Many Americans remember paying around $3.99 for a 12-pack of Coca-Cola, but today, $10.99 for that same 12-pack is common.
That sharp spike has opened up a big argument, is it just inflation, or is something else driving the increase?
In a Reddit post on r/inflation, the original poster simply asked: “Inflation or Just Greed?” and shared a social post that read: “It’s pretty crazy how a 12 pack of Coca-Cola went from $3.99 to $10.99 in just a couple years,” followed by, “and the worst part is that all these companies are lying about it being inflation. It’s straight up price gouging.”
Across hundreds of responses, a strong majority echoed that view.
One person wrote: “If the store brand is less than $5, then the name brands can be too.”
Another added: “They blamed it on Covid. Now they can blame it on tariffs… It’s not ‘rising costs’ when their net income is increasing.”
Even some who offered milder takes acknowledged that price increases likely outpace actual cost pressures.
As one person summed it up:
“If a company raises prices and their profit margin stays the same, it’s inflation. If raising prices also increases their profit margin then it’s greed/gouging.”
How much of this is inflation? — The data
Official data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) show that overall inflation and food‑at‑home inflation remain elevated, but not at levels that would naturally triple the retail price of a typical 12‑pack soda within a few years.
- The CPI for all items rose 3.0 percent over the 12 months ending September 2025.
- The food‑at‑home index — i.e., groceries- rose about 2.7–2.9 percent over that year.
- More broadly, food prices over the past year increased by around 3.1 percent.
Long-term price data show that soda prices have mostly followed general inflation trends, slow and steady.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, grocery prices have gone up around 2.7% to 3.1% a year recently. So while soda prices have risen, a jump from $3.99 to $10.99 in just a few years is way beyond what inflation alone can explain.
One data set from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis shows that the price of a 12-pack of cans has crept up over time, but not at the pace many are now seeing at the store.
That gap is why so many shoppers are calling it what it feels like: price gouging.
Why do many consumers call it “price-gouging”
The Reddit thread is full of stories like this one: local grocery stores offering the same 12-pack for $5–$6 when bought in bulk or on sale.
To many, that shows the higher “normal” price is just a marketing strategy, not a reflection of true cost.
One person put it simply: “It is mostly just sugar and water.” Another said, “Greed, always has been. Time to wake up if that has not been realized.”
Plenty of people also mentioned ditching soda altogether, either to save money or out of frustration.
As one said, “I stopped drinking soda five years ago, never looked back.”
Inflation plays a role, but can’t explain it all
There’s no denying inflation has pushed up food and beverage prices across the board.
Grocery inflation remains elevated: between 2020 and 2025, food-at-home costs rose roughly 28%.
But that broader trend doesn’t explain why a 12-pack of a premium soda could more than double, and in some cases triple, over a few years.
As one Redditor argued, “It’s probably both.” Higher raw material and packaging costs account for some of the increase. But “aluminum for beverage containers is more expensive now… that doesn’t mean they aren’t using this as an excuse to gouge as well.”
What this means for shoppers
The simplest conclusion many people reached: if you want to push back, stop buying.
Dropping name-brand sodas, switching to store brands, even giving up soda entirely, dozens of users mentioned doing exactly that.
Others said they’ll only buy soda on sale, or not at all.
At a time when food-at-home inflation is up 2.7%–3.2% nationally, a step like that may feel small.
But when it hits millions of households, it can force companies to rethink pricing, especially if enough people take the threat seriously.
For many consumers, the math just doesn’t add up, and they’re calling it what it is: “straight up price gouging.”
Unless demand dramatically drops or regulatory pressure mounts, it seems likely the high-price soda habit may be here for a while.