12 Costco Items That Have Nearly Doubled In Price The Past Five Years

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It's no secret that food prices are out of control. It seems as though every trip to the grocery store means a bigger and bigger bill, and no sector of the food industry is exempt. Even fast food has become incredibly expensive, and fast food sides are rising in price so quickly that it has customers rethinking what was once a budget meal. Even grocery stores that are lauded by customers for passing along savings on bulk buys have seen steadily increasing — albeit constantly fluctuating — prices, and that's right, we're talking about Costco.

First, the good news. There are still a lot of excellent items available at Costco for under $5, and we're talking about affordable options worth every penny. Some of these are even "treat yourself" sorts of buys — like those incredible little Belgian waffles — and let's be honest: By the time you see the final bill, you deserve a little treat.

We wanted to see just how much prices on some items are rising, so we headed out to Reddit to see what other Costco shoppers have noticed. Many are incredibly budget-savvy, and you'd better believe it when we say they'd noticed rising prices. We've put together a list of some of the items that shoppers complain have increased the most, and there's a caveat here. Prices not only fluctuate, but vary greatly by store and location. With that in mind, let's talk about what shoppers have noticed, and what they've suddenly found themselves even going elsewhere for.

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Costco might be renowned for its ability to keep the Kirkland Signature line of products affordable, but many customers have taken to Reddit to express some serious irritation over the ever-rising cost of items like the Kirkland Signature coffees. Back in 2022, one Reddit user started a thread asking if they were right in thinking the cost of the 3-pound Colombian coffee had been steadily rising. One response from someone saying they were a Costco employee and looking back through price histories confirmed that in 2021, that coffee was $9.99. A series of increases meant it was $15.99, and complaints haven't slowed down.

Customers of Costco Canada took to Reddit in 2025 to complain about 3-pound cans of Kirkland's Dark Roast increasing from $18.99 to $23.49, with some in the comments blaming the increase on drought-related scarcity. The conversation spilled over into other threads, with speculation that prices were only going to keep increasing. 

Meanwhile, others noticed a rise in the Kirkland Guatemalan whole bean coffees, saying the price at their club rose from $13.99 to $19.79 in less than a year. Increases had customers discussing whether or not Costco was even a bargain at that point, with some even discussing the practicality of stocking up and freezing bags of coffee in preparation for still more increases.

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Back in 2023, devout fans of all grocery chains were noticing that olive oil prices were going through the roof. That was largely blamed on drought conditions in olive-producing countries, but price increases haven't slowed down. Fast forward to March of 2024, and one Reddit user posted a photo and a question that many were thinking. The photo? It was of a two-pack of the 3-liter bottles of Kirkland Signature Olive Oil, which was priced at a whopping $50.99.

The Reddit user wanted to know what was going on, as they clearly remembered buying the same thing in 2021, when it was priced at around $25. Responses explained that olive crops were still struggling and the supply had been drastically impacted by weather conditions, with some even saying that they had prepared for the increase by bulk buying and freezing oil.

Shockingly, some claimed even higher prices. The per-liter price in the original photo was $8.50, and one Kansas customer claimed their store was selling 2-liter bottles for $21.99. That's $11 per liter! Canadian customers had similar complaints, with one noting that going through old receipts had yielded something of a shock: The same bottle of Kirkland olive oil that cost them $22 in August of 2023 had risen to $33 by March of 2024.

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Just two months into 2025, Costco's Canadian customers were wondering what the heck was going on with the price of the Kirkland Signature Chocolate Almonds. One thread kicked off when someone asked why the 3-pound container had gone up from $17 to $27, and the immediate response was a comment on how common a complaint it was. 

Other threads confirm that it's been a trend customers have been noticing for a while. One from June of 2024 included a photo of the almonds from a California store, and a question about why they'd increased from $12.99 to $18.99. That's a huge increase, but according to one Reddit user, they used to buy them for $10. 

The culprit seems to be skyrocketing chocolate prices, and that's happening for a few reasons. In addition to droughts in Africa, there's also been disease outbreaks and rising costs incurred by cocoa farmers. It's all contributed to record high prices, and other customers have noted that the Kirkland Signature Chocolate Raisins have also been impacted. Those saw a $6 price increase (from $12.99 to $18.99) in some places in a single month.

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A price increase of a single dollar might not seem like much, but when the item in question only cost $2.99 in the first place, you'd better believe that people are going to notice when they're now paying $3.99. When that item is in Costco's food court? They're definitely going to not only notice, but have some things to say about it. The price hike happened back in 2022, and it was a nationwide change that was met with mixed reactions.

