The national average price for a 2L carton of full-fat milk has increased by 22c in the last year, new data from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) shows.

A pound of butter has jumped by 64c and the average price of Irish cheddar per kg increased by 80c in the year to October 2025.

The national average price for bread (800g white sliced pan) increased by 7c in the year, while the same size brown sliced pan increased by 3c in the year.

Spaghetti per 500g rose by 1c in the year, while the average price for 2.5kg of potatoes was down 38c.

The average price of a sirloin steak per kg is now €21.94, up from €17.22 in October 2024, while a striploin steak per kg has increased to €28.27 from €23.51.

A 1.6kg uncooked chicken was €5.84 in October 2024, increasing to €6.00 this year.

Consumer price index

The CSO has published the latest consumer price index (CPI) data, which rose by 2.9% between October 2024 and October 2025, up from an annual increase of 2.7% in the 12 months to September 2025.

This is the highest annual rate of inflation observed in the CPI since March 2024 when the rate was also +2.9%, the CSO said.

Excluding energy and unprocessed food, the CPI grew by 2.8% in the 12 months to October 2025.

The divisions with the largest increases in the 12 months to October 2025 were education (8.4%) and food and non-alcoholic beverages (4.5%).

The only division to record a decline when compared with October 2024 was furnishings, household equipment and routine household maintenance, down 0.4%.

Consumer prices rose by 0.5% in the month between September 2025 and October 2025.