What things cost in 1997
In 1997, a dozen eggs averaged $1.06, a gallon of whole milk averaged $2.61 and a pound of white bread averaged 87.2¢. Here are 44 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
1997$1.00Sep 2026$2.10
It takes $2.10 in September 2026 to buy what $1 bought on average in 1997: prices overall are 2.10 times as high.
- Items priced in 1997
- 44Of the 53 on this site
- Cheaper now, after inflation
- 18Today’s price is below the old one in today’s dollars
- Dearer now, after inflation
- 26Rose faster than prices overall
- Prices overall
- 2.10×CPI-U, 1997 average to Sep 2026
The same shopping bag, 1997 and now
One of each: a dozen eggs, a gallon of whole milk, a pound each of white bread, ground beef, whole chicken, bananas and coffee, and a gallon of regular gas.
1997$12.77Sep 2026$31.53
Up 147% in dollars of the day. In Sep 2026 dollars the 1997 bag cost $26.81, so after inflation it is up 18%.
- Eggs per dozen1997: $1.06Sep 2026: $2.27
- Whole milk per gallon1997: $2.61Sep 2026: $4.11
- White bread per lb1997: 87.2¢Sep 2026: $1.83
- Ground beef per lb1997: $1.40Sep 2026: $6.79
- Whole chicken per lb1997: $1.00Sep 2026: $2.06
- Bananas per lb1997: 48.7¢Sep 2026: 65.6¢
- Coffee per lb1997: $4.11Sep 2026: $9.33
- Regular gas per gallon1997: $1.23Sep 2026: $4.48
Cheapest now, compared with 1997
The five items whose price rose least against everything else since 1997. Negative means today’s price takes less of today’s money.
| Item | 1997 average | Sep 2026 | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pork chopsper lb | $4.08 | $4.55 | down 46.8% |
| Bananasper lb | 48.7¢ | 65.6¢ | down 35.8% |
| American processed cheeseper lb | $3.45 | $4.74 | down 34.6% |
| Chicken legs, bone-inper lb | $1.23 | $1.74 | down 32.9% |
| Tomatoes, field grownper lb | $1.29 | $1.99 | down 26.6% |
Dearest now, compared with 1997
The five items whose price rose most against everything else since 1997.
| Item | 1997 average | Sep 2026 | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heating oil (fuel oil #2)per gallon | $1.01 | $5.92 | up 178.1% |
| Ground beef, 100% beefper lb | $1.40 | $6.79 | up 131.7% |
| Ground beef, lean and extra leanper lb | $2.06 | $8.46 | up 95.9% |
| Gasoline, premium unleadedper gallon | $1.42 | $5.43 | up 82.6% |
| Chuck roast, bonelessper lb | $2.43 | $9.19 | up 79.8% |
Dairy & eggs in 1997
5 items| Item | 1997 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eggs, grade A largeper dozen | $1.06 | $2.22 | $2.27 | up 114.7% | up 2.3% |
| Milk, wholeper gallon | $2.61 | $5.49 | $4.11 | up 57.1% | down 25.2% |
| Cheddar cheeseper lb | $3.22 | $6.76 | $6.13 | up 90.5% | down 9.3% |
| American processed cheeseper lb | $3.45 | $7.24 | $4.74 | up 37.3% | down 34.6% |
| Ice creamper half gallon | $2.92 | $6.12 | $5.93 | up 103.4% | down 3.1% |
Meat in 1997
12 items| Item | 1997 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ground beef, 100% beefper lb | $1.40 | $2.93 | $6.79 | up 386.4% | up 131.7% |
| Ground beef, lean and extra leanper lb | $2.06 | $4.32 | $8.46 | up 311.1% | up 95.9% |
| Ground chuckper lb | $1.84 | $3.86 | $6.48 | up 252.7% | up 68.0% |
| Chicken, wholeper lb | $1.00 | $2.10 | $2.06 | up 106.0% | down 1.9% |
| Chicken legs, bone-inper lb | $1.23 | $2.59 | $1.74 | up 40.9% | down 32.9% |
| Bacon, slicedper lb | $2.68 | $5.63 | $6.76 | up 151.9% | up 20.0% |
