The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides money to nearly 42 million low-income Americans for groceries. In California, the funds are distributed through the CalFresh program.

“Before, it was like they would buy more stuff. Now, it’s less. They’re thinking, ’Oh I don’t want to buy this. It’s more expensive,’” said Cathy Perez, a cashier at the Food Bowl Market and Deli in South Park.

Perez has checked out customers at the small, family-owned store for 31 years. About a third of the customers who shop at the Food Bowl use CalFresh EBT cards to purchase food.

H.R. 1 is the federal law passed by Congress and signed by the president on July 4, 2025. It includes hundreds of provisions, like extending 2017 tax cuts and adding more work requirements for SNAP programs across the country. The law went into effect on Feb. 1.

“(My EBT benefit) was almost $300 a month, but they took it down to $24 after I went on disability,” said Danté Vargas, who shops at the Food Bowl and is in a wheelchair because of health problems that required partial foot amputations.

As Vargas deals with that setback, other non-disabled people without dependents getting federal food help must now work, volunteer or participate in a training program of some kind at least 80 hours a month. If they don’t meet the minimum, they face losing their benefits.

In San Diego County, the Health and Human Services Agency certifies low-income or no-income people for EBT cards. They have to re-qualify at least once a year.

A county spokesperson told NBC 7 on Monday that none of the new rules have gone into effect locally yet. The agency is still waiting for more direction from the federal government.

Most CalFresh recipients between 18 to 65 without disabilities and dependents could be impacted. The required work rules could now also apply to veterans, young people who’ve aged out of the foster system, and, in some cases, people who are homeless.

The county spokesperson said no changes will happen before those impacted are notified by the agency first. Online updates can be found here.

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Grabbing a bite to eat with family or friends is not only a great way to socialize, it can be a good way to experience a community and support local restaurants.

But dining out can start to feel more like a luxury when the cost drains your budget. Inflation has forced restaurants to significantly raise prices in San Diego County and nationwide over the past few years. The increase has been particularly acute since the COVID-19 pandemic.

In this Price of San Diego story, we dig into what’s causing the spike in dining costs at restaurants, and how locals are adapting.

Sticker shock

San Diego ended 2025 with the second highest overall inflation in the US among major metros. Specifically the “prices of food away from home” index rose 2.9% from November 2024. The “prices of food away from home” data includes restaurant, cafeteria, and vending purchases.

While the 2025 increase may not sound like a lot, it adds to a trend over the past five years of significant cost increases at restaurants in the region. In 2024, the cost of going to a restaurant skyrocketed 11.7%. In 2023, it rose 4%. The last year the cost of dining out in San Diego decreased was 2022.

There was a spike of over over 10% in 2021. And in 2020, prices of food away from home went up over 4%.

The breakdown

All of those data points show that eating at restaurants in the county has gotten a lot more expensive in the past five years. If you tally those numbers it gets you to over a 30% price increase during that time for the San Diego region. For example, if a single cheeseburger cost you $10 in 2020, that same single cheeseburger now costs you about $13.00 — like this one now costs at Hodad’s.

So why is this happening? Food and labor costs for the average restaurant have gone up 35% in the last five years, according to the National Restaurant Association.

Locally, the rise in retail rent over that same time has added to tighter margins.

The National Restaurant Association says the only way most restaurant operators can cover their higher costs is to increase menu prices.

By the numbers

Money isn’t going as far as it used to, faster compared to the past couple decades.

Nationwide, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics inflation calculator shows $100,000 in November, 2025, has the same buying power as about $80,000 in 2020 — a nearly $20,000 loss in just five years. It took 13 years, going all the way back to 2007, to make that same $20,000 change in purchasing power before 2020.

How are locals adapting?

While it’s expensive to dine out and some San Diegans say they’re going to restaurants less overall, other locals have been discussing the best restaurant meals for the price on Reddit.

Restaurants and food items that got frequent mentions include: IKEA Restaurant, the fish tacos at El Pueblo Mexican Food (they’re no longer $1 — they’re now $1.39), Costco Food Court (this now requires Costco membership), In-N-Out, Chicago Fire Grill and Sprouts Farmers Market sandwiches.

What to watch

The USDA expects food away from home prices to increase roughly 3.3% in 2026 nationwide.

The National Restaurant Association says declining tourism spending is making business conditions more challenging for restaurants. They also say higher-income households are driving restaurant sales.

The Carlsbad Police Department has arrested 22-year-old Felix Blanco of Oceanside for allegedly striking women on their buttocks as he passed them at the Calavera Preserve in Carlsbad.

Authorities say they received several reports of a male suspect riding an electric bike approaching women hiking on the trail and then assaulting them.

Blanco was arrested Friday, Jan. 30, following reports of a similar incident, and a description provided by the victim.

It is unknown how many victims were targeted by Blanco, but he was arrested and charged with 7 counts of assault. He is booked at the Vista Detention Facility.

The suspect is expected to appear in court for the first time on Tuesday, Feb. 3.