[forgettableuser]

Maybe Apple is using something like the Big Mac inflation index to determine their costs/pricing.

From January 2013 to July 2016, the price of the Big Mac went from to $4.37 to $5.04.

This works out about the same percentage increase for the $200 price bump.

[cableshaft]

Yes, but there are multiple reasons why food prices have been going up lately, from high gas prices to increases in ethanol usage reducing corn supply, to a rising amount of meat consumption throughout the world. That's driving food prices up more than usual right now. Apple didn't make this raise for anything except "well we added a touch bar!" Meanwhile they've made a much less powerful machine when people expect more power.

Source for the food prices info: https://www.thebalance.com/why-are-food-prices-rising-causes...