Some customers took to Reddit to add that Costco needed to make money in the face of rising food costs, and things were bound to rise — especially if people wanted the prices of the hot dogs and rotisserie chickens to stay the same. A legit point, sure, but others were quick to point out that the price increase was just adding insult to injury.

Now, some claimed, they were paying more for a clearly inferior chicken bake. Reddit users lamented the change from a handmade chicken bake made with Costco's pizza dough, reminiscing about the once-fluffy, once-delicious bakes that had been swapped for something much less than a fan favorite. That was an incredibly common complaint, with some saying that the combination of a rise in price and a drop in quality simply made it no longer worth buying. Others added that food court changes had cut back on their trips to Costco, and still others said they would be fine with a price increase if the quality remained.

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Reddit chatter about rising beef prices goes back at least a few years, with one savvy shopper's price comparison list getting some serious attention. According to one Reddit user, the 5-pound beef chub rose from $17.99 in 2021 to $27.95 in 2024. They weren't the only one to draw attention to the price of ground beef, with one Reddit user noting that in 2024, the per-pound price for ground beef in their club increased from around $2.89 to $3.29 between August and October.

Many chalked it up to fluctuating beef prices, but others have noticed a similar trend with other types of beef in other clubs. One Reddit user said beef flaps increased from $8.99 to $13.49 back in 2023, with others noting that they'd seen the price of brisket fluctuate between $4 per pound and $10 per pound.

Complaints were still being posted as 2024 came to a close, with eagle-eyed shoppers noticing the Kirkland Signature USDA Choice Ribeye was up to $14.49 per pound, from $9.99. Others reported noticing steaks that were previously in the $40 range jumping to $60-plus, and that's happened in Canada, too. When one Reddit user picked up striploin steaks for $45 a pack and decided to go back the next day for more, the price was raised to $58. That led to a Reddit user's lament: "Steak prices have been ridiculous for a long time ... I guess it's just another item we can't afford anymore."

In 2023, Canadian parents who used Costco's Kirkland Signature baby formula were fuming over price increases. When one Reddit user posted that they were looking for more options, they added it was because the price of formula at their club had skyrocketed from $27 to $44. One response agreed with the outrage, adding that they had seen three increases between May and August — and that it was particularly difficult to handle, because Costco delivered to their middle-of-nowhere farm. With the price increases, though, they were starting to think that it might be more affordable to spend the gas money to drive somewhere else for another option.

Others noticed massive price hikes, too, including one who shared a screenshot of a 2022 purchase, showing a two-pack of baby formula was $47.99. That was in response to a 2024 thread asking why the two-pack price had jumped to $63.99, and it's no wonder that parents weren't happy about it.

On another thread, one Reddit user explained, "Feeling betrayed by yet another price increase — by $3! ... It's still more affordable than basically every other brand, but dang did that shock me when I went to purchase yesterday." Others commiserated, including one who confirmed the $27 to $44 increase other Canadian parents had complained about.

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Remember when avocado toast got blamed for an entire generation's struggle to get on the property ladder? That comment happened back in 2017, and we can honestly say that given the steady rise in price of Costco's avocados, we're surprised we haven't heard anyone circle back around to take another run at that idea.

Anyone who does love avocado toast is going to want to read up on how to keep those avocados from going bad, because they're almost worth their weight in gold. Back in the summer to fall months of 2023, there was a lot of chatter on Reddit from Costco shoppers who saw the prices of avocados rise from $5.99 to $8.59 and — according to some — even as high as $9.99 for the bag of six. 

By spring of 2024, photos taken in Canadian Costcos were being posted to Reddit, showing prices of $10.99 — up from $9.99 previously. Although some customers claimed it was just a normal fluctuation of prices, there were plenty of others who said it was just too expensive, and avocados were one more thing that they had stopped buying. And that was before still more comments followed another price increase, with some Redditors reporting their club was now up to $13.99.

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When we here at Mashed did a survey to find out what customers loved and hated from the Costco food court, the hot turkey and provolone sandwich was a clear loser. It's not entirely surprising that this sandwich was actually discontinued at one point, one of the many menu adjustments that were made during the COVID-19 pandemic. Then, it was announced that the sandwich was getting a makeover ahead of being returned to the food court menu in 2025.

