October 2026 price report: regular gas up 40% in a year, eggs down 35%
5 of the 7 prices we track with a year-ago figure cost more than a year earlier. The biggest rise: regular gas, $4.30 against $3.07 a year ago (+40.0%). The biggest drop: eggs, $2.27 against $3.49 (-34.9%). The 30-year mortgage rate was 7.32% (Freddie Mac, week of Oct 22, 2026), and regular gas ran from $3.51 in North Carolina to $6.03 in California.
Change from a year ago
Bars to the right = more expensive than a year ago, to the left = cheaper. Our calculation from the published figures below.
| Item | Latest | Year ago | Change | As of | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular gas, per gallon | $4.30 | $3.07 | +40.0% | Oct 24, 2026 | AAA |
| Eggs, grade A large, per dozen | $2.27 | $3.49 | -34.9% | Sep 2026 | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics |
| Ground beef, 100% beef, per lb | $6.79 | $6.32 | +7.4% | Sep 2026 | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics |
| Whole milk, per gallon | $4.11 | $4.13 | -0.6% | Sep 2026 | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics |
| Electricity, per kWh | 19.6¢ | 18.8¢ | +4.3% | Sep 2026 | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics |
| Inflation (CPI-U, 12-month change) | 3.7% | n/a | n/a | Sep 2026 | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics |
| 30-year fixed mortgage rate | 7.32% | 6.19% | +18.3% | Oct 22, 2026 | Freddie Mac |
| Average new vehicle price paid | $50,562 | $50,221 | +0.7% | Sep 2026 | Cox Automotive / Kelley Blue Book |
| Median rent, national | $1,388 | n/a | n/a | Sep 2026 | Apartment List |
| National average savings rate | 0.38% | n/a | n/a | Oct 2026 | FDIC via FRED, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis |
Gas: cheapest and priciest states
AAA regular, as of Oct 24, 2026. U.S. average $4.30.
- North Carolina$3.51
- Georgia$3.67
- Texas$3.73
- Louisiana$3.80
- South Carolina$3.80
- California$6.03
- Hawaii$5.66
- Washington$5.31
- Nevada$5.30
- Illinois$4.90
Mortgage rates
Freddie Mac PMMS, week of Oct 22, 2026.
- 30-year fixed7.32%
- 15-year fixed6.68%
- 30-year, a year earlier6.19%
- 12-month range5.98 to 7.40%
What this means for your budget
Use these numbers to sanity-check your own bills: the average grocery bill and average utility bill guides break the totals down by household. The 50/30/20 budget calculator helps you rebalance when prices move.
Cite this report
DollarMap, "October 2026 Price Report," published Oct 24, 2026. https://thedollarmap.com/reports/2026-10/
Journalists and bloggers are welcome to use these figures with a link. Each number above links to its original source. Download the data: CSV.