What things cost in 1982
In 1982, a dozen eggs averaged 86.7¢, a pound of white bread averaged 53.2¢ and a gallon of regular gas averaged $1.30. Here are 27 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
1982$1.00Sep 2026$3.49
It takes $3.49 in September 2026 to buy what $1 bought on average in 1982: prices overall are 3.49 times as high.
- Items priced in 1982
- 27Of the 53 on this site
- Cheaper now, after inflation
- 21Today’s price is below the old one in today’s dollars
- Dearer now, after inflation
- 6Rose faster than prices overall
- Prices overall
- 3.49×CPI-U, 1982 average to Sep 2026
Cheapest now, compared with 1982
The five items whose price rose least against everything else since 1982. Negative means today’s price takes less of today’s money.
| Item | 1982 average | Sep 2026 | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken legs, bone-inper lb | $1.07 | $1.74 | down 53.4% |
| Bananasper lb | 35.4¢ | 65.6¢ | down 46.9% |
| Rice, white long grainper lb | 50.5¢ | $1.12 | down 36.6% |
| Flour, white all-purposeper lb | 22.4¢ | 54.5¢ | down 30.2% |
| Electricityper kWh | 7.6¢ | 19.6¢ | down 26.2% |
Dearest now, compared with 1982
The five items whose price rose most against everything else since 1982.
| Item | 1982 average | Sep 2026 | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heating oil (fuel oil #2)per gallon | $1.21 | $5.92 | up 40.3% |
| Grapefruitper lb | 35.4¢ | $1.62 | up 31.5% |
| Gasoline, premium unleadedper gallon | $1.42 | $5.43 | up 9.8% |
| Coffee, ground roastper lb | $2.52 | $9.33 | up 5.9% |
| Ground chuckper lb | $1.77 | $6.48 | up 4.6% |
Dairy & eggs in 1982
2 items| Item | 1982 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eggs, grade A largeper dozen | 86.7¢ | $3.03 | $2.27 | up 162.1% | down 25.0% |
| Ice creamper half gallon | $2.10 | $7.34 | $5.93 | up 182.0% | down 19.2% |
Meat in 1982
5 items| Item | 1982 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ground chuckper lb | $1.77 | $6.20 | $6.48 | up 265.3% | up 4.6% |
| Chicken, wholeper lb | 71.4¢ | $2.49 | $2.06 | up 189.2% | down 17.2% |
| Chicken legs, bone-inper lb | $1.07 | $3.73 | $1.74 | up 62.6% | down 53.4% |
| Bacon, slicedper lb | $2.05 | $7.16 | $6.76 | up 229.1% | down 5.6% |
| Round steak, bonelessper lb | $2.95 | $10.31 | $9.84 | up 233.1% | down 4.6% |
Produce in 1982
5 items| Item | 1982 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bananasper lb | 35.4¢ | $1.24 | 65.6¢ | up 85.4% | down 46.9% |
| Lemonsper lb | 77.0¢ | $2.69 | $2.13 | up 176.2% | down 20.8% |
| Grapefruitper lb | 35.4¢ | $1.24 | $1.62 | up 359.1% | up 31.5% |
| Tomatoes, field grownper lb | 73.9¢ | $2.58 | $1.99 | up 169.7% | down 22.8% |
| Lettuce, icebergper lb | 57.3¢ | $2.01 | $1.64 | up 185.5% | down 18.5% |
Pantry in 1982
8 items| Item | 1982 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bread, whiteper lb | 53.2¢ | $1.86 | $1.83 | up 243.9% | down 1.5% |
| Bread, whole wheatper lb | 81.6¢ | $2.85 | $2.81May 2026 | up 244.7% | down 1.3% |
| Flour, white all-purposeper lb | 22.4¢ | 78.1¢ | 54.5¢ | up 143.8% | down 30.2% |
| Sugar, whiteper lb | 34.5¢ | $1.20 | $1.02 | up 195.3% | down 15.4% |
| Rice, white long grainper lb | 50.5¢ | $1.76 | $1.12 | up 121.5% | down 36.6% |
| Coffee, ground roastper lb | $2.52 | $8.82 | $9.33 | up 269.8% | up 5.9% |
| Cookies, chocolate chipper lb | $1.77 | $6.19 | $5.15 | up 190.7% | down 16.8% |
| Potato chipsper 16 oz | $2.40 | $8.38 | $6.67 | up 178.0% | down 20.4% |
Drinks in 1982
1 items| Item | 1982 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orange juice, frozen concentrateper 16 oz | $1.47 | $5.14 | $4.82Jul 2026 | up 227.7% | down 6.2% |
Energy in 1982
6 items| Item | 1982 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gasoline, regular unleadedper gallon | $1.30 | $4.52 | $4.48 | up 246.0% | down 0.9% |
| Gasoline, all typesper gallon | $1.28 | $4.47 | $4.63 | up 261.6% | up 3.5% |
| Gasoline, premium unleadedper gallon | $1.42 | $4.94 | $5.43 | up 283.4% | up 9.8% |
| Electricityper kWh | 7.6¢ | 26.6¢ | 19.6¢ | up 157.6% | down 26.2% |
| Natural gas (piped utility gas)per therm | 56.0¢ | $1.95 | $1.70 | up 203.8% | down 12.9% |
| Heating oil (fuel oil #2)per gallon | $1.21 | $4.22 | $5.92 | up 390.0% | up 40.3% |
How we got these numbers
- 1982 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 1982 average of CPI-U (96.5).
- 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 1982: 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, 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 CSV27 rows: item, unit, 1982 average, in Sep 2026 dollars, Sep 2026 price