What things cost in 1994
In 1994, a dozen eggs averaged 86.3¢, a pound of white bread averaged 76.1¢ and a gallon of regular gas averaged $1.11. Here are 39 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
1994$1.00Sep 2026$2.27
It takes $2.27 in September 2026 to buy what $1 bought on average in 1994: prices overall are 2.27 times as high.
- Items priced in 1994
- 39Of the 53 on this site
- Cheaper now, after inflation
- 13Today’s price is below the old one in today’s dollars
- Dearer now, after inflation
- 26Rose faster than prices overall
- Prices overall
- 2.27×CPI-U, 1994 average to Sep 2026
Cheapest now, compared with 1994
The five items whose price rose least against everything else since 1994. Negative means today’s price takes less of today’s money.
| Item | 1994 average | Sep 2026 | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bananasper lb | 46.2¢ | 65.6¢ | down 37.6% |
| Chicken legs, bone-inper lb | $1.13 | $1.74 | down 32.3% |
| American processed cheeseper lb | $3.07 | $4.74 | down 32.1% |
| Spaghetti and macaroniper lb | 86.5¢ | $1.38 | down 30.1% |
| Cheddar cheeseper lb | $3.35 | $6.13 | down 19.5% |
Dearest now, compared with 1994
The five items whose price rose most against everything else since 1994.
| Item | 1994 average | Sep 2026 | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heating oil (fuel oil #2)per gallon | 91.6¢ | $5.92 | up 184.3% |
| Ground beef, 100% beefper lb | $1.48 | $6.79 | up 102.2% |
| Gasoline, premium unleadedper gallon | $1.30 | $5.43 | up 83.0% |
| Gasoline, midgrade unleadedper gallon | $1.22 | $4.96 | up 78.8% |
| Gasoline, regular unleadedper gallon | $1.11 | $4.48 | up 77.4% |
Dairy & eggs in 1994
4 items| Item | 1994 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eggs, grade A largeper dozen | 86.3¢ | $1.96 | $2.27 | up 163.3% | up 15.8% |
| Cheddar cheeseper lb | $3.35 | $7.62 | $6.13 | up 83.0% | down 19.5% |
| American processed cheeseper lb | $3.07 | $6.98 | $4.74 | up 54.3% | down 32.1% |
| Ice creamper half gallon | $2.63 | $5.97 | $5.93 | up 125.9% | down 0.6% |
Meat in 1994
11 items| Item | 1994 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ground beef, 100% beefper lb | $1.48 | $3.36 | $6.79 | up 359.8% | up 102.2% |
| Ground beef, lean and extra leanper lb | $2.18 | $4.96 | $8.46 | up 288.2% | up 70.7% |
| Ground chuckper lb | $1.86 | $4.22 | $6.48 | up 249.1% | up 53.6% |
| Chicken, wholeper lb | 90.1¢ | $2.05 | $2.06 | up 129.1% | up 0.8% |
| Chicken legs, bone-inper lb | $1.13 | $2.57 | $1.74 | up 53.8% | down 32.3% |
| Bacon, slicedper lb | $1.99 | $4.52 | $6.76 | up 239.6% | up 49.3% |
| Ham, bonelessper lb | $2.61 | $5.93 | $5.45 | up 108.9% | down 8.1% |
| Sirloin steak, bonelessper lb | $4.25 | $9.67 | $14.11 | up 231.6% | up 45.8% |
| Round steak, bonelessper lb | $3.25 | $7.40 | $9.84 | up 202.3% | up 33.0% |
| Chuck roast, bonelessper lb | $2.45 | $5.56 | $9.19 | up 275.6% | up 65.2% |
| Beef for stew, bonelessper lb | $2.53 | $5.76 | $8.53 | up 236.7% | up 48.1% |
Produce in 1994
7 items| Item | 1994 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bananasper lb | 46.2¢ | $1.05 | 65.6¢ | up 41.9% | down 37.6% |
| Lemonsper lb | $1.11 | $2.52 | $2.13 | up 91.9% | down 15.5% |
| Grapefruitper lb | 51.3¢ | $1.16 | $1.62 | up 216.8% | up 39.4% |
| Strawberriesper 12 oz (dry pint) · 9 of 12 months | $1.13 | $2.58 | $2.84 | up 150.4% | up 10.1% |
| Potatoes, whiteper lb | 37.4¢ | 85.0¢ | 98.9¢ | up 164.4% | up 16.3% |
| Tomatoes, field grownper lb | $1.09 | $2.47 | $1.99 | up 83.5% | down 19.3% |
| Lettuce, icebergper lb | 60.8¢ | $1.38 | $1.64 | up 169.2% | up 18.5% |
Pantry in 1994
9 items| Item | 1994 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bread, whiteper lb | 76.1¢ | $1.73 | $1.83 | up 140.6% | up 5.8% |
| Bread, whole wheatper lb | $1.14 | $2.58 | $2.81May 2026 | up 147.8% | up 9.0% |
| Flour, white all-purposeper lb | 23.1¢ | 52.5¢ | 54.5¢ | up 135.8% | up 3.8% |
| Sugar, whiteper lb | 40.0¢ | 90.9¢ | $1.02 | up 154.8% | up 12.1% |
| Rice, white long grainper lb | 54.7¢ | $1.24 | $1.12 | up 104.5% | down 10.1% |
| Spaghetti and macaroniper lb | 86.5¢ | $1.97 | $1.38 | up 58.9% | down 30.1% |
| Coffee, ground roastper lb | $3.40 | $7.72 | $9.33 | up 174.4% | up 20.9% |
| Cookies, chocolate chipper lb | $2.54 | $5.78 | $5.15 | up 102.5% | down 10.9% |
| Potato chipsper 16 oz | $2.97 | $6.75 | $6.67 | up 124.4% | down 1.3% |
Drinks in 1994
1 items| Item | 1994 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orange juice, frozen concentrateper 16 oz | $1.61 | $3.66 | $4.82Jul 2026 | up 199.0% | up 31.5% |
Energy in 1994
7 items| Item | 1994 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gasoline, regular unleadedper gallon | $1.11 | $2.53 | $4.48 | up 303.1% | up 77.4% |
| Gasoline, all typesper gallon | $1.17 | $2.67 | $4.63 | up 294.5% | up 73.6% |
| Gasoline, midgrade unleadedper gallon | $1.22 | $2.77 | $4.96 | up 306.4% | up 78.8% |
| Gasoline, premium unleadedper gallon | $1.30 | $2.97 | $5.43 | up 315.9% | up 83.0% |
| Electricityper kWh | 9.2¢ | 20.9¢ | 19.6¢ | up 113.0% | down 6.3% |
| Natural gas (piped utility gas)per therm | 64.9¢ | $1.47 | $1.70 | up 162.1% | up 15.3% |
| Heating oil (fuel oil #2)per gallon | 91.6¢ | $2.08 | $5.92 | up 546.4% | up 184.3% |
How we got these numbers
- 1994 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 1994 average of CPI-U (148.2).
- 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 1994: whole milk, reduced-fat milk, butter, yogurt, chicken breast, pork chops, oranges, romaine lettuce, dried beans, 2-liter soda, canned soda, beer, wine, 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 CSV39 rows: item, unit, 1994 average, in Sep 2026 dollars, Sep 2026 price