What things cost in 1998
In 1998, a dozen eggs averaged $1.04, a gallon of whole milk averaged $2.70 and a pound of white bread averaged 86.0¢. Here are 45 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
1998$1.00Sep 2026$2.07
It takes $2.07 in September 2026 to buy what $1 bought on average in 1998: prices overall are 2.07 times as high.
- Items priced in 1998
- 45Of 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
- 29Rose faster than prices overall
- Prices overall
- 2.07×CPI-U, 1998 average to Sep 2026
The same shopping bag, 1998 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.
1998$12.38Sep 2026$31.53
Up 155% in dollars of the day. In Sep 2026 dollars the 1998 bag cost $25.58, so after inflation it is up 23%.
- Eggs per dozen1998: $1.04Sep 2026: $2.27
- Whole milk per gallon1998: $2.70Sep 2026: $4.11
- White bread per lb1998: 86.0¢Sep 2026: $1.83
- Ground beef per lb1998: $1.41Sep 2026: $6.79
- Whole chicken per lb1998: $1.04Sep 2026: $2.06
- Bananas per lb1998: 49.4¢Sep 2026: 65.6¢
- Coffee per lb1998: $3.77Sep 2026: $9.33
- Regular gas per gallon1998: $1.06Sep 2026: $4.48
Cheapest now, compared with 1998
The five items whose price rose least against everything else since 1998. Negative means today’s price takes less of today’s money.
| Item | 1998 average | Sep 2026 | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pork chopsper lb | $3.76 | $4.55 | down 41.4% |
| American processed cheeseper lb | $3.59 | $4.74 | down 36.2% |
| Bananasper lb | 49.4¢ | 65.6¢ | down 35.7% |
| Tomatoes, field grownper lb | $1.48 | $1.99 | down 34.7% |
| Chicken legs, bone-inper lb | $1.27 | $1.74 | down 33.8% |
Dearest now, compared with 1998
The five items whose price rose most against everything else since 1998.
| Item | 1998 average | Sep 2026 | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heating oil (fuel oil #2)per gallon | 88.0¢ | $5.92 | up 225.5% |
| Diesel fuelper gallon | $1.17 | $6.33 | up 160.9% |
| Ground beef, 100% beefper lb | $1.41 | $6.79 | up 132.7% |
| Gasoline, premium unleadedper gallon | $1.25 | $5.43 | up 110.0% |
| Gasoline, midgrade unleadedper gallon | $1.16 | $4.96 | up 106.9% |
Dairy & eggs in 1998
5 items| Item | 1998 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eggs, grade A largeper dozen | $1.04 | $2.14 | $2.27 | up 119.0% | up 5.9% |
| Milk, wholeper gallon | $2.70 | $5.59 | $4.11 | up 51.9% | down 26.5% |
| Cheddar cheeseper lb | $3.55 | $7.33 | $6.13 | up 72.9% | down 16.4% |
| American processed cheeseper lb | $3.59 | $7.42 | $4.74 | up 32.0% | down 36.2% |
| Ice creamper half gallon | $3.13 | $6.46 | $5.93 | up 89.7% | down 8.2% |
Meat in 1998
12 items| Item | 1998 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ground beef, 100% beefper lb | $1.41 | $2.92 | $6.79 | up 381.0% | up 132.7% |
| Ground beef, lean and extra leanper lb | $2.06 | $4.26 | $8.46 | up 310.3% | up 98.5% |
| Ground chuckper lb | $1.81 | $3.74 | $6.48 | up 258.1% | up 73.2% |
| Chicken, wholeper lb | $1.04 | $2.16 | $2.06 | up 97.8% | down 4.3% |
| Chicken legs, bone-inper lb | $1.27 | $2.63 | $1.74 | up 36.8% | down 33.8% |
| Bacon, slicedper lb | $2.54 | $5.26 | $6.76 | up 165.7% | up 28.5% |
| Pork chopsper lb | $3.76 | $7.77 | $4.55 | up 21.1% | down 41.4% |
| Ham, bonelessper lb | $2.81 | $5.82 | $5.45 | up 93.6% | down 6.3% |
