What things cost in 1988
In 1988, a dozen eggs averaged 78.9¢, a pound of white bread averaged 61.3¢ and a gallon of regular gas averaged 94.6¢. Here are 31 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
1988$1.00Sep 2026$2.85
It takes $2.85 in September 2026 to buy what $1 bought on average in 1988: prices overall are 2.85 times as high.
- Items priced in 1988
- 31Of the 53 on this site
- Cheaper now, after inflation
- 17Today’s price is below the old one in today’s dollars
- Dearer now, after inflation
- 14Rose faster than prices overall
- Prices overall
- 2.85×CPI-U, 1988 average to Sep 2026
Cheapest now, compared with 1988
The five items whose price rose least against everything else since 1988. Negative means today’s price takes less of today’s money.
| Item | 1988 average | Sep 2026 | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken legs, bone-inper lb | $1.14 | $1.74 | down 46.5% |
| Bananasper lb | 41.8¢ | 65.6¢ | down 44.9% |
| American processed cheeseper lb | $2.78 | $4.74 | down 40.1% |
| Spaghetti and macaroniper lb | 80.2¢ | $1.38 | down 39.8% |
| Cheddar cheeseper lb | $3.16 | $6.13 | down 32.0% |
Dearest now, compared with 1988
The five items whose price rose most against everything else since 1988.
| Item | 1988 average | Sep 2026 | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heating oil (fuel oil #2)per gallon | 84.6¢ | $5.92 | up 145.4% |
| Ground beef, 100% beefper lb | $1.36 | $6.79 | up 74.7% |
| Gasoline, premium unleadedper gallon | $1.11 | $5.43 | up 72.0% |
| Gasoline, all typesper gallon | 96.4¢ | $4.63 | up 68.7% |
| Gasoline, regular unleadedper gallon | 94.6¢ | $4.48 | up 66.3% |
Dairy & eggs in 1988
4 items| Item | 1988 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eggs, grade A largeper dozen | 78.9¢ | $2.25 | $2.27 | up 187.8% | up 1.1% |
| Cheddar cheeseper lb | $3.16 | $9.02 | $6.13 | up 93.8% | down 32.0% |
| American processed cheeseper lb | $2.78 | $7.91 | $4.74 | up 70.6% | down 40.1% |
| Ice creamper half gallon | $2.46 | $7.01 | $5.93 | up 141.1% | down 15.4% |
Meat in 1988
6 items| Item | 1988 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ground beef, 100% beefper lb | $1.36 | $3.89 | $6.79 | up 397.7% | up 74.7% |
| Ground chuckper lb | $1.76 | $5.02 | $6.48 | up 268.2% | up 29.2% |
| Chicken, wholeper lb | 85.4¢ | $2.43 | $2.06 | up 141.8% | down 15.1% |
| Chicken legs, bone-inper lb | $1.14 | $3.25 | $1.74 | up 52.4% | down 46.5% |
| Bacon, slicedper lb | $1.88 | $5.37 | $6.76 | up 258.7% | up 25.8% |
| Round steak, bonelessper lb | $2.99 | $8.51 | $9.84 | up 229.5% | up 15.6% |
Produce in 1988
6 items| Item | 1988 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bananasper lb | 41.8¢ | $1.19 | 65.6¢ | up 56.9% | down 44.9% |
| Lemonsper lb | 93.4¢ | $2.66 | $2.13 | up 127.9% | down 20.0% |
| Grapefruitper lb | 51.8¢ | $1.47 | $1.62 | up 213.6% | up 10.2% |
| Potatoes, whiteper lb | 26.1¢ | 74.2¢ | 98.9¢ | up 279.4% | up 33.2% |
| Tomatoes, field grownper lb | 83.4¢ | $2.38 | $1.99 | up 138.8% | down 16.2% |
| Lettuce, icebergper lb | 62.8¢ | $1.79 | $1.64 | up 160.4% | down 8.8% |
Pantry in 1988
8 items| Item | 1988 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bread, whiteper lb | 61.3¢ | $1.75 | $1.83 | up 198.6% | up 4.8% |
| Flour, white all-purposeper lb | 21.4¢ | 61.0¢ | 54.5¢ | up 154.6% | down 10.6% |
| Sugar, whiteper lb | 36.6¢ | $1.04 | $1.02 | up 178.4% | down 2.3% |
| Rice, white long grainper lb | 48.4¢ | $1.38 | $1.12 | up 130.8% | down 19.0% |
| Spaghetti and macaroniper lb | 80.2¢ | $2.29 | $1.38 | up 71.4% | down 39.8% |
| Coffee, ground roastper lb | $2.77 | $7.89 | $9.33 | up 237.0% | up 18.3% |
| Cookies, chocolate chipper lb | $2.12 | $6.04 | $5.15 | up 142.8% | down 14.8% |
| Potato chipsper 16 oz | $2.62 | $7.46 | $6.67 | up 154.6% | down 10.7% |
Drinks in 1988
1 items| Item | 1988 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orange juice, frozen concentrateper 16 oz | $1.82 | $5.19 | $4.82Jul 2026 | up 164.3% | down 7.2% |
Energy in 1988
6 items| Item | 1988 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gasoline, regular unleadedper gallon | 94.6¢ | $2.70 | $4.48 | up 373.7% | up 66.3% |
| Gasoline, all typesper gallon | 96.4¢ | $2.75 | $4.63 | up 380.6% | up 68.7% |
| Gasoline, premium unleadedper gallon | $1.11 | $3.15 | $5.43 | up 390.2% | up 72.0% |
| Electricityper kWh | 8.0¢ | 22.8¢ | 19.6¢ | up 145.0% | down 14.0% |
| Natural gas (piped utility gas)per therm | 58.2¢ | $1.66 | $1.70 | up 192.1% | up 2.5% |
| Heating oil (fuel oil #2)per gallon | 84.6¢ | $2.41 | $5.92 | up 599.7% | up 145.4% |
How we got these numbers
- 1988 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 1988 average of CPI-U (118.3).
- One item stops early. Orange juice: “now” is BLS’s newest month for it, shown under the price.
- Not listed for 1988: whole milk, reduced-fat milk, butter, yogurt, lean ground beef, chicken breast, pork chops, ham, sirloin steak, chuck roast, beef stew meat, oranges, strawberries, romaine lettuce, whole wheat bread, 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 CSV31 rows: item, unit, 1988 average, in Sep 2026 dollars, Sep 2026 price