The Office for National Statistics, which calculates the inflation rate, highlighted the rising cost of petrol and diesel as one of the key reasons behind the latest inflation rise.
Tobacco products went up after the chancellor raised taxes on them in the Budget. Clothing, footwear and electronic games also cost more.
But in general the price of services, such as theatre and concert tickets, education and health, rose faster than goods.
The cost of housing, including rent, which is calculated under a different headline figure, also rose sharply in the year to November – up by 7.8%.
But air travel saw its biggest November price fall since the start of the century.