 It'll cost more to host a cookout this Independence Day. A Fourth of July cookout will cost you on average $71 this year. That's according to an American Farm Bureau study. The cookout favorites include cheeseburgers, chicken breasts, potato salad, ice cream, among other things. The survey shows a year-to-year double-digit increase in the cost of beef and lemonade, while there are drops in the cost of chicken and potato salad.