The index showed that the price of meat, poultry, fish and eggs fell by 2.1 percent during the last two months of the year. They showed no increase in 2022, but they had increased by 22.5 percent the year before.
Dairy-related products increased by 15.9 percent compared to 2022, while fruit and vegetables increased by 6 percent.
Overall food growth appeared to slow at the end of the year, rising just 0.8 percent for the final two months of 2022.
Restaurant owners see their costs rise. Restaurant-specific food increased by 15 percent, according to the index.
“Restaurant costs have risen across the board at such an alarming rate over the past few years,” said Mychal Dynes, owner of Little Conejo in Vancouver. “When I talk to colleagues in the industry, we’re all trying to avoid raising prices because most of us feel the way we did recently.”
–Sarah Wolff
Housing
Last year, Vancouver rental prices exceeded the national average and ranked 10th highest nationally. Average rents in Vancouver rose 5.6 per cent, compared to the national average of 3 per cent and a national average of 1.6 per cent, according to ApartmentLists.com.