Higher ground beef prices drove up cheeseburger costs

Based on the most recent retail price data, the ingredients for a home-prepared, 1/4-pound cheeseburger totaled $2.40 per burger in May 2025. Ground beef comprised the largest cost at $1.50, followed by Cheddar cheese at $0.37. A similar cheeseburger cost $2.22 to prepare in May 2024, an 8.1-percent year-over-year increase. The higher cost is attributed primarily to elevated ground beef prices, due in part to tight supply in the beef cattle industry. The cost of 4 ounces of ground beef rose by 21 cents between 2024 and 2025, a 16.2-percent year-over-year increase. One ounce of Cheddar cheese increased 2 cents, or 6.4 percent, between 2024 and 2025, while bread (2 ounces), iceberg lettuce (1 ounce), and tomatoes (2 ounces) each decreased by 1 to 2 cents during the same period. Bread, iceberg lettuce, and tomatoes account for a comparatively small proportion of the cheeseburger’s total cost. USDA, Economic Research Service tracks aggregate food category prices and publishes price forecasts in the Food Price Outlook data product, last updated on June 25, 2025.