In Mexico, prices for basic food products are skyrocketing. The cost of tomatoes has reached 70 pesos per kilogram, limes 69 pesos, potatoes 32 pesos, and green tomatoes nearly 70 pesos. As a result, consumers have been avoiding purchasing these items for at least three weeks. According to vendors, people touch the produce but then ask, 'Has the price gone down? How much is it?' and then pretend to be distracted and do not buy. Basic products have become 40% more expensive, and families complain that 'money no longer stretches'. The adjustment is already visible in markets, public squares, and street stalls, where consumers are cutting their purchases in half or, in some cases, completely dropping more expensive items, hoping for even a small price drop. The National Institute of Statistics and Geography (Inegi) reported increases of over 42% in tomatoes and cucumbers, and up to 18% in potatoes, limes, and green tomatoes, while general inflation stood at 4.59% at the end of March. On March 26, it was reported that fruits and vegetables would increase by up to 40% 'in days' due to rising gasoline, diesel, and fertilizer costs caused by the war in the Middle East, as well as damage from drought, frosts, and temperature changes, which has now been confirmed by Inegi. Is inflation out of control? The National Institute of Statistics reported that the general inflation rate has shown increases for five consecutive months. Some people do buy the products, but instead of a kilogram, they take only half a kilogram or a maximum of four pieces for soup or sauce. Vendors report the same situation: when told a box of tomatoes costs 700 or 800 pesos, customers start to bargain and take less, because people are not buying as much. The most expensive products in Mexico in March 2026 were: Cucumber: 42.71%, Tomato: 42.01%, Air transport: 26.28%, Lime: 18.26%, Green tomato: 16.46%, Potato and other tubers: 14.92%, Chicken: 2.82%, Electricity: 2.17%, Lunch counters, fondas, tortillerías and taquerías: 0.92%, Own housing: 0.33%. The price of fruits and vegetables has spiraled out of control and is directly impacting the daily spending of millions of Mexicans. You can substitute a cucumber, but there is no substitute for red tomatoes. Meanwhile, lime, green tomato or tomatillo, and potato completed the top 5 of the most expensive fruits and vegetables, with increases of 14 to 18%. Between October 2025 and March 2026, inflation rose from 3.57% to 4.59%, when the annual target is 3%, plus a one percentage point tolerance. The institute noted that the cost of fruits and vegetables became the main trigger for the new inflation scale, with an extraordinary average increase of 21.77% during the third month of 2026, quadrupling the national rate of this indicator. The institute indicated that within this segment, tomato consolidated its position as the king of the most expensive foods in Mexico during March, with an increase of 42.01%; although on an annual basis, this vegetable accumulated an increase of 126.31%. It highlighted that the price of cucumber surprised consumers with a monthly increase of 42.71% and an annualized variation of 51.37%; although its impact on the wallet is not as strong as that of the tomato, because its consumption is not widespread.
