Learn with Kit / The real price of everyday things
🛒 The real price of everyday things
Government average prices (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics) for things everyone buys, from the earliest year on record to 2026-09. Gas costs 7.3× what it did in 1976; a dozen eggs 2.7× what it did in 1980.
| Item | Then | Now (2026-09) | Change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥚 Eggsper dozen (Grade A large) | $0.84 (1980) | $2.27 | 2.7× | |
| 🥛 Milkper gallon (whole) | $2.62 (1996) | $4.11 | 1.6× | |
| 🍞 Breadper pound (white) | $0.51 (1980) | $1.83 | 3.6× | |
| ☕ Coffeeper pound (ground) | $3.14 (1980) | $9.33 | 3× | |
| 🥩 Ground beefper pound (100% beef) | $1.29 (1984) | $6.79 | 5.3× | |
| 🍗 Chicken breastper pound (boneless) | $3.30 (2006) | $4.20 | 1.3× | |
| 🍌 Bananasper pound | $0.34 (1980) | $0.66 | 1.9× | |
| ⛽ Gasolineper gallon (regular) | $0.61 (1976) | $4.48 | 7.3× | |
| 💡 Electricityper kilowatt-hour | $0.05 (1979) | $0.20 | 3.9× |
Want the long view? See 110 years of the dollar's buying power — and the Hershey bar test. In bitcoin terms, these same things got far cheaper: see prices in bitcoin.
Quick answers
- How much did eggs cost in 1980 compared with today?
- About $0.84 per dozen (Grade A large) in 1980 versus $2.27 in 2026-09 — 2.7 times as much (BLS average price, FRED series APU0000708111).
- How much did milk cost in 1996 compared with today?
- About $2.62 per gallon (whole) in 1996 versus $4.11 in 2026-09 — 1.6 times as much (BLS average price, FRED series APU0000709112).
- How much did bread cost in 1980 compared with today?
- About $0.51 per pound (white) in 1980 versus $1.83 in 2026-09 — 3.6 times as much (BLS average price, FRED series APU0000702111).
- How much did coffee cost in 1980 compared with today?
- About $3.14 per pound (ground) in 1980 versus $9.33 in 2026-09 — 3 times as much (BLS average price, FRED series APU0000717311).
- How much did ground beef cost in 1984 compared with today?
- About $1.29 per pound (100% beef) in 1984 versus $6.79 in 2026-09 — 5.3 times as much (BLS average price, FRED series APU0000703112).
- How much did chicken breast cost in 2006 compared with today?
- About $3.30 per pound (boneless) in 2006 versus $4.20 in 2026-09 — 1.3 times as much (BLS average price, FRED series APU0000FF1101).
- How much did bananas cost in 1980 compared with today?
- About $0.34 per pound in 1980 versus $0.66 in 2026-09 — 1.9 times as much (BLS average price, FRED series APU0000711211).
- How much did gasoline cost in 1976 compared with today?
- About $0.61 per gallon (regular) in 1976 versus $4.48 in 2026-09 — 7.3 times as much (BLS average price, FRED series APU000074714).
- How much did electricity cost in 1979 compared with today?
- About $0.05 per kilowatt-hour in 1979 versus $0.20 in 2026-09 — 3.9 times as much (BLS average price, FRED series APU000072610).
Sources
- FRED APU0000708111: average price, eggs (BLS) ↗
- FRED APU0000709112: average price, milk (BLS) ↗
- FRED APU0000702111: average price, bread (BLS) ↗
- FRED APU0000717311: average price, coffee (BLS) ↗
- FRED APU0000703112: average price, ground beef (BLS) ↗
- FRED APU0000FF1101: average price, chicken breast (BLS) ↗
- FRED APU0000711211: average price, bananas (BLS) ↗
- FRED APU000074714: average price, gasoline (BLS) ↗
- FRED APU000072610: average price, electricity (BLS) ↗
Updated 2026-09 from public data by FixKit AI. Not advice.