Single Canadians pay more for groceries than shared households: Interac survey

A customer shops for produce at a FreshCo grocery store in Brampton, Ont., Friday, June 5, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young

TORONTO — Many single Canadians are feeling the pinch of higher food prices as they foot grocery bills single-handedly, according to a new report.

An Interac survey found single Canadians spend about $102 a week on groceries, while couples in a shared household report paying about $80 per person per week.

The report, published Tuesday, suggested nearly eight in 10 single Canadians say they can’t seem to bring their bills down, no matter what they do.

Many single-person households can’t find savings by buying in bulk and struggle to find portions suited for one, the report found. And with no one to split portions with, 32 per cent said their food often spoils before they can use it all up.

Food inflation has continued to outpace overall inflation in recent years. Since 2022, grocery prices have risen roughly 22 per cent while other consumer prices have gone up on average 13 per cent, according to a Bank of Canada report published in February.

To keep a lid on costs, nearly half of those surveyed have reduced or stopped buying premium cuts of meat, while demand for prepared meals and premium deli items continued to decline, the report said. Four in 10 also switched to generic or no-name brands in the past six months.

Still, nearly half continue to buy snacks such as chips and chocolate as a personal treat, while one in four indulge in artisan bread or pastries.

Couples are not getting off scot-free, however. High food prices are also a point of contention in many relationships.

Nearly half of couples say they approach grocery spending differently from their partners. Four in 10 say the friction starts when one sticks to the list while another indulges in impulse purchases.

Thirty-nine per cent of millennials surveyed say grocery spending is a source of relationship tension, compared with 17 per cent of boomers.

Interac commissioned Burson to survey 1,500 adult residents across Canada between May 8 and May 12. The sample was randomly drawn from Leger’s online panel and weighted by age, gender and region to reflect Canada’s population according to 2021 Census data. The margin of error for the sample is plus or minus 2.5 per cent, 19 times out of 20.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 16, 2026.

Ritika Dubey, The Canadian Press