If you want a cheaper Thanksgiving dinner this year, you might need to break a wishbone, according to a new report from Dalhousie University’s Agri-Food Lab. The lab, which studies the cost of a Thanksgiving dinner for a family of two adults and two children, found a turkey meal (which includes potatoes, carrots, dinner rolls, pumpkin pie, cranberries, stuffing and gravy) costs $35.72. The cost is up from $32.30 for a turkey dinner in 2024 and $32.48 in 2025. “Holiday food budgets depend on the whole basket, including the sides,” said Janet Music with the lab in a news release. “Our assessment was based on advertised prices only. Shoppers who visit stores in person may find additional deals or markdowns that are not advertised, bringing their final bill below our estimates.” The lab also found a ham dinner will cost $36.37, lamb will cost $80.47 and lobster will cost $88.14. “Thanksgiving will cost Canadian households more in 2026, regardless of the protein selected,” the report reads. “Despite the slowdown in food inflation, the Thanksgiving meal is a reminder that pressure on consumers’ wallets remains very real in 2026.” Sylvain Charlebois with the lab recommends shoppers make a plan before heading out to buy their Thanksgiving supplies. “Start now,” he said. “Go into a grocery store, look for prices, have a good sense of what the cost should be for turkey per pound and compare and do your homework. “The one thing that we noticed this year compared to last year is that grocers don’t seem to be as aggressive to offer us deals, at least in flyers and on the Internet. But it doesn’t mean that if you physically walk into a grocery store, you won’t find anything on special.”
