The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) for San Diego-Carlsbad decreased 0.2 percent for the two months ending in July 2026, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported today. Regional Commissioner Chris Rosenlund noted that prices for energy decreased 6.2 percent during the two-month period. The food index was unchanged, while the all items less food and energy index increased 0.3 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 rose 2.7 percent for the 12 months ending in July. The index for all items less food and energy rose 1.9 percent over the year. Energy prices increased 20.5 percent. Food prices increased 0.9 percent.

  

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Chart 1. Over-the-year percent change in CPI-U, San Diego-Carlsbad, CA, July 2023–July 2026

Month	All items	All items less food and energy
Jul 2023	4.3	5.6
Sep 2023	4.7	4.8
Nov 2023	5.2	5.6
Jan 2024	3.8	5.0
Mar 2024	3.6	3.8
May 2024	3.2	3.1
Jul 2024	3.5	3.9
Sep 2024	2.5	3.4
Nov 2024	2.6	3.2
Jan 2025	3.8	4.0
Mar 2025	3.8	4.1
May 2025	3.8	4.3
Jul 2025	4.0	4.2
Sep 2025	3.9	4.0
Nov 2025	4.0	4.2
Jan 2026	2.6	2.5
Mar 2026	3.2	2.6
May 2026	3.8	2.5
Jul 2026	2.7	1.9

Food prices were unchanged for the two months ending in July. Prices for food at home (grocery store purchases) fell 0.4 percent, with lower prices in 4 of the 6 major grocery store food groups. Prices for food away from home (restaurant, cafeteria, and vending purchases) increased 0.8 percent for the same period.

Food prices increased 0.9 percent over the year. Prices for food at home declined 0.4 percent, with lower prices in 3 of the 6 major grocery store food groups. Prices for food away from home increased 2.8 percent.

The energy index decreased 6.2 percent for the two months ending in July. Gasoline prices fell 9.9 percent.

Energy prices increased 20.5 percent over the year.  Gasoline prices increased 21.3 percent.

The index for all items less food and energy increased 0.3 percent during the two-month period. Among the index’s components, prices were higher for shelter (+0.7 percent) and new and used motor vehicles (+0.5 percent). In contrast, prices were lower for other goods and services (-0.5 percent) and apparel (-0.3 percent).

The index for all items less food and energy rose 1.9 percent over the year. Components contributing to the increase included household furnishings and operations (+3.9 percent) and shelter (+2.0 percent). In contrast, prices were lower for new and used motor vehicles (-1.3 percent).

The September 2026 Consumer Price Index for the San Diego area is scheduled to be released on October 14, 2026.

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.

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

Expenditure category	Indexes				Percent change from -
	Historical data	May 2026	Jun. 2026	Jul. 2026	Jul. 2025	May 2026	Jun. 2026
All Items		401.605	-	400.877	2.7	-0.2	-
All items (1967=100)		1,357.948	-	1,355.488
Food and beverages		349.109	-	349.048	1.4	0.0	-
Food		346.747	-	346.761	0.9	0.0	-
Food at home		303.497	301.186	302.255	-0.4	-0.4	0.4
Cereals and bakery products		409.317	399.743	401.970	-1.2	-1.8	0.6
Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs		304.441	297.083	301.271	1.0	-1.0	1.4
Dairy and related products		243.127	245.191	247.019	2.0	1.6	0.7
Fruits and vegetables		302.448	295.444	294.999	-1.3	-2.5	-0.2
Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials(1)		336.775	349.099	351.311	1.5	4.3	0.6
Other food at home		290.135	290.641	288.992	-2.2	-0.4	-0.6
Food away from home		405.928	-	408.974	2.8	0.8	-
Alcoholic beverages		361.775	-	360.660	9.3	-0.3	-
Housing		490.470	-	493.637	2.9	0.6	-
Shelter		558.829	560.075	562.499	2.0	0.7	0.4
Rent of primary residence		556.464	557.024	557.976	1.9	0.3	0.2
Owners' equiv. rent of residences(2)		590.040	592.788	595.055	2.0	0.8	0.4
Owners' equiv. rent of primary residence(2)		590.040	592.788	595.055	2.0	0.8	0.4
Household furnishings and operations		222.406	-	224.418	3.9	0.9	-
Apparel		168.670	-	168.245	8.0	-0.3	-
Transportation		330.330	-	322.842	4.4	-2.3	-
Private transportation		325.683	-	320.648	3.7	-1.5	-
New and used motor vehicles(3)		131.105	-	131.812	-1.3	0.5	-
New vehicles(1)		259.850	-	260.734	-0.1	0.3	-
Used cars and trucks(1)		299.257	-	304.925	-3.2	1.9	-
Motor fuel		493.526	461.022	443.874	21.4	-10.1	-3.7
Gasoline (all types)		491.594	458.704	443.038	21.3	-9.9	-3.4
Unleaded regular(4)		509.580	474.973	458.706	21.6	-10.0	-3.4
Unleaded midgrade(4)(5)		427.552	399.829	385.753	20.6	-9.8	-3.5
Unleaded premium(4)		501.097	469.355	453.525	20.2	-9.5	-3.4
Medical Care		608.681	-	610.187	0.4	0.2	-
Recreation(3)		197.009	-	197.393	3.1	0.2	-
Education and communication(3)		-	-	-	-	-	-
Tuition, other school fees, and child care(6)		-	-	-	-	-	-
Other goods and services		549.137	-	546.447	1.4	-0.5	-
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 July 2026, not seasonally adjusted (1982-84=100 unless otherwise noted)

Special aggregate index	Indexes				Percent change from -
	Historical data	May 2026	Jun. 2026	Jul. 2026	Jul. 2025	May 2026	Jun. 2026
All items		401.605	-	400.877	2.7	-0.2	-
Food		346.747	-	346.761	0.9	0.0	-
Energy		516.958	495.700	484.997	20.5	-6.2	-2.2
All items less food and energy		409.404	-	410.521	1.9	0.3	-
All items less energy		398.711	-	399.690	1.7	0.2	-
All items less medical care		391.654	-	390.818	2.9	-0.2	-
All items less shelter		337.749	-	335.305	3.2	-0.7	-
Commodities		256.051	-	253.724	3.0	-0.9	-
Commodities less food		214.387	-	211.659	4.0	-1.3	-
Commodities less food & beverages		208.407	-	205.694	3.9	-1.3	-
Durables		155.359	-	156.529	-0.5	0.8	-
Nondurables		314.589	-	307.976	5.4	-2.1	-
Nondurables less food & beverages		275.195	-	263.064	10.7	-4.4	-
Nondurables less food		283.224	-	271.563	10.6	-4.1	-
Services		529.794	-	530.743	2.6	0.2	-
Services less rent of shelter(1)		521.457	-	518.868	3.4	-0.5	-
Services less medical care services		516.650	-	517.568	2.8	0.2	-
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.