What things cost in 1999
In 1999, a dozen eggs averaged 95.9¢, a gallon of whole milk averaged $2.84 and a pound of white bread averaged 88.7¢. 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
1999$1.00Sep 2026$2.02
It takes $2.02 in September 2026 to buy what $1 bought on average in 1999: prices overall are 2.02 times as high.
- Items priced in 1999
- 45Of the 53 on this site
- Cheaper now, after inflation
- 15Today’s price is below the old one in today’s dollars
- Dearer now, after inflation
- 30Rose faster than prices overall
- Prices overall
- 2.02×CPI-U, 1999 average to Sep 2026
The same shopping bag, 1999 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.
1999$12.28Sep 2026$31.53
Up 157% in dollars of the day. In Sep 2026 dollars the 1999 bag cost $24.84, so after inflation it is up 27%.
- Eggs per dozen1999: 95.9¢Sep 2026: $2.27
- Whole milk per gallon1999: $2.84Sep 2026: $4.11
- White bread per lb1999: 88.7¢Sep 2026: $1.83
- Ground beef per lb1999: $1.45Sep 2026: $6.79
- Whole chicken per lb1999: $1.06Sep 2026: $2.06
- Bananas per lb1999: 49.1¢Sep 2026: 65.6¢
- Coffee per lb1999: $3.43Sep 2026: $9.33
- Regular gas per gallon1999: $1.17Sep 2026: $4.48
Cheapest now, compared with 1999
The five items whose price rose least against everything else since 1999. Negative means today’s price takes less of today’s money.
| Item | 1999 average | Sep 2026 | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pork chopsper lb | $3.73 | $4.55 | down 39.6% |
| American processed cheeseper lb | $3.81 | $4.74 | down 38.5% |
| Bananasper lb | 49.1¢ | 65.6¢ | down 33.9% |
| Chicken legs, bone-inper lb | $1.27 | $1.74 | down 32.1% |
| Milk, wholeper gallon | $2.84 | $4.11 | down 28.6% |
Dearest now, compared with 1999
The five items whose price rose most against everything else since 1999.
| Item | 1999 average | Sep 2026 | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heating oil (fuel oil #2)per gallon | 90.0¢ | $5.92 | up 225.7% |
| Diesel fuelper gallon | $1.21 | $6.33 | up 158.2% |
| Ground beef, 100% beefper lb | $1.45 | $6.79 | up 131.1% |
| Gasoline, premium unleadedper gallon | $1.36 | $5.43 | up 97.9% |
| Ground beef, lean and extra leanper lb | $2.12 | $8.46 | up 97.2% |
Dairy & eggs in 1999
5 items| Item | 1999 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eggs, grade A largeper dozen | 95.9¢ | $1.94 | $2.27 | up 136.9% | up 17.0% |
| Milk, wholeper gallon | $2.84 | $5.75 | $4.11 | up 44.4% | down 28.6% |
| Cheddar cheeseper lb | $3.77 | $7.62 | $6.13 | up 62.7% | down 19.6% |
| American processed cheeseper lb | $3.81 | $7.71 | $4.74 | up 24.3% | down 38.5% |
| Ice creamper half gallon | $3.30 | $6.67 | $5.93 | up 79.9% | down 11.1% |
Meat in 1999
12 items| Item | 1999 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ground beef, 100% beefper lb | $1.45 | $2.94 | $6.79 | up 367.3% | up 131.1% |
| Ground beef, lean and extra leanper lb | $2.12 | $4.29 | $8.46 | up 299.0% | up 97.2% |
| Ground chuckper lb | $1.84 | $3.72 | $6.48 | up 252.2% | up 74.1% |
| Chicken, wholeper lb | $1.06 | $2.14 | $2.06 | up 95.5% | down 3.4% |
| Chicken legs, bone-inper lb | $1.27 | $2.56 | $1.74 | up 37.4% | down 32.1% |
| Bacon, slicedper lb | $2.55 | $5.15 | $6.76 | up 165.1% | up 31.1% |
| Pork chopsper lb | $3.73 | $7.54 | $4.55 | up 22.1% | down 39.6% |
