Turkey dinner slightly more expensive this Thanksgiving

While the fixin’s might cost a bit more at the grocery store, the centrepiece of Thanksgiving dinner is a bit cheaper this year. CTV’s Leah Larocque reports.

The overall cost of a typical turkey dinner in Canada went up slightly this year, according to one study that found the average price rose by less than one per cent from 2024 to 2025.

The study by the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University says the cost of a Thanksgiving dinner for four people in 2024 was $32.30 and it’s risen by just 18 cents to $32.48 in 2025.

“Prices are not bad,” says Dalhousie University food professor Sylvain Charlebois.

“As we get closer to Thanksgiving, it’ll be more difficult to get deals, especially when it comes to the bird itself.”

The Agri-Food Analytics Lab conducted a systematic review of grocery retail flyers across Canada during the last week of September 2025. The study drew on more than 10,000 flyer data points nationwide. Prices represent the lowest advertised flyer prices.

The study says the typical Thanksgiving meal includes a frozen seven-pound turkey, a 10-pound bag of potatoes, a pumpkin pie, twelve bread rolls, cranberries, a pound of carrots, stuffing and gravy.

According to the study, the cost of the turkey fell from $11.69 in 2024 to $10.43 this year, while potatoes went from $5.99 to $6.99.

“Last year the industry was coping with the avian flu, which really pushed prices higher. We are actually importing more turkeys from abroad, which is really easing prices,” Charlebois says.

While the cost of turkey has decreased, side dishes are driving up the prices of plates, which Charlebois attributes to the U.S. Canada trade war.

“If you’re accustomed to buying anything in a can this year, you will be paying more due to tariffs,” he says.

“That’s making steel and aluminum more expensive, and these products typically have a very small margin. So, they didn’t have much of a choice but to increase prices. If you want to save money, make your own gravy, make your own cranberries at home and you should be fine.”

Charlebois says many families are switching the choice of meat at the centre of the table, some in search of less expensive alternatives.

“More and more families opting for something else than turkey, like ham is probably your cheapest protein choice right now. Ham prices are pretty reasonable,” he said.

“On the other side of the spectrum, you’re actually seeing families saying, ‘you know what? If I’m paying that much for, turkey, might as well go for, say, lamb, or other types of meats.’ So, you’re seeing more variety. “

This year, pumpkins are much smaller and more expensive as dry weather prevented them from growing as much as usual.

Shopper Kathy Mullet is buying a smaller bird this year to save money.

“I’m going to supplement that with ham and lots of vegetables and things like that,” Mullet said.

“I have a lot of grandchildren and there’s some little ones, so they’re all excited to be coming and whatever it is, it’ll be a good time with them and with family.”

Marie White stuck to what she does every year.

“I always go with the Butterball,” White said.

“I bought the next one up to the large. So, I paid $40 for my turkey, whereas last year was perhaps about $55 for that size.”

And while some shoppers look for deals, many like Lucy Ferguson says when it comes to the annual Thanksgiving meal, it is a time to splurge.

“We just buy what we need. For those occasions, we don’t look at the price as much. In the long run, we do,” Ferguson said.

“We’ll try to stick to Canadian if we can.”

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