What things cost in 1981
In 1981, a dozen eggs averaged 89.9¢, a pound of white bread averaged 52.5¢ and a gallon of regular gas averaged $1.38. Here are 26 everyday prices from that year beside September 2026’s, plus each one in today’s dollars.
Yearly averages of BLS monthly pricesToday: September 2026
One dollarConsumer Price Index, all urban consumers
1981$1.00Sep 2026$3.71
It takes $3.71 in September 2026 to buy what $1 bought on average in 1981: prices overall are 3.71 times as high.
- Items priced in 1981
- 26Of the 53 on this site
- Cheaper now, after inflation
- 23Today’s price is below the old one in today’s dollars
- Dearer now, after inflation
- 3Rose faster than prices overall
- Prices overall
- 3.71×CPI-U, 1981 average to Sep 2026
Cheapest now, compared with 1981
The five items whose price rose least against everything else since 1981. Negative means today’s price takes less of today’s money.
| Item | 1981 average | Sep 2026 | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken legs, bone-inper lb | $1.12 | $1.74 | down 58.1% |
| Bananasper lb | 36.2¢ | 65.6¢ | down 51.1% |
| Rice, white long grainper lb | 56.3¢ | $1.12 | down 46.4% |
| Flour, white all-purposeper lb | 22.4¢ | 54.5¢ | down 34.5% |
| Eggs, grade A largeper dozen | 89.9¢ | $2.27 | down 31.8% |
Dearest now, compared with 1981
The five items whose price rose most against everything else since 1981.
| Item | 1981 average | Sep 2026 | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heating oil (fuel oil #2)per gallon | $1.25 | $5.92 | up 28.1% |
| Grapefruitper lb | 39.5¢ | $1.62 | up 11.1% |
| Bacon, slicedper lb | $1.67 | $6.76 | up 9.5% |
| Coffee, ground roastper lb | $2.53 | $9.33 | down 0.5% |
| Natural gas (piped utility gas)per therm | 46.7¢ | $1.70 | down 1.7% |
Dairy & eggs in 1981
2 items| Item | 1981 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eggs, grade A largeper dozen | 89.9¢ | $3.33 | $2.27 | up 152.8% | down 31.8% |
| Ice creamper half gallon | $2.02 | $7.47 | $5.93 | up 194.2% | down 20.6% |
Meat in 1981
5 items| Item | 1981 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ground chuckper lb | $1.80 | $6.69 | $6.48 | up 259.4% | down 3.1% |
| Chicken, wholeper lb | 73.2¢ | $2.71 | $2.06 | up 182.1% | down 24.0% |
| Chicken legs, bone-inper lb | $1.12 | $4.15 | $1.74 | up 55.4% | down 58.1% |
| Bacon, slicedper lb | $1.67 | $6.17 | $6.76 | up 305.6% | up 9.5% |
| Round steak, bonelessper lb | $2.86 | $10.61 | $9.84 | up 243.7% | down 7.3% |
Produce in 1981
5 items| Item | 1981 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bananasper lb | 36.2¢ | $1.34 | 65.6¢ | up 81.2% | down 51.1% |
| Lemonsper lb | 70.0¢ | $2.59 | $2.13 | up 204.2% | down 17.8% |
| Grapefruitper lb | 39.5¢ | $1.46 | $1.62 | up 311.1% | up 11.1% |
| Tomatoes, field grownper lb | 77.0¢ | $2.87 | $1.99 | up 158.8% | down 30.6% |
| Lettuce, icebergper lb | 48.7¢ | $1.80 | $1.64 | up 235.6% | down 9.3% |
Pantry in 1981
8 items| Item | 1981 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bread, whiteper lb | 52.5¢ | $1.95 | $1.83 | up 248.5% | down 6.0% |
| Bread, whole wheatper lb | 77.6¢ | $2.87 | $2.81May 2026 | up 262.8% | down 2.1% |
| Flour, white all-purposeper lb | 22.4¢ | 83.2¢ | 54.5¢ | up 143.0% | down 34.5% |
| Sugar, whiteper lb | 40.0¢ | $1.49 | $1.02 | up 154.7% | down 31.6% |
| Rice, white long grainper lb | 56.3¢ | $2.09 | $1.12 | up 98.6% | down 46.4% |
| Coffee, ground roastper lb | $2.53 | $9.38 | $9.33 | up 269.3% | down 0.5% |
| Cookies, chocolate chipper lb | $1.73 | $6.41 | $5.15 | up 198.2% | down 19.6% |
| Potato chipsper 16 oz | $2.28 | $8.45 | $6.67 | up 192.5% | down 21.1% |
Drinks in 1981
1 items| Item | 1981 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orange juice, frozen concentrateper 16 oz | $1.39 | $5.15 | $4.82Jul 2026 | up 246.4% | down 6.4% |
Energy in 1981
5 items| Item | 1981 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gasoline, regular unleadedper gallon | $1.38 | $5.11 | $4.48 | up 225.2% | down 12.3% |
| Gasoline, all typesper gallon | $1.35 | $5.02 | $4.63 | up 242.3% | down 7.7% |
| Electricityper kWh | 6.9¢ | 25.7¢ | 19.6¢ | up 182.7% | down 23.7% |
| Natural gas (piped utility gas)per therm | 46.7¢ | $1.73 | $1.70 | up 264.1% | down 1.7% |
| Heating oil (fuel oil #2)per gallon | $1.25 | $4.62 | $5.92 | up 375.2% | up 28.1% |
How we got these numbers
- 1981 prices are the average of the monthly U.S. city average prices BLS published for that year. An item needs at least nine published months to appear.
- In Sep 2026 dollars restates each month’s price with CPI-U (336.94 in Sep 2026) and then averages the year, so “after inflation” compares like with like.
- One dollar. CPI-U for Sep 2026 divided by the 1981 average of CPI-U (90.9).
- Two items stop early. Whole wheat bread and orange juice: “now” is BLS’s newest month for them, shown under the price.
- Not listed for 1981: whole milk, reduced-fat milk, butter, cheddar cheese, American cheese, yogurt, ground beef, lean ground beef, chicken breast, pork chops, ham, sirloin steak, chuck roast, beef stew meat, oranges, strawberries, potatoes, romaine lettuce, pasta, dried beans, 2-liter soda, canned soda, beer, wine, midgrade gas, premium gas, diesel. BLS did not price them for enough months that year.
Sources
- Average price data: what it is and how it is collectedU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Average price data filesdownload.bls.gov, files updated Oct 14, 2026
- CPI-U, U.S. city average, all items (CUUR0000SA0)U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, monthly
Download CSV26 rows: item, unit, 1981 average, in Sep 2026 dollars, Sep 2026 price