How Much Should You Spend On A Good Steak In 2026?
Sticker shock for steak might have you wondering just how high a price is too high — does it represent a better steak or is it a ripoff? There are cheaper, more accessible cuts you can marinate to improve the end result, but if you're looking for a great standalone steak, you want one that's tender, nicely marbled, and deeply meaty. Generally, that doesn't come cheap.
Steak pricing varies significantly based on the steak cut and where you're buying it. Looking at sirloin, ribeye, and filet mignon, supermarket pricing ranges from about $10 per pound for sirloin to well above $60 per pound for filet mignon, with most options in the $15 to $25 per pound range. At restaurants, our favorite steaks range from roughly $30 per pound up to more than $70 per pound (with specialty cuts, like bone-in tomahawks, reaching much higher prices).
If those numbers seem high, that's not a surprise. Food prices continue to rise across the board, driven in part by inflation and costs like fuel getting more expensive. Those increases reverberate across the industry, driving up prices in grocery stores and restaurants, and can be magnified by other complications, like the number of cattle in the United States dropping to a multi-decade near low in 2025 and remaining there for almost a year. In the decades since the 1960s, though, steak dinner prices have risen roughly in line with inflation.
At restaurants, expect to pay at least $30 per pound for steak
For national costs, we surveyed prices in October 2026 for several of our favorite chain restaurants' steaks. A Ruth's Chris Steakhouse in Denver, Colorado, sells a 26-ounce cowboy ribeye for $90, while Capital Grille in Connecticut's capital city offers a 22-ounce ribeye for $76. At Morton's The Steakhouse in Portland, Oregon, our favorite — 16-ounce New York strip — sells for $70.
Still, these luxury dining spots probably aren't where the average American is getting a steak. For a less upscale option, the best offering at Outback Steakhouse is its 20-ounce bone-in ribeye at $36.49 in a Massachusetts outpost. Down in Miami, Florida, sirloin steak prices range from $16.99 for a six-ounce piece up to $29.99 for a full pound at Texas Roadhouse.
These steaks are hardly comparable, though, both in terms of type and size. So to put it in perspective, those higher-end steaks range from about $3.50 to $4.50 per ounce ($56 to $72 per pound), while family-dining casual chain restaurants' steaks are approximately $1.80 to $2.80 per ounce ($28.80 to $44.80 per pound).
Grocery store steaks can be as low as $9 a pound or as high as $60+
Similar to restaurants, grocery store prices vary significantly, but the USDA tracks the weekly average of advertised beef prices. From 2025 to 2026, bone-in ribeye steaks were a bit under $16 a pound. The higher-end filet mignon rang up at an average of $40 per pound, while the lower-end boneless sirloin steak typically cost around $11 per pound. The USDA specifies these figures represent advertised prices, meaning they may be lower than the average everyday prices, which aren't tracked.
Spot-checks at grocery stores across the country show the larger range. At an Aldi in New Jersey, you'll find ribeye at around $15 per pound and sirloin on sale at $9 a pound. Up in New England, an equivalent ribeye will run you $20 a pound, filet mignon is $28, and sirloin is around $9. Chicago's Jewel-Osco has nearly identical prices, while Gelson's out in California sells a choice ribeye at $34.99 on sale (or $44.99 when it's not discounted) alongside a $63-per-pound filet mignon.
Higher-end choices are available, too, such as a $28-per-pound dry-aged ribeye at a Food Bazaar in New York City, and special items, like organic or certified humane meat, might drive the price up even further. In other words, you can expect to pay at least around $10 per pound for lower-end cuts like sirloin, around $15 to $20 per pound for mid-range steaks like ribeye or strip, and $30 or more per pound for specialty cuts like filet mignon.