| Sirloin steak, bonelessper lb | $4.19 | $8.66 | $14.11 | up 236.7% | up 62.9% |
| Round steak, bonelessper lb | $3.09 | $6.39 | $9.84 | up 218.5% | up 54.1% |
| Chuck roast, bonelessper lb | $2.35 | $4.87 | $9.19 | up 290.1% | up 88.7% |
| Beef for stew, bonelessper lb | $2.55 | $5.28 | $8.53 | up 234.1% | up 61.6% |
Produce in 1998
7 items| Item | 1998 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bananasper lb | 49.4¢ | $1.02 | 65.6¢ | up 32.8% | down 35.7% |
| Lemonsper lb | $1.20 | $2.47 | $2.13 | up 77.6% | down 14.0% |
| Grapefruitper lb | 59.9¢ | $1.24 | $1.62 | up 171.2% | up 31.3% |
| Strawberriesper 12 oz (dry pint) · 10 of 12 months | $1.64 | $3.40 | $2.84 | up 72.9% | down 16.5% |
| Potatoes, whiteper lb | 37.5¢ | 77.6¢ | 98.9¢ | up 163.4% | up 27.4% |
| Tomatoes, field grownper lb | $1.48 | $3.05 | $1.99 | up 34.9% | down 34.7% |
| Lettuce, icebergper lb | 75.7¢ | $1.56 | $1.64 | up 116.2% | up 4.6% |
Pantry in 1998
10 items| Item | 1998 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bread, whiteper lb | 86.0¢ | $1.78 | $1.83 | up 112.7% | up 2.9% |
| Bread, whole wheatper lb | $1.29 | $2.68 | $2.81May 2026 | up 117.4% | up 5.2% |
| Flour, white all-purposeper lb | 30.0¢ | 62.0¢ | 54.5¢ | up 81.8% | down 12.0% |
| Sugar, whiteper lb | 43.0¢ | 88.8¢ | $1.02 | up 137.1% | up 14.7% |
| Rice, white long grainper lb | 54.2¢ | $1.12 | $1.12 | up 106.3% | down 0.2% |
| Spaghetti and macaroniper lb | 88.0¢ | $1.82 | $1.38 | up 56.2% | down 24.4% |
| Coffee, ground roastper lb | $3.77 | $7.78 | $9.33 | up 147.9% | up 19.9% |
| Cookies, chocolate chipper lb | $2.54 | $5.25 | $5.15 | up 102.8% | down 1.9% |
| Potato chipsper 16 oz | $3.16 | $6.54 | $6.67 | up 110.9% | up 2.0% |
| Dried beansper lb | 69.0¢ | $1.43 | $1.67 | up 141.9% | up 17.0% |
Drinks in 1998
3 items| Item | 1998 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orange juice, frozen concentrateper 16 oz | $1.63 | $3.36 | $4.82Jul 2026 | up 196.1% | up 43.3% |
| Beer (malt beverages)per 16 oz | 86.1¢ | $1.78 | $1.88 | up 117.7% | up 5.3% |
| Wine, red and white tableper liter | $5.07 | $10.48 | $13.77 | up 171.5% | up 31.3% |
Energy in 1998
8 items| Item | 1998 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gasoline, regular unleadedper gallon | $1.06 | $2.19 | $4.48 | up 323.1% | up 104.7% |
| Gasoline, all typesper gallon | $1.12 | $2.31 | $4.63 | up 315.2% | up 100.9% |
| Gasoline, midgrade unleadedper gallon | $1.16 | $2.40 | $4.96 | up 327.7% | up 106.9% |
| Gasoline, premium unleadedper gallon | $1.25 | $2.58 | $5.43 | up 334.1% | up 110.0% |
| Diesel fuelper gallon | $1.17 | $2.43 | $6.33 | up 439.5% | up 160.9% |
| Electricityper kWh | 8.7¢ | 18.0¢ | 19.6¢ | up 125.7% | up 9.1% |
| Natural gas (piped utility gas)per therm | 68.2¢ | $1.41 | $1.70 | up 149.1% | up 20.5% |
| Heating oil (fuel oil #2)per gallon | 88.0¢ | $1.82 | $5.92 | up 573.0% | up 225.5% |
How we got these numbers
- 1998 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 1998 average of CPI-U (163.0).
- 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 1998: reduced-fat milk, butter, yogurt, chicken breast, oranges, romaine lettuce, 2-liter soda, canned soda. 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 CSV45 rows: item, unit, 1998 average, in Sep 2026 dollars, Sep 2026 price