What things cost in 1989
In 1989, a dozen eggs averaged 99.8¢, a pound of white bread averaged 66.6¢ and a gallon of regular gas averaged $1.02. Here are 32 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
1989$1.00Sep 2026$2.72
It takes $2.72 in September 2026 to buy what $1 bought on average in 1989: prices overall are 2.72 times as high.
- Items priced in 1989
- 32Of 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
- 15Rose faster than prices overall
- Prices overall
- 2.72×CPI-U, 1989 average to Sep 2026
Cheapest now, compared with 1989
The five items whose price rose least against everything else since 1989. Negative means today’s price takes less of today’s money.
| Item | 1989 average | Sep 2026 | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken legs, bone-inper lb | $1.21 | $1.74 | down 47.0% |
| Bananasper lb | 44.9¢ | 65.6¢ | down 46.2% |
| Spaghetti and macaroniper lb | 86.5¢ | $1.38 | down 41.5% |
| Cheddar cheeseper lb · 9 of 12 months | $3.20 | $6.13 | down 29.5% |
| Lemonsper lb | 99.5¢ | $2.13 | down 21.3% |
Dearest now, compared with 1989
The five items whose price rose most against everything else since 1989.
| Item | 1989 average | Sep 2026 | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heating oil (fuel oil #2)per gallon | 88.8¢ | $5.92 | up 145.5% |
| Ground beef, 100% beefper lb | $1.44 | $6.79 | up 73.6% |
| Gasoline, premium unleadedper gallon | $1.20 | $5.43 | up 66.9% |
| Gasoline, regular unleadedper gallon | $1.02 | $4.48 | up 61.3% |
| Gasoline, all typesper gallon | $1.06 | $4.63 | up 60.8% |
Dairy & eggs in 1989
3 items| Item | 1989 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eggs, grade A largeper dozen | 99.8¢ | $2.71 | $2.27 | up 127.7% | down 16.2% |
| Cheddar cheeseper lb · 9 of 12 months | $3.20 | $8.70 | $6.13 | up 91.4% | down 29.5% |
| Ice creamper half gallon | $2.60 | $7.07 | $5.93 | up 128.1% | down 16.1% |
Meat in 1989
8 items| Item | 1989 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ground beef, 100% beefper lb | $1.44 | $3.91 | $6.79 | up 371.7% | up 73.6% |
| Ground chuckper lb | $1.83 | $4.96 | $6.48 | up 254.9% | up 30.6% |
| Chicken, wholeper lb | 92.7¢ | $2.52 | $2.06 | up 122.7% | down 18.1% |
| Chicken legs, bone-inper lb | $1.21 | $3.28 | $1.74 | up 44.2% | down 47.0% |
| Bacon, slicedper lb | $1.77 | $4.80 | $6.76 | up 282.4% | up 40.7% |
| Sirloin steak, bonelessper lb | $3.93 | $10.68 | $14.11 | up 259.2% | up 32.1% |
| Round steak, bonelessper lb | $3.12 | $8.47 | $9.84 | up 215.8% | up 16.2% |
| Chuck roast, bonelessper lb | $2.32 | $6.30 | $9.19 | up 296.5% | up 45.9% |
Produce in 1989
6 items| Item | 1989 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bananasper lb | 44.9¢ | $1.22 | 65.6¢ | up 46.2% | down 46.2% |
| Lemonsper lb | 99.5¢ | $2.70 | $2.13 | up 113.9% | down 21.3% |
| Grapefruitper lb | 52.5¢ | $1.43 | $1.62 | up 209.2% | up 13.9% |
| Potatoes, whiteper lb | 34.2¢ | 92.9¢ | 98.9¢ | up 189.5% | up 6.5% |
| Tomatoes, field grownper lb | 91.2¢ | $2.48 | $1.99 | up 118.4% | down 19.7% |
| Lettuce, icebergper lb | 60.5¢ | $1.65 | $1.64 | up 170.5% | down 0.6% |
Pantry in 1989
8 items| Item | 1989 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bread, whiteper lb | 66.6¢ | $1.81 | $1.83 | up 174.9% | up 1.2% |
| Flour, white all-purposeper lb | 24.5¢ | 66.5¢ | 54.5¢ | up 122.8% | down 18.0% |
| Sugar, whiteper lb | 40.0¢ | $1.09 | $1.02 | up 154.6% | down 6.3% |
| Rice, white long grainper lb | 49.8¢ | $1.35 | $1.12 | up 124.3% | down 17.5% |
| Spaghetti and macaroniper lb | 86.5¢ | $2.35 | $1.38 | up 58.9% | down 41.5% |
| Coffee, ground roastper lb | $3.07 | $8.35 | $9.33 | up 203.7% | up 11.7% |
| Cookies, chocolate chipper lb | $2.38 | $6.47 | $5.15 | up 116.5% | down 20.3% |
| Potato chipsper 16 oz | $2.86 | $7.78 | $6.67 | up 133.1% | down 14.2% |
Drinks in 1989
1 items| Item | 1989 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orange juice, frozen concentrateper 16 oz | $1.86 | $5.05 | $4.82Jul 2026 | up 159.3% | down 4.6% |
Energy in 1989
6 items| Item | 1989 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gasoline, regular unleadedper gallon | $1.02 | $2.78 | $4.48 | up 338.5% | up 61.3% |
| Gasoline, all typesper gallon | $1.06 | $2.88 | $4.63 | up 336.9% | up 60.8% |
| Gasoline, premium unleadedper gallon | $1.20 | $3.25 | $5.43 | up 353.5% | up 66.9% |
| Electricityper kWh | 8.2¢ | 22.2¢ | 19.6¢ | up 139.5% | down 11.9% |
| Natural gas (piped utility gas)per therm | 59.0¢ | $1.60 | $1.70 | up 188.2% | up 6.0% |
| Heating oil (fuel oil #2)per gallon | 88.8¢ | $2.41 | $5.92 | up 567.2% | up 145.5% |
How we got these numbers
- 1989 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 1989 average of CPI-U (124.0).
- One item stops early. Orange juice: “now” is BLS’s newest month for it, shown under the price.
- Not listed for 1989: whole milk, reduced-fat milk, butter, American cheese, yogurt, lean ground beef, chicken breast, pork chops, ham, 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 CSV32 rows: item, unit, 1989 average, in Sep 2026 dollars, Sep 2026 price