Reserve Bank data shows general inflation of 12.8 per cent over the period. When the alcohol was removed from the list, the groceries in 2011 cost $149.43, while in 2020 the same products cost $164.23, an increase of 9 per cent. Gorodenkoff Productions OU Consumers believe food prices have spiked but it's more of a slow climb, one economist says. The price comparison surprised him. “I thought that the increase should have been more,” he said. The shopping included items such as pasta, pasta sauce, milk and cheese as well as wine and beer but didn’t include fresh vegetables and meat. Huy said he and his wife Bruni Gebauer-Huy tried to buy fresh products and bread at local markets and specialist stores.