The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released its latest consumer price report late last week, its first batch of fresh data since the start of the Iran war, providing an in-depth look at how energy costs, grocery prices and other everyday expenses are changing stateside as a result of the conflict.
Inflation accelerated rapidly in March, with costs rising 0.9% across the board — a sharp increase from the 0.3% reported in February and the most since June 2022. Consumer prices are also 3.3% higher than they were a year ago, driven largely by soaring energy costs. The energy index, meanwhile, rose 10.9% month-over-month due to higher oil and gas prices.
The March report reveals growing economic pain since the United States and Israel launched a major attack on Iran on Feb. 28, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and kicking off a war that has lasted nearly two months.
In that time, the Islamic Republic has effectively shuttered the Strait of Hormuz, through which approximately 20% of the world’s oil and natural gas is shipped, and the United States, Israel and Iran have bombed energy facilities throughout the Persian Gulf, further affecting the fuel supply. And despite the two-week ceasefire negotiated last week, on Monday, the U.S. Navy implemented a blockade on Iranian ports, a move that could increasingly limit the flow of energy products out of the region.
Consequently, oil prices are back to $100 a barrel and the cost of gasoline is skyrocketing a record 25%. Moreover, rising fuel costs mean shipping and transportation is getting more expensive. As the cost to import goods becomes pricier, companies will likely pass those hikes off to customers, translating in higher prices on a broad swath of products and services.
How the Iran war and surging oil prices are affecting consumers at the gas pump and beyond
On top of that, under President Donald Trump’s latest global tariffs, most items shipped to the United States are subject to a 10% tax, compounding import costs.
But while energy prices are noticeably higher, expenses related to food and shelter were either unchanged or only saw minimal increases month-over-month.
The Tribune is tracking 11 everyday costs for Americans — eggs, milk, bread, bananas, oranges, tomatoes, chicken, ground beef, gasoline, electricity and natural gas — and how they are changing, or not, under the second Trump administration. This tracker is updated monthly using consumer price index data from BLS.
To see the average U.S. price of a specific good, click on the drop-down arrow below and select the item you wish to view.
Eggs
Egg prices continue to fall from their all-time highs recorded just a year ago, dropping another 15 cents since February to land at $2.35 for a dozen large Grade A eggs.
The gradual drop-off in prices is due to a declining number of bird flu cases following a major outbreak in commercial flocks and egg-laying hens last winter. A significant reduction in the egg supply led to shortages in grocery stores and record prices. After peaking at $6.23 per dozen in March 2025, the national average has tumbled for 12 consecutive months, with costs plummeting 62%.
Currently, prices are the lowest they’ve been in almost 2 ½ years.
Milk
The cost of milk went up 4 cents month-over-month to $4.07 per gallon of fresh, fortified whole milk. That price is slightly higher than it was a year ago.
Bread
Bread, meanwhile, saw a 4-cent drop from February to March.
At $1.81 per pound of white bread, that national average is 6% lower than it was when Trump started his second term.
Bananas
The price of bananas ticked up again last month, averaging $0.66 per pound. Though the increase was a little less than a cent, costs remain elevated when looking further back. In the last 12 months, the potassium-rich fruit has seen its price rise more than 5%.
Oranges
The average price for navel oranges is currently $1.48 a pound — about 3 cents less than the previous month. While it’s only a small difference, a decrease in cost is to be expected this time of year, with oranges being cheapest in the winter months. In fact, the aforementioned price per pound is identical to this time last year.
But looking at annual trends, higher prices may be around the corner. Costs typically bottom out in March or April each year, then rise throughout the summer and eventually peak in the early fall.
Tomatoes
Tomato prices swung wildly in March, jumping 35 cents.
This rapid spike is particularly abnormal given the season. In fact, costs usually fall dramatically in the spring as fresh tomatoes begin to be harvested.
The likely culprit? Tariffs. Though tomatoes were one of the goods specifically named by the White House as exempt from import taxes, the Trump administration’s 17% tariff rate on Mexican tomatoes still stands, and the vast majority of those sold in the U.S. come from our partners at the southern border.
A pound of field-grown tomatoes is priced at $2.26. That’s a 24% increase year-over-year.
Chicken
The price of chicken dropped 2 cents last month, with a pound of fresh, whole chicken now costing an average of $2.03 nationwide.
While that number is down roughly 1.5% since President Joe Biden left the White House, store prices haven’t changed much for a few years, continually hovering around the $2 mark.
Ground beef
For the first time in months, the price of 100% ground beef chuck has dipped, settling at $6.68 per pound.
Still, costs remain unusually high — just 2 cents shy of last month’s record. Since the change of administrations, the price of ground beef has ballooned by almost 22% or a difference of $1.18 per pound.
These elevated prices are the result of near historic-low domestic beef production. The U.S. cattle inventory is the smallest it’s been in 75 years, and the number of both calves and beef cows has dropped another 1%-2% from last year’s lows, per the National Agricultural Statistics Service’s latest cattle report.
This means the United States is importing more beef and cattle to meet demand, primarily from Australia, Brazil, Canada and Mexico. However, beef is allowed to enter the country duty-free despite the president’s tariffs.
Electricity
Electric costs increased last month, with the average price now a fraction of a cent off January’s record high.
The average American household uses roughly 899 kWh every four weeks, and at 19 cents per kilowatt-hour in March, that translates to a monthly bill of around $170 before delivery charges, taxes and other fees.
Likewise, prices in Chicago are climbing. In December, the Illinois Commerce Commission approved a $243 million rate reconciliation request for ComEd, the city’s primary electric utility. That hike will be passed along to residents this year via a delivery charge increase of $3.10 per month.
Electric costs are on the rise across the county. Since January 2025, the national average price of electricity per kilowatt-hour has increased by 1 cent. Though that may not seem like a lot, it equates to about a $10 surcharge per month for the average homeowner or renter.
Gasoline
The price at the pump is skyrocketing.
The average nationwide cost of gasoline increased by a whopping 78 cents from February, registering at $3.84 per gallon of regular unleaded. That’s the single-biggest monthly price jump on record, dating back more than 50 years, according to a Tribune analysis of Federal Reserve data.
In Chicago, the cost per fill-up saw a similarly drastic bump, surging 25% month-over-month to land at $3.73 a gallon, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Higher prices are also forecast for April. The conflict in the Middle East has disrupted oil production and distribution as Iran targets shipping traffic and energy infrastructure, and the recent U.S. blockade is further straining an already reduced supply of oil and gas. Financial experts say even if the ceasefire holds and the Strait of Hormuz is reopened, the lingering effects of its closure will be felt in the economic sphere for months to come.
Previously, gas prices were a point of pride for the Republican president, who prior to the war oversaw consistently lower costs compared with his predecessor. In January, prices fell below $3 per gallon for the first time since early 2021. Now those gains have been erased and then some, with the national average currently 22% higher than it was in the last full month under Biden.
Natural gas
Some good news? The cost of piped utility gas, or natural gas, actually fell in March, dropping 6 cents per therm.
This comes as somewhat of a surprise amid the ongoing war. Qatar, a major supplier of liquified natural gas, has halted its exports, natural gas fields in Iran have become a frequent target of Israeli airstrikes, key gas shipping routes have been closed off, and prices in Europe are rocketing up. But at least so far, similar spikes have not hit the U.S. — the world’s leading producer of LNG.
Still, at $1.69 per therm, Americans are paying nearly 9% more to heat their homes, ovens and stovetops than when Trump took office.
Associated Press contributed to this report.