| Pork chopsper lb | $4.08 | $8.56 | $4.55 | up 11.6% | down 46.8% |
| Ham, bonelessper lb | $2.79 | $5.85 | $5.45 | up 95.4% | down 6.9% |
| Sirloin steak, bonelessper lb | $4.21 | $8.83 | $14.11 | up 235.3% | up 59.7% |
| Round steak, bonelessper lb | $3.10 | $6.50 | $9.84 | up 217.6% | up 51.3% |
| Chuck roast, bonelessper lb | $2.43 | $5.11 | $9.19 | up 277.5% | up 79.8% |
| Beef for stew, bonelessper lb | $2.51 | $5.26 | $8.53 | up 240.2% | up 62.1% |
Produce in 1997
7 items| Item | 1997 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bananasper lb | 48.7¢ | $1.02 | 65.6¢ | up 34.8% | down 35.8% |
| Lemonsper lb | $1.25 | $2.63 | $2.13 | up 69.9% | down 19.0% |
| Grapefruitper lb | 55.6¢ | $1.17 | $1.62 | up 192.1% | up 39.2% |
| Strawberriesper 12 oz (dry pint) · 9 of 12 months | $1.36 | $2.84 | $2.84 | up 109.6% | down 0.2% |
| Potatoes, whiteper lb | 35.6¢ | 74.6¢ | 98.9¢ | up 178.1% | up 32.5% |
| Tomatoes, field grownper lb | $1.29 | $2.71 | $1.99 | up 54.1% | down 26.6% |
| Lettuce, icebergper lb | 69.4¢ | $1.46 | $1.64 | up 135.7% | up 12.4% |
Pantry in 1997
10 items| Item | 1997 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bread, whiteper lb | 87.2¢ | $1.83 | $1.83 | up 109.8% | unchanged 0.0% |
| Bread, whole wheatper lb | $1.28 | $2.69 | $2.81May 2026 | up 119.4% | up 4.5% |
| Flour, white all-purposeper lb | 30.2¢ | 63.4¢ | 54.5¢ | up 80.5% | down 14.0% |
| Sugar, whiteper lb | 43.3¢ | 90.8¢ | $1.02 | up 135.6% | up 12.2% |
| Rice, white long grainper lb | 56.5¢ | $1.19 | $1.12 | up 97.9% | down 5.7% |
| Spaghetti and macaroniper lb | 87.3¢ | $1.83 | $1.38 | up 57.6% | down 24.9% |
| Coffee, ground roastper lb | $4.11 | $8.63 | $9.33 | up 127.0% | up 8.2% |
| Cookies, chocolate chipper lb | $2.61 | $5.49 | $5.15 | up 97.1% | down 6.1% |
| Potato chipsper 16 oz | $3.13 | $6.58 | $6.67 | up 112.8% | up 1.4% |
| Dried beansper lb | 72.0¢ | $1.51 | $1.67 | up 131.8% | up 10.4% |
Drinks in 1997
3 items| Item | 1997 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orange juice, frozen concentrateper 16 oz | $1.73 | $3.63 | $4.82Jul 2026 | up 178.8% | up 32.8% |
| Beer (malt beverages)per 16 oz | 84.4¢ | $1.77 | $1.88 | up 122.2% | up 5.8% |
| Wine, red and white tableper liter | $5.17 | $10.85 | $13.77 | up 166.4% | up 26.9% |
Energy in 1997
7 items| Item | 1997 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gasoline, regular unleadedper gallon | $1.23 | $2.59 | $4.48 | up 263.3% | up 73.1% |
| Gasoline, all typesper gallon | $1.29 | $2.71 | $4.63 | up 258.6% | up 70.8% |
| Gasoline, midgrade unleadedper gallon | $1.33 | $2.79 | $4.96 | up 273.4% | up 77.9% |
| Gasoline, premium unleadedper gallon | $1.42 | $2.97 | $5.43 | up 283.3% | up 82.6% |
| Electricityper kWh | 9.4¢ | 19.8¢ | 19.6¢ | up 107.8% | down 1.0% |
| Natural gas (piped utility gas)per therm | 68.7¢ | $1.44 | $1.70 | up 147.3% | up 17.8% |
| Heating oil (fuel oil #2)per gallon | $1.01 | $2.13 | $5.92 | up 483.8% | up 178.1% |
How we got these numbers
- 1997 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 1997 average of CPI-U (160.5).
- 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 1997: reduced-fat milk, butter, yogurt, chicken breast, oranges, romaine lettuce, 2-liter soda, canned soda, 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 CSV44 rows: item, unit, 1997 average, in Sep 2026 dollars, Sep 2026 price