The Time Machine
Drag the year back to see what your weekly grocery shop actually cost. 15 Aussie staples, 26 years of price history — all in real dollars.
How much did groceries cost in Australia over time?
Australian grocery prices have risen dramatically since 2000. A weekly basket of 15 everyday staples that cost around $39 in 2000 now costs over $93 in 2024 — a rise of more than 135% over 24 years. That's well ahead of headline CPI.
The most dramatic increases came in eggs (up over 180% since 2000), butter (+175%), and bread (+153%). Interestingly, even "cheap" basics like pasta and rice have more than tripled in price over the same period.
The COVID-19 period (2020–2022) saw an acceleration — supply chain disruptions, fuel costs, and labour shortages all hit the grocery aisle simultaneously. The "Great Inflation" of 2022–2023 was particularly hard: eggs doubled in price as avian flu swept through laying flocks, and the broader basket surged.
When measured as a percentage of the average weekly wage, groceries have become slightly more affordable in relative terms over long periods — but that trend reversed sharply in 2022. Today, the average Australian household spends a larger share of their paycheck on food than at any point since 2010.