a few bucks this Independence Day, mixing hot dogs with burgers instead of serving all burgers could help keep your grocery bill in check, while loading up on cheese and tomatoes offers a little extra value this year.