What else did it get? If you said, "A few dollars tacked onto the price," you'd be correct. Originally selling for $3.99, it definitely didn't go unnoticed that it was back at a hefty $6.99. Reddit users were quick to point out that not only is it literally just a sandwich, but there are plenty of other options for a bigger, better meal around for that price.

Although some immediately confirmed that this new version has a different type of mayo, with some suggesting there's a little more meat on there, too. Is that enough? Not really. While the sandwich does have some fans, others suggested that the price point was bordering on ridiculous — especially when the pizza and hot dogs are being sold right alongside of it.

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When it comes to the kind of things that define a year, it's entirely possible that 2025 is going to be known for outrageous egg prices. Some states are seeing egg prices rise higher than others (largely due to animal welfare and cage-free regulations), and Costco is getting hit with high egg prices, too. Still, that wasn't stopping shoppers from trying to stock up, leading to per-customer limits being put in place. 

In one Reddit thread, a Costco customer posted a photo of Kirkland Signature eggs, selling for $8.49 for two dozen eggs (as of February 2025). One comment came from a San Francisco shopper who shared that in 2017, the price per two-dozen eggs at their club was $6.99, and was currently even higher than the photo, at $8.69.

Complaints were met with something of a bunch of mixed responses, with some saying that they were paying more than $8.49 for a single dozen. (It's unclear whether or not they were shopping at Costco). Meanwhile, other Costco shoppers were shocked to see eggs in stock, saying that their local clubs had been out for weeks.

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There are a ton of great ways to cook salmon, and Costco has you covered with fresh, frozen, and even smoked options. Prices, however, have been on the rise, and according to the cost analysis one Costco shopper posted on Reddit, the price of Kirkland Signature's salmon rose from $24.49 in 2021 to $35.99 in 2024, for an approximate 46% increase.

In a 2023 thread discussing the store's price increases, another noted that they had seen the price of the canned salmon rise from $13 to $18 in their club, saying that they've found Costco to be more expensive in general, and have had better luck doing their shopping by browsing sales at other stores. In the same thread, another volunteered the sentiment that yes, Costco's salmon was more expensive than other stores, but they noted that the quality was better.

Some bloggers have noted that the cost of Kirkland Signature's frozen packs of Alaska sockeye salmon rose by about $4 between 2023 and 2024, and that was about the same time Costco's smoked salmon jumped from $19.99 to $23.99. Even the customers who love Costco's salmon are starting to comment that it's just too expensive for them to justify the purchases.

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Bacon prices have been a topic of conversation for a long time — even going back to 2017. That's when Costco shoppers in Canada headed to Reddit to complain about Kirkland Signature's bacon rising from $14.99 to a whopping $24.99 over the course of the previous two years. The generally-accepted explanation is that it wasn't just a bacon problem, it was a pork problem connected to supply and demand.

In that same time frame, shoppers in Nevada said prices had risen from $9.99 to $19.99, and it's continued to inch up. In 2022, one Reddit user asked others to weigh in on the most infuriating price increases they'd seen at Costco, with one vote for the bacon increase noting that it was now up to $21.99. Even worse, another claimed that price increase came alongside a decline in quality.

Although some reported seeing the price of bacon fluctuate, customers in 2023 were complaining about $20 packs of Kirkland bacon, with people from across the country chiming in to say that their local clubs were also high. The same year, Canada's Costco was hit with high prices, too: One Reddit user reported a price increase from $14.99 to $25.99, and clarified that no, they would not be buying it.

Back in 2022, it came to our attention here at Mashed that Reddit was outraged at the price of Costco's Just Bare chicken nuggets. In one thread, Reddit users confirmed that a 4-pound bag of the nuggets was selling for $20.99, and considering other customers immediately weighed in and said that it wasn't that long ago that it was just $11, that's a huge jump. While some claimed they were worth the price, others weren't so quick to agree.

Interestingly, that thread was started in August. Just a few months later, a November thread kicked off around Costco's announcement that it was dropping the price to $17.99 — with customers immediately responding that the so-called "price drop" was still much more expensive than they had been just a short while before.

Jump ahead to 2025, and customers from Costco Canada were complaining about a similar price increase, this one associated with Kirkland Signature's chicken bites. A Reddit user said these had risen from $23.99 to $26.99, and while that wasn't as large of an increase, they added that it was enough for them to drop this particular product off their shopping list. Others chimed in with the opinion that it was worth it for the convenience, but for others, they'll be making their own nuggets.