Retirement Retired Life

Here's How Much the Average American Over 65 Spends on Groceries Each Month

Spending data shows how grocery bills compare across older age groups.

By Josh Koebert , Edited by Laura Hohenstein

Updated Oct. 13, 2026

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Grocery runs add up differently depending on your age, household size, and habits. If you're over 65 or getting close to it, you might wonder how your own cart compares to what other households in your age group are spending in an effort to avoid money mistakes.

There's actual data on this, including how grocery spending differs between households ages 65 to 74 and those 75 and older, and how both compare with other households. Here's what the numbers show.

Editor's note: Figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2024 Consumer Expenditure Surveys and represent average spending per consumer unit, grouped by the age of the reference person. Consumer units generally consist of families, financially independent individuals, or people who share major expenses. Monthly amounts are annual figures divided by 12.

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How much do households over 65 spend on groceries each month?

Average monthly spending: $438

Households headed by someone age 65 or over spent an average of $438 a month on groceries, also called food at home, in 2024, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That works out to $5,251 for the year. It's an average across all households in that age group, not just the ones that report buying groceries.

For context, those same households spent $61,432 in total in 2024, or an average of about $5,119 a month.

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Are grocery bills going up for households 65 and up?

Yes, grocery spending moved higher for this group. Households 65 and over spent an average of $4,973 a year on groceries in 2023, which comes out to about $414 a month. That climbed to $5,251 a year, or $438 a month, in 2024.

Total annual spending for this group also rose, from $60,087 in 2023 to $61,432 in 2024.

How grocery spending splits between the 65 to 74 and 75-plus crowd

The over-65 figure actually covers two pretty different groups. Households headed by someone age 65 to 74 spent an average of $5,642 a year on groceries in 2024, or about $470 a month. Households 75 and over spent an average of $4,696 a year, or about $391 a month.

The difference shows up elsewhere too. In 2024, the 65 to 74 group spent $65,354 in total for the year, while the 75-plus group spent $55,834. Both figures are averages across all households in each age group.

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How the 65-plus bill stacks up against all households and ages 55 to 64

All U.S. households averaged $6,224 a year on groceries in 2024, or about $519 a month, more than the $438 a month households 65 and over averaged. Households ages 55 to 64 averaged $6,174 a year, or about $514 a month.

Both of those comparison groups also spent more in total for the year: $84,946 for ages 55 to 64 and $78,535 for all households, versus $61,432 for households 65 and over.

Ways to spend less on groceries

Plan your meals around what's on sale that week instead of shopping from a fixed list.
Ask whether your local grocery store offers a senior discount day.
Buy pantry staples like grains, beans, and canned goods in bulk when prices dip.
Compare store brands to name brands on the items you buy most often.
Sign up for the rewards program or cashback app tied to your regular grocery store.

Bottom line

Households 65 and over spent an average of $438 a month on groceries in 2024, up from about $414 a month in 2023. Within that group, households ages 65 to 74 averaged about $470 a month in 2024, while households 75 and over averaged about $391.

These averages could be beneficial when reviewing your retirement plan. All U.S. households averaged about $519 a month on groceries that year, and households ages 55 to 64 averaged about $514. Both figures are higher than the $438 monthly average for households 65 and over.

FAQs

How much should a retiree budget for groceries?

Based on 2024 data, households 65 and over averaged $438 a month on groceries, while the 65 to 74 group averaged about $470 a month and the 75-plus group averaged about $391 a month. These are averages across all households in each group, so your own bill will depend on household size and habits.

How does grocery spending compare to eating out for this age group?

Households 65 and over spent an average of $2,689 a year, or about $224 a month, on food away from home in 2024, compared with $5,251 a year, or $438 a month, on groceries. Total food spending for the group averaged $7,940 for the year.

What else takes up a big share of spending for households over 65?

In 2024, households 65 and over spent an average of $22,193 a year on housing, $9,538 on transportation, and $7,799 on healthcare. Groceries averaged $5,251 for the year.

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