Here’s How Much More Your Memorial Day Weekend Cookout Will Cost This Year

Memorial Day weekend is the official opening of the summer cookout season. Thanks to inflation, your cookout is going to cost you a lot more than it did last year.

How much more will firing up the barbecue cost in 2022? Check out our breakdown of 14 foods and drinks you need for any great cookout. All cost increases come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index.

You can’t really have a cookout without hot dogs, especially if there are kids involved. Unfortunately, the price of those red-hots is boiling over. Hot dogs currently cost 5.35% more than they did last year.

Good ground beef for hamburgers is fatty and rich, but the rising cost of such meat might give you indigestion. Ground beef costs 5.5% more this year than it did last year.

Surprisingly, you won't be paying much more for deliciousness this year. Ice cream is only up 0.24% over last year. In other words, we can still all scream for ice cream.

Fill a cooler with ice and toss in cans of soda, and let your guests serve themselves. Or, if you are on a tight budget, maybe you should suggest guests bring their own refreshments. Soft drinks are 4.08% more expensive this year than last year.

Good news: hot dog and burger rolls have an increase in price under 1%. You won't have to feel guilty about eating extra carbs with these surprisingly low prices.

Cookies are easier to serve and eat than slices of cake, so they’re a no-brainer for a cookout. You'll also love to hear that cookies are only 0.81% higher in price this year compared to last year.

Grilled chicken is a juicy, charred-tasting alternative to burgers and dogs. We were shocked to see that chicken prices are only 2.1% higher this year compared to 2023. Run to the store and get some chicken.

Toss whole potatoes on the grill to bake, or slice them, toss them with oil and salt, and wrap in foil to put on the grill to roast. Potatoes have always been an affordable staple, and they are even cheaper this year. Potatoes have decreased in price by 2.69% this year, making your cookout even more affordable.

Nice juicy tomato slices make your burger better. However, you may consider substituting them for something else this year. Tomato prices are up 5.57% this year compared to last. 

A crisp lettuce leaf makes your burger taste refreshing. Lettuce will taste even better this year because it is 0.63% in price compared to last year.

Ketchup and mustard can add flavor to your hamburgers and hot dogs, but this year, you can’t enjoy them without also enduring the bitter taste of higher costs. Condiments as a category are 2.66% more expensive than last year.

Pickle relish is the key to a great hot dog, and this year you will pay up for that invaluable ingredient. Relish is 2.12% more expensive this year than last year.

Surprisingly, your Memorial Day cookout shouldn't cost too much more this year than it did last year.

While some item's prices did increase significantly in price, many items saw little to no increase, making your Memorial Day Weekend plans affordable and enjoyable,

Since the whole point is to gather family and friends, hosting a cookout remains the winning, affordable Memorial Day Weekend plan.