Don't look now — the price of lettuce is soaring across the Bay Area.

It's $5.99 for a head of romaine at Country Sun Natural Foods in Palo Alto. Nearly $10 for little gem lettuce at Draeger's Market in Los Altos. And a whopping $10.99 for iceberg at Piedmont Grocery in Oakland.

Nationwide, the average cost of a head of romaine is currently just $2.50, according to federal data. But that's still a 47% jump from October. Produce prices can vary widely across regions and even individual stores due to a range of factors, including local seasonal growing trends and the contracts grocers can negotiate with farmers and suppliers.

The reason for the spike? It's not just inflation and supply-chain problems.

Crop disease is ravaging lettuce fields in Salinas Valley — the "Salad Bowl of the World" — causing a shortage across the country. And as farmers and researchers desperately search for a remedy for the insect-spread virus, shoppers, grocers and restaurant owners are left to face the sticker shock.

"Seven dollars for a head of lettuce — iceberg lettuce, not the fancy stuff?" said Candice Schwab in disbelief as she pushed her shopping cart down the produce aisle at the high-end Draeger's. "It's outrageous."

Gourmet grocery shoppers aren't the only ones feeling the pinch.