The prices of several common restaurant meals have jumped over 40 percent in the past five years amid rapid inflation in the nation.

According to the Korea Consumer Agency on Monday, the average prices of the eight most sought-after menu items at local restaurants in Seoul jumped 28-point-four percent in May compared to 2018.

The price of gimbap posted the steepest growth, rising by 46 percent on average from two-thousand-192 won to three-thousand-200 won, or around two dollars and 40 cents.

The price of jjajangmyeon, or Chinese-Korean black bean noodles, followed, jumping 40-point-five percent from four-thousand-923 won to six-thousand-915 won.

Six other items, including naengmyeon, or cold buckwheat noodles, and bibimbap, a mixed rice bowl, also saw their average prices climb between 16-point-one percent and 30-point-nine percent during the cited period.

The index by Statistics Korea for the cost of dining has now grown for 30 consecutive months, leading to expectations that the trend will continue for the time being amid unstable grain prices stemming from the protracted war in Ukraine, as well as a rise in electricity fees and labor costs.