Official figures show prices rose 1.4 percent in June, compared with the previous month.
Statistics New Zealand says vegetable prices rose 9 percent, led by tomatoes, lettuce and cucumbers.
Prices for meat, poultry and fish rose more than 3.5 percent, the largest monthly gain in nearly three years.
That more than offset falling fruit prices, with bananas falling to their lowest price in nearly three years.
On an annual basis, food prices rose 1.2 percent, the biggest increase since they peaked in July 2011.
That's driven by higher prices for milk, cheese, yoghurt and butter, along with meat, poultry and fish.
