Miami Suburb Among the Most Expensive Cities for Groceries in U.S.

Grocery shopping in Miami-Dade isn’t just a chore — it’s a budget-buster.

A new WalletHub study has ranked two South Florida cities among the top U.S. cities where residents spend the largest share of their income on groceries, confirming what everyone already knows when they swipe at Publix (especially at a flashy new one): food in the Magic City is expensive.

WalletHub compared the price of 26 everyday grocery staples in 100 of the country’s biggest cities and measured them against median household income. And not one, but two Miami-Dade cities made the top 15.

Two Miami-Dade Cities Make the Top 15

Hialeah landed at No. 6, with residents devoting three percent of their monthly paychecks to the basics. Miami came in at No. 12, with groceries eating up 2.68 percent of income. And who’s spending even more than Hialeah and Miami? The top five grocery spenders are Detroit, Newark, Cleveland, Buffalo, and Rochester.

“Grocery prices continued to get more and more expensive recently, due in part to general inflation and in part to supply issues that affect individual items, such as bird flu limiting the egg supply,” the report explains Chip Lupo, WalletHub writer and analyst, summed it up this way: “In the cities where people spend the most money on groceries, residents often have low incomes on top of seeing high sticker prices on common grocery items. Shoppers should take advantage of sales and coupons, buy generic items when possible, and purchase in bulk to save money. It’s also a good idea to use a credit card that gives a good amount of rewards on grocery purchases and pay it off in full each month.”

However, this all comes as no surprise to New Times readers. Earlier this year, a photo of a single brick of the city’s favorite Cuban espresso, Café Bustelo, selling for nearly $12 at Publix made the rounds, and the outrage was instant. For many, it was proof that even the most sacred pantry staples aren’t safe from sticker shock. Add in pricey produce and bakery treats, and Miamians are feeling the bite every time they try to fill a cart.

Meanwhile, Dining Out is Even Worse

As tough as groceries feel, eating out in Miami makes the sting sharper. Less than a month ago, New Times reported that Miami is the most expensive city in the country for dining out, according to Chef’s Pencil’s global survey. Out of 177 cities worldwide, Miami ranked 72nd overall and the worst in the United States, officially making it the least affordable place to grab a restaurant meal.

That mid-range, three-course dinner? Around $60 per person. When stacked against Miami’s average monthly salary of $4,230, that single meal swallows 1.4 percent of earnings. Cities like Chicago, Seattle, and Washington, D.C., manage to deliver better bang for the buck.

Between $12 coffee bricks, $20 ceviche appetizers, and bills that climb faster than a SoBe valet fee, Miamians are stuck shelling out big whether they’re at the checkout counter or a white-tablecloth restaurant. The bottom line? Feeding yourself in this city has become one of the most expensive habits around, and no one’s laughing when the receipt prints.