Britain's Favourite Treats Now Cost 46% More Than Five Years Ago, New Treatflation Calculator Reveals

Interactive tool shows how inflation has quietly driven up the cost of Britain's everyday indulgences – from Costa coffees to fish and chips.

LONDON, Aug. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The cost of Britain's favourite everyday treats has risen by almost half in just five years, according to new research released alongside the launch of the Treatflation Calculator – an interactive tool that allows consumers to see how inflation has affected their favourite snacks, drinks and takeaway meals, and how much they could cost in the future if current price trends continue.

Developed by Checkmyfile, the Treatflation Calculator analyses the prices of 25 iconic British treats between 2021 and 2026, revealing that a basket of everyday favourites which cost £100 in 2021 now costs £145.80 today.

The study found Britain's favourite treats have increased in price by more than 40% on average, with several products rising significantly faster than wage growth.

Among the biggest price increases were:

• Terry's Chocolate Orange – up 101.6% (£1.24 to £2.50)
• Medium Costa Coffee – up 79.6% (£2.45 to £4.40)
• Cadbury Dairy Milk (360g) – up 66.7% (£3.00 to £5.00)
• PizzaExpress Margherita – up 65.3% (£9.95 to £16.45)
• Fish and chips – up 61.2% (£6.93 to £11.17)

The findings also reveal how seemingly small price rises can have a major impact over the course of a year.

A daily medium Costa coffee now costs £1,144 annually, an increase of £507 a year compared with 2021, while a weekly fish and chips habit now costs an extra £220.48 each year.

Unlike traditional inflation reports, the Treatflation Calculator enables users to personalise the data by selecting the treats they regularly buy, helping them visualise how inflation has affected their own spending habits and how those costs could change over time based on historical price trends.

Natalie Vos, Marketing Manager at Checkmyfile, said:

"When inflation is discussed, the focus is usually on mortgages, energy bills or the weekly supermarket shop. But it's often the everyday treats that people feel most because they're the purchases we make without really thinking about them.

"Whether it's grabbing a coffee before work, picking up a Greggs sausage roll, or treating the family to fish and chips on a Friday night, these small purchases quickly add up.

"We created the Treatflation Calculator to bring those hidden costs to life. Rather than looking at inflation as a single national figure, the calculator helps people understand what rising prices actually mean for the treats they buy every week and how those habits could become even more expensive if the same trends continue."

The research also highlights how rising prices have outpaced earnings across the country.

Every UK city analysed has become less affordable for buying everyday treats since 2021, despite wage growth over the same period. Workers in Belfast now spend the longest earning enough to afford Britain's favourite treats, while Edinburgh remains the most affordable city in the study.

The Treatflation Calculator is available free of charge and allows users to:

• Explore how prices have changed for 25 iconic British treats since 2021.
• Build their own personalised basket of favourite treats.
• See how much those purchases cost today compared with five years ago.
• Estimate how much those same treats could cost in future years if historical price trends continue.

The full research and the interactive Treatflation Calculator can be accessed at:
https://www.checkmyfile.com/help-centre/articles/treatflation-calculator 

Notes to Editors

The Treatflation Calculator analyses the prices of 25 popular British snacks, drinks, meals and sweet treats using archived pricing, retailer websites, official company announcements and reputable media sources. Prices from 2021 were compared with prices in 2026 to calculate cash and percentage increases. Future prices displayed within the calculator are illustrative projections based on each product's historical average annual rate of price growth and are intended to demonstrate the potential long-term impact of inflation rather than predict future prices. Wage comparisons use data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE).