There was a little good news in the latest federal statistics on the price of groceries.

For the first time since September 2020, the overall cost of groceries fell in March in comparison to the previous month. The drop was small – roughly 0.2% – according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics and was largely fueled by decreases in egg prices, as well as small declines for meats, fruits and vegetables and dairy products.

Inflation remains a nagging issue, however, as Stacker found when it analyzed the food products that saw the largest increases month over month. Overall, the cost of groceries in March remained 8.4% higher than 2022, driven by inflation related to the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, labor disruptions, and heightened consumer demand.

Stacker used monthly data from the labor statistics to find grocery items that experienced the largest price increases over the last month in the South, using year-over-year changes as a tiebreaker when needed. For this analysis, the South included Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Washington, D.C., Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia.

Here’s what they found:

11. Spaghetti and macaroni (per lb.)

• One-month increase in cost: +0.3%
• Annual change in cost: +36.2%
• March 2023 cost: $1.18

10. Long-grain white rice (per lb.)

• One-month increase in cost: +0.9%
• Annual change in cost: +16.1%
• March 2023 cost: $1.08

9. Chocolate chip cookies (per lb.)

• One-month increase in cost: +1.1%
• Annual change in cost: Not available
• March 2023 cost: $5.48

8. Malt beverages (per 16 oz.)

• One-month increase in cost: +1.3%
• Annual change in cost: +8.3%
• March 2023 cost: $1.68

7. Lemons (per lb.)

• One-month increase in cost: +1.7%
• Annual change in cost: +4.6%
• March 2023 cost: $2.29

6. Beef steaks (per lb.)

• One-month increase in cost: +1.8%
• Annual change in cost: +0.3%
• March 2023 cost: $9.36

5. White bread (per lb.)

• One-month increase in cost: +3.4%
• Annual change in cost: +28.8%
• March 2023 cost: $1.77

4. Cheddar cheese, natural (per lb.)

• One-month increase in cost: +5.6%
• Annual change in cost: +17.4%
• March 2023 cost: $5.96

3. Potato chips (per 16 oz.)

• One-month increase in cost: +5.8%
• Annual change in cost: +24.3%
• March 2023 cost: $7.12

2. American processed cheese (per lb.)

• One-month increase in cost: +7.2%
• Annual change in cost: +27.1%
• March 2023 cost: $4.80

1. Ice cream, prepackaged in bulk (per 1/2 gal.)

• One-month increase in cost: +9.2%
• Annual change in cost: Not available
• March 2023 cost: $5.94