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| Best of NAMA 2025 |
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HIGHER GROUND BEEF PRICES DROVE UP CHEESEBURGER COSTS
Jul. 3, 2025
Source: USDA news release
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.
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