Food & Beverage

Beef costs jump 32%, burger prices rise 14% since 2023

Source: Creative Commons

March 18, 2026

Summarize with

Hamburger menu prices increased 14% from January 2023 to December 2025, while federal Food Away From Home inflation rose about 13% during the same period, according to Datassential. Meanwhile, beef production costs surged 32%.

The food and beverage data company tracked burger prices across major U.S. restaurant chains, analyzing categories including hamburgers, cheeseburgers, plant-based burgers and premium burgers.

"Operators can't simply pass every cost increase directly to the consumer," Datassential CEO Jim Emling said in a press release. "The data shows just how carefully restaurants are managing pricing on high-visibility items like burgers, while balancing costs across the rest of the menu."