 The average cost of a summer cookout meal for 10 people is $71.22. This is a record high price for our survey, which we've been conducting since 2013. This is 5% higher than last year and 30% higher than just five years ago. That's a big jump, and it's forcing folks to make difficult decisions about the food they consume. It's also important to put this data in a global context because Americans spend a smaller percentage of their money on food than most other countries in the world.