Consumer Price Index, San Diego Area — May 2026

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) for San Diego-Carlsbad advanced 1.1 percent for the two months ending in May 2026, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported today. Regional Commissioner Chris Rosenlund noted that the energy index increased 10.5 percent during the two-month period. The food index increased 0.1 percent, and the index for all items less food and energy increased 0.5 percent. (Data in this report are not seasonally adjusted. Accordingly, bi-monthly changes may reflect seasonal influences.)

The San Diego area all items CPI-U increased 3.8 percent for the 12 months ending in May. The index for all items less food and energy advanced 2.5 percent over the year. Food prices rose 1.9 percent. Energy prices rose 27.0 percent.

Food

Food prices advanced 0.1 percent for the two months ending in May. Prices for food at home (grocery store purchases) increased 0.4 percent, with higher prices in 3 of the 6 major grocery store food groups. Prices for food away from home (restaurant, cafeteria, and vending purchases) decreased 0.5 percent for the same period.

Food prices advanced 1.9 percent over the year. Prices for food at home advanced 1.6 percent, with higher prices in 5 of the 6 major grocery store food groups. Prices for food away from home increased 2.3 percent.

Energy

The energy index advanced 10.5 percent for the two months ending in May. Gasoline prices rose 11.7 percent.

Energy prices advanced 27.0 percent over the year. Gasoline prices increased 29.2 percent.

All items less food and energy

The index for all items less food and energy rose 0.5 percent during the two-month period. Among the index's components, prices were higher for used cars and trucks (+2.4 percent) and shelter (+0.7 percent). In contrast, prices were lower for apparel (-2.4 percent) and household furnishings and operations (-2.1 percent).

The index for all items less food and energy advanced 2.5 percent over the year. Components contributing to the increase included shelter (+2.4 percent). In contrast, prices were lower for new and used motor vehicles (-1.0 percent).

Table A. San Diego-Carlsbad, CA, CPI-U 2-month and 12-month percent changes, all items index, not seasonally adjusted

Month	2022		2023		2024		2025		2026
	2-month	12-month	2-month	12-month	2-month	12-month	2-month	12-month	2-month	12-month
January	2.0	8.2	1.8	6.4	0.4	3.8	1.6	3.8	0.2	2.6
March	2.1	7.9	1.0	5.3	0.8	3.6	0.8	3.8	1.4	3.2
May	1.1	8.3	0.9	5.2	0.5	3.2	0.6	3.8	1.1	3.8
July	1.2	7.3	0.3	4.3	0.6	3.5	0.8	4.0
September	0.9	8.2	1.3	4.7	0.3	2.5	0.1	3.9
November	-0.7	6.7	-0.2	5.2	-0.1	2.6	0.1	4.0

The July 2026 Consumer Price Index for the San Diego area is scheduled to be released on August 12, 2026.

Technical Note

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is a measure of the average change in prices over time in a fixed market basket of goods and services. The Consumer Price Index for San Diego is published bi-monthly. The set of components and sub-aggregates published for regional and metropolitan indexes is more limited than at the U.S. city average level; these indexes are byproducts of the national CPI program. Each local index has a much smaller sample size than the national or regional indexes and is, therefore, subject to substantially more sampling and other measurement error. As a result, local-area indexes are more volatile than the national or regional indexes. In addition, local indexes are not adjusted for seasonal influences. NOTE: Area indexes do not measure differences in the level of prices between cities; they only measure the average change in prices for each area since the base period.

The San Diego-Carlsbad, CA Core Based Statistical Area includes San Diego County in California.

Refer to the national CPI news release technical note or the Handbook of Methods for more information.

If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

Table 1. San Diego-Carlsbad, CA, CPI-U by expenditure category for May 2026, not seasonally adjusted (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted)

