What things cost in 1990
In 1990, a dozen eggs averaged $1.01, a pound of white bread averaged 69.5¢ and a gallon of regular gas averaged $1.16. 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
1990$1.00Sep 2026$2.58
It takes $2.58 in September 2026 to buy what $1 bought on average in 1990: prices overall are 2.58 times as high.
- Items priced in 1990
- 31Of the 53 on this site
- Cheaper now, after inflation
- 16Today’s price is below the old one in today’s dollars
- Dearer now, after inflation
- 15Rose faster than prices overall
- Prices overall
- 2.58×CPI-U, 1990 average to Sep 2026
Cheapest now, compared with 1990
The five items whose price rose least against everything else since 1990. Negative means today’s price takes less of today’s money.
| Item | 1990 average | Sep 2026 | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bananasper lb | 46.3¢ | 65.6¢ | down 45.1% |
| Chicken legs, bone-inper lb | $1.19 | $1.74 | down 43.4% |
| Spaghetti and macaroniper lb | 85.4¢ | $1.38 | down 37.6% |
| Tomatoes, field grownper lb | $1.08 | $1.99 | down 28.9% |
| Cookies, chocolate chipper lb | $2.61 | $5.15 | down 23.6% |
Dearest now, compared with 1990
The five items whose price rose most against everything else since 1990.
| Item | 1990 average | Sep 2026 | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heating oil (fuel oil #2)per gallon | $1.09 | $5.92 | up 111.4% |
| Ground beef, 100% beefper lb | $1.59 | $6.79 | up 65.9% |
| Gasoline, premium unleadedper gallon | $1.35 | $5.43 | up 56.2% |
| Gasoline, regular unleadedper gallon | $1.16 | $4.48 | up 49.5% |
| Gasoline, all typesper gallon | $1.22 | $4.63 | up 47.8% |
Dairy & eggs in 1990
2 items| Item | 1990 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eggs, grade A largeper dozen | $1.01 | $2.62 | $2.27 | up 124.1% | down 13.2% |
| Ice creamper half gallon | $2.60 | $6.72 | $5.93 | up 127.7% | down 11.7% |
Meat in 1990
8 items| Item | 1990 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ground beef, 100% beefper lb | $1.59 | $4.09 | $6.79 | up 327.9% | up 65.9% |
| Ground chuckper lb | $1.97 | $5.08 | $6.48 | up 229.4% | up 27.7% |
| Chicken, wholeper lb | 89.9¢ | $2.32 | $2.06 | up 129.5% | down 11.0% |
| Chicken legs, bone-inper lb | $1.19 | $3.07 | $1.74 | up 46.0% | down 43.4% |
| Bacon, slicedper lb | $2.12 | $5.48 | $6.76 | up 218.0% | up 23.4% |
| Sirloin steak, bonelessper lb | $4.13 | $10.64 | $14.11 | up 241.8% | up 32.6% |
| Round steak, bonelessper lb | $3.32 | $8.57 | $9.84 | up 196.1% | up 14.8% |
| Chuck roast, bonelessper lb | $2.49 | $6.41 | $9.19 | up 269.3% | up 43.2% |
Produce in 1990
6 items| Item | 1990 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bananasper lb | 46.3¢ | $1.20 | 65.6¢ | up 41.6% | down 45.1% |
| Lemonsper lb | $1.07 | $2.77 | $2.13 | up 98.1% | down 23.2% |
| Grapefruitper lb | 65.7¢ | $1.69 | $1.62 | up 147.3% | down 4.1% |
| Potatoes, whiteper lb | 37.1¢ | 95.7¢ | 98.9¢ | up 166.9% | up 3.4% |
| Tomatoes, field grownper lb | $1.08 | $2.80 | $1.99 | up 84.4% | down 28.9% |
| Lettuce, icebergper lb | 57.8¢ | $1.49 | $1.64 | up 183.1% | up 10.0% |
Pantry in 1990
8 items| Item | 1990 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bread, whiteper lb | 69.5¢ | $1.79 | $1.83 | up 163.5% | up 2.2% |
| Flour, white all-purposeper lb | 25.0¢ | 64.4¢ | 54.5¢ | up 118.2% | down 15.4% |
| Sugar, whiteper lb | 42.8¢ | $1.10 | $1.02 | up 138.2% | down 7.6% |
| Rice, white long grainper lb | 49.6¢ | $1.28 | $1.12 | up 125.2% | down 12.7% |
| Spaghetti and macaroniper lb | 85.4¢ | $2.20 | $1.38 | up 61.0% | down 37.6% |
| Coffee, ground roastper lb | $2.97 | $7.65 | $9.33 | up 214.6% | up 22.0% |
| Cookies, chocolate chipper lb | $2.61 | $6.74 | $5.15 | up 97.1% | down 23.6% |
| Potato chipsper 16 oz | $2.96 | $7.63 | $6.67 | up 125.4% | down 12.6% |
Drinks in 1990
1 items| Item | 1990 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orange juice, frozen concentrateper 16 oz | $2.15 | $5.54 | $4.82Jul 2026 | up 124.1% | down 13.1% |
Energy in 1990
6 items| Item | 1990 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gasoline, regular unleadedper gallon | $1.16 | $3.00 | $4.48 | up 284.9% | up 49.5% |
| Gasoline, all typesper gallon | $1.22 | $3.13 | $4.63 | up 280.4% | up 47.8% |
| Gasoline, premium unleadedper gallon | $1.35 | $3.47 | $5.43 | up 302.3% | up 56.2% |
| Electricityper kWh | 8.4¢ | 21.6¢ | 19.6¢ | up 134.3% | down 9.1% |
| Natural gas (piped utility gas)per therm | 58.9¢ | $1.52 | $1.70 | up 188.6% | up 11.9% |
| Heating oil (fuel oil #2)per gallon | $1.09 | $2.80 | $5.92 | up 444.6% | up 111.4% |
How we got these numbers
- 1990 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 1990 average of CPI-U (130.7).
- One item stops early. Orange juice: “now” is BLS’s newest month for it, shown under the price.
- Not listed for 1990: whole milk, reduced-fat milk, butter, cheddar cheese, 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 CSV31 rows: item, unit, 1990 average, in Sep 2026 dollars, Sep 2026 price