Things in Canada still cost more than they did a few years ago. They are just not going up as fast.
In July 2026, the average price of everyday stuff was 3.0 percent higher than in July 2025. In June, it was 2.8 percent higher. That comes from Statistics Canada. That 3 percent is the change over a whole year, not over one grocery trip.
Some bills rose more than others
Food in stores was up 3.1 percent from a year earlier. Restaurant meals were up 2.9 percent. Housing costs in the official index were up 1.3 percent. Getting around was up 7.8 percent. Gas was up 25.7 percent.
Gas and vacation travel were the big reasons the yearly number went from 2.8 percent to 3.0 percent. Food in stores slowed down a bit, but it was still rising faster than the overall average, for the 18th month in a row.
Ontario’s prices were up 2.0 percent. Nova Scotia’s were up 5.0 percent, the most of any province. Natural gas was cheaper than a year earlier, down 7.5 percent.
The next official update, for August, comes out on September 14, 2026.
What food cost
Not every food went up. Vegetables were up 3.9 percent. Chicken was almost the same as last year. Cereal was cheaper.
In July, two litres of milk cost about $5.53 on average across Canada. A loaf of white bread was about $3.60. A dozen eggs were about $4.95. Ground beef was about $16.49 a kilogram, and chicken breasts were about $14.68 a kilogram. Your store may charge more or less.
Rent is confusing on purpose
The housing number above is not the same as the rent on an empty apartment. It is also not the same as the rent someone already pays.
Statistics Canada and the housing agency CMHC said the average listed rent for a two-bedroom apartment was $2,150 in early 2026. A year before that it was $2,170.
In that same report, a two-bedroom listing averaged about $3,100 in Vancouver, $2,660 in Toronto, $2,350 in Ottawa, $1,900 in Montreal, $1,900 in Calgary, $1,580 in Edmonton, and $2,350 in Halifax. Halifax was up. Most of those other cities were down a little.
CMHC also said this: new listings got a bit cheaper in some big cities because more places were for rent. Rent for people already living in a unit often kept going up, especially when a new tenant moved in. So a website can say rent is falling while your own rent is not.
When someone says “inflation is back”
Ask which price they mean. In July those prices did not move together. Gas was way up. Housing, in the official index, barely budged. Food was in the middle, and still rising faster than prices overall. That is why two people can argue about inflation and both be looking at a different number.
Sources: Statistics Canada, Consumer Price Index, July 2026; Statistics Canada food prices, July 2026; Statistics Canada rent figures, early 2026; CMHC rental update, 2026.
