Drinks
Soft drinks, 12-pack cans, per 12 oz can

The price of canned soda

A 12-ounce can of soda cost 33.6¢ in April 2018 and 59.1¢ in September 2026.

In Sep 2026 dollars it cost 45.2¢ in April 2018, so it is 31% more expensive now after inflation. The record is 61.3¢, in January 2024; the low was 32.6¢, in May 2018.

Download the data (CSV)See the BLS series
Apr 201833.6¢Sep 202659.1¢
45.2¢

The Apr 2018 price in Sep 2026 dollars: what it cost then, in today’s money.

In one year
up 3.9%From 56.9¢ in Sep 2025
Since 2018
up 75.9%From 33.6¢ in Apr 2018
Record high
61.3¢January 2024
Record low
32.6¢May 2018

Canned soda, per 12 oz can, every month since Apr 2018

Price at the timeIn Sep 2026 dollars
Soft drinks, 12-pack cans: monthly U.S. average price, Apr 2018 to Sep 2026Two lines. The solid line over the yellow area is the price at the time, from 33.6¢ in April 2018 to 59.1¢ in September 2026. The dashed blue line is the same price in Sep 2026 dollars, from 45.2¢ to 59.1¢. Record high 61.3¢ in January 2024.0¢20¢40¢60¢80¢2020202561.3¢, 202459.1¢Soft drinks, 12-pack cans: monthly U.S. average price, Apr 2018 to Sep 2026Two lines. The solid line over the yellow area is the price at the time, from 33.6¢ in April 2018 to 59.1¢ in September 2026. The dashed blue line is the same price in Sep 2026 dollars, from 45.2¢ to 59.1¢. Record high 61.3¢ in January 2024.0¢10¢20¢30¢40¢50¢60¢70¢2020202220242026Record 61.3¢, 202459.1¢Soft drinks, 12-pack cans: monthly U.S. average price, Apr 2018 to Sep 2026Two lines. The solid line over the yellow area is the price at the time, from 33.6¢ in April 2018 to 59.1¢ in September 2026. The dashed blue line is the same price in Sep 2026 dollars, from 45.2¢ to 59.1¢. Record high 61.3¢ in January 2024.0¢10¢20¢30¢40¢50¢60¢70¢20192020202120222023202420252026Record 61.3¢, 202459.1¢

Solid line, yellow area: the average price in each month, in the dollars of that month. Dashed blue line: the same price restated in Sep 2026 dollars using the Consumer Price Index for all urban consumers (CPI-U). Where the dashed line falls, the item got cheaper compared with everything else. Months with no published price are left as gaps when they are long, and bridged when they are a single month. Hover, tap or use the arrow keys to read any month.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, average price series APU0000FN1102 (U.S. city average); CPI-U CUUR0000SA0.

A January in every decade

“Now vs then” is the plain change on the shelf. “After inflation” compares the old price in Sep 2026 dollars with today’s: negative means it takes less of today’s money than it did.

Soft drinks, 12-pack cans: January prices in past decades compared with September 2026
MonthPrice thenIn today’s $Now vs thenAfter inflation
Jan 202036.1¢47.2¢up 63.7%up 25.2%

Year by year

Averages of the monthly prices in each calendar year, newest first. Years with fewer than nine published months are left out; partial years are marked.

Soft drinks, 12-pack cans: yearly average price
YearAveragevs year beforeLowest monthHighest month
20269 of 12 months59.8¢up 5.2%57.4¢ May61.2¢ Jun
202511 of 12 months56.8¢down 0.9%54.8¢ Dec58.3¢ Mar
202457.4¢up 3.7%54.1¢ Dec61.3¢ Jan
202355.3¢up 11.2%53.7¢ Feb57.3¢ Aug
202249.7¢up 21.1%44.9¢ Jan54.1¢ Dec
202141.1¢up 6.9%38.7¢ May44.0¢ Dec
202038.4¢up 10.8%36.1¢ Jan40.0¢ Oct
201934.7¢up 1.8%33.6¢ Jul36.3¢ Mar
20189 of 12 months34.1¢—32.6¢ May36.6¢ Oct

About this number

  • What this number is. The average price BLS records for “All soft drinks, 12 pk, 12 oz., cans, per 12 oz. (354.9 ml)” across U.S. cities, collected for the Consumer Price Index. It is an average across many stores and brands, not a price at any one store.
  • No price for October 2025. BLS did not publish one: data unavailable due to the 2025 lapse in appropriations.
  • Today’s dollars. Prices are restated in Sep 2026 dollars by multiplying by CPI-U for Sep 2026 (336.94) and dividing by CPI-U for the month in question.

Sources

Download CSV101 rows: month, price, and price in Sep 2026 dollars

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