Expenditure category	Indexes				Percent change from -
	Historical data	Mar. 2026	Apr. 2026	May 2026	May 2025	Mar. 2026	Apr. 2026
All Items		397.284	-	401.605	3.8	1.1	-
All items (1967=100)		1,343.340	-	1,357.948
Food and beverages		348.781	-	349.109	2.4	0.1	-
Food		346.532	-	346.747	1.9	0.1	-
Food at home		302.329	300.418	303.497	1.6	0.4	1.0
Cereals and bakery products		399.787	385.991	409.317	3.6	2.4	6.0
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs		300.519	305.022	304.441	3.6	1.3	-0.2
Dairy and related products		248.667	231.051	243.127	0.5	-2.2	5.2
Fruits and vegetables		292.834	298.468	302.448	1.9	3.3	1.3
Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials(1)		341.874	339.513	336.775	1.6	-1.5	-0.8
Other food at home		294.423	292.570	290.135	-1.0	-1.5	-0.8
Food away from home		408.045	-	405.928	2.3	-0.5	-
Alcoholic beverages		359.861	-	361.775	10.1	0.5	-
Housing		486.799	-	490.470	3.3	0.8	-
Shelter		554.908	556.486	558.829	2.4	0.7	0.4
Rent of primary residence		552.948	555.530	556.464	1.9	0.6	0.2
Owners' equiv. rent of residences(2)		586.974	588.988	590.040	2.0	0.5	0.2
Owners' equiv. rent of primary residence(2)		586.974	588.988	590.040	2.0	0.5	0.2
Household furnishings and operations		227.200	-	222.406	2.5	-2.1	-
Apparel		172.785	-	168.670	3.8	-2.4	-
Transportation		320.179	-	330.330	6.6	3.2	-
Private transportation		320.117	-	325.683	5.6	1.7	-
New and used motor vehicles(3)		130.647	-	131.105	-1.0	0.4	-
New vehicles(1)		260.069	-	259.850	-0.4	-0.1	-
Used cars and trucks(1)		292.265	-	299.257	-3.1	2.4	-
Motor fuel		439.998	477.816	493.526	29.6	12.2	3.3
Gasoline (all types)		440.134	474.789	491.594	29.2	11.7	3.5
Unleaded regular(4)		455.814	492.112	509.580	29.5	11.8	3.5
Unleaded midgrade(4)(5)		383.984	413.390	427.552	28.6	11.3	3.4
Unleaded premium(4)		450.075	484.102	501.097	28.0	11.3	3.5
Medical Care		607.779	-	608.681	3.2	0.1	-
Recreation(3)		195.095	-	197.009	4.3	1.0	-
Education and communication(3)		-	-	-	-	-	-
Tuition, other school fees, and child care(6)		-	-	-	-	-	-
Other goods and services		547.439	-	549.137	0.6	0.3	-
Footnotes (1) Index is on a November 1977=100 base. (2) Index is on a November 1982=100 base. (3) Indexes on a December 1997=100 base. (4) Special index based on a substantially smaller sample. (5) Indexes on a December 1993=100 base. (6) Indexes on a December 2024=100 base.
- Data not available. NOTE: Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date. Data not seasonally adjusted.

Table 2. San Diego-Carlsbad, CA, CPI-U by special aggregate index for May 2026, not seasonally adjusted (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted)

Special aggregate index	Indexes				Percent change from -
	Historical data	Mar. 2026	Apr. 2026	May 2026	May 2025	Mar. 2026	Apr. 2026
All items		397.284	-	401.605	3.8	1.1	-
Food		346.532	-	346.747	1.9	0.1	-
Energy		467.794	505.616	516.958	27.0	10.5	2.2
All items less food and energy		407.266	-	409.404	2.5	0.5	-
All items less energy		396.813	-	398.711	2.4	0.5	-
All items less medical care		387.167	-	391.654	3.8	1.2	-
All items less shelter		333.297	-	337.749	4.7	1.3	-
Commodities		252.746	-	256.051	3.6	1.3	-
Commodities less food		210.571	-	214.387	4.1	1.8	-
Commodities less food & beverages		204.619	-	208.407	3.9	1.9	-
Durables		155.781	-	155.359	-1.1	-0.3	-
Nondurables		307.000	-	314.589	7.1	2.5	-
Nondurables less food & beverages		261.498	-	275.195	12.7	5.2	-
Nondurables less food		270.020	-	283.224	12.5	4.9	-
Services		524.658	-	529.794	3.8	1.0	-
Services less rent of shelter(1)		514.478	-	521.457	5.9	1.4	-
Services less medical care services		511.262	-	516.650	3.8	1.1	-
Footnotes (1) Indexes on a November 1982=100 base.
- Data not available. NOTE: Index applies to a month as a whole, not to any specific date.