| Ham, bonelessper lb | $2.86 | $5.79 | $5.45 | up 90.3% | down 5.9% |
| Sirloin steak, bonelessper lb | $4.37 | $8.84 | $14.11 | up 222.9% | up 59.6% |
| Round steak, bonelessper lb | $3.13 | $6.32 | $9.84 | up 214.8% | up 55.6% |
| Chuck roast, bonelessper lb | $2.41 | $4.87 | $9.19 | up 281.7% | up 88.7% |
| Beef for stew, bonelessper lb | $2.58 | $5.22 | $8.53 | up 231.0% | up 63.6% |
Produce in 1999
7 items| Item | 1999 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bananasper lb | 49.1¢ | 99.3¢ | 65.6¢ | up 33.7% | down 33.9% |
| Lemonsper lb | $1.33 | $2.70 | $2.13 | up 59.6% | down 21.1% |
| Grapefruitper lb | 64.8¢ | $1.31 | $1.62 | up 150.7% | up 24.0% |
| Strawberriesper 12 oz (dry pint) · 10 of 12 months | $1.69 | $3.43 | $2.84 | up 67.6% | down 17.1% |
| Potatoes, whiteper lb | 39.4¢ | 79.7¢ | 98.9¢ | up 150.9% | up 24.0% |
| Tomatoes, field grownper lb | $1.37 | $2.77 | $1.99 | up 45.4% | down 28.2% |
| Lettuce, icebergper lb | 67.4¢ | $1.36 | $1.64 | up 142.6% | up 19.9% |
Pantry in 1999
10 items| Item | 1999 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bread, whiteper lb | 88.7¢ | $1.79 | $1.83 | up 106.3% | up 2.0% |
| Bread, whole wheatper lb | $1.33 | $2.69 | $2.81May 2026 | up 111.5% | up 4.6% |
| Flour, white all-purposeper lb | 29.4¢ | 59.5¢ | 54.5¢ | up 85.4% | down 8.4% |
| Sugar, whiteper lb | 43.3¢ | 87.5¢ | $1.02 | up 135.5% | up 16.4% |
| Rice, white long grainper lb | 53.7¢ | $1.09 | $1.12 | up 108.3% | up 2.9% |
| Spaghetti and macaroniper lb | 87.9¢ | $1.78 | $1.38 | up 56.5% | down 22.6% |
| Coffee, ground roastper lb | $3.43 | $6.93 | $9.33 | up 172.3% | up 34.6% |
| Cookies, chocolate chipper lb | $2.60 | $5.25 | $5.15 | up 98.4% | down 1.9% |
| Potato chipsper 16 oz | $3.26 | $6.59 | $6.67 | up 104.7% | up 1.2% |
| Dried beansper lb | 69.6¢ | $1.41 | $1.67 | up 139.7% | up 18.5% |
Drinks in 1999
3 items| Item | 1999 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orange juice, frozen concentrateper 16 oz | $1.79 | $3.62 | $4.82Jul 2026 | up 169.0% | up 33.0% |
| Beer (malt beverages)per 16 oz | 87.8¢ | $1.78 | $1.88 | up 113.6% | up 5.6% |
| Wine, red and white tableper liter | $5.24 | $10.60 | $13.77 | up 162.8% | up 29.9% |
Energy in 1999
8 items| Item | 1999 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gasoline, regular unleadedper gallon | $1.17 | $2.35 | $4.48 | up 284.7% | up 90.3% |
| Gasoline, all typesper gallon | $1.22 | $2.47 | $4.63 | up 279.3% | up 87.7% |
| Gasoline, midgrade unleadedper gallon | $1.26 | $2.55 | $4.96 | up 292.7% | up 94.3% |
| Gasoline, premium unleadedper gallon | $1.36 | $2.74 | $5.43 | up 300.0% | up 97.9% |
| Diesel fuelper gallon | $1.21 | $2.45 | $6.33 | up 422.1% | up 158.2% |
| Electricityper kWh | 8.6¢ | 17.4¢ | 19.6¢ | up 127.0% | up 12.3% |
| Natural gas (piped utility gas)per therm | 68.5¢ | $1.39 | $1.70 | up 148.1% | up 22.7% |
| Heating oil (fuel oil #2)per gallon | 90.0¢ | $1.82 | $5.92 | up 558.3% | up 225.7% |
How we got these numbers
- 1999 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 1999 average of CPI-U (166.6).
- 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 1999: 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, 1999 average, in Sep 2026 dollars, Sep 2026 price