What things cost in 2000
In 2000, a dozen eggs averaged 91.3¢, a gallon of whole milk averaged $2.78 and a pound of white bread averaged 93.0¢. 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
2000$1.00Sep 2026$1.96
It takes $1.96 in September 2026 to buy what $1 bought on average in 2000: prices overall are 1.96 times as high.
- Items priced in 2000
- 44Of the 53 on this site
- Cheaper now, after inflation
- 14Today’s price is below the old one in today’s dollars
- Dearer now, after inflation
- 30Rose faster than prices overall
- Prices overall
- 1.96×CPI-U, 2000 average to Sep 2026
The same shopping bag, 2000 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.
2000$12.73Sep 2026$31.53
Up 148% in dollars of the day. In Sep 2026 dollars the 2000 bag cost $24.90, so after inflation it is up 27%.
- Eggs per dozen2000: 91.3¢Sep 2026: $2.27
- Whole milk per gallon2000: $2.78Sep 2026: $4.11
- White bread per lb2000: 93.0¢Sep 2026: $1.83
- Ground beef per lb2000: $1.57Sep 2026: $6.79
- Whole chicken per lb2000: $1.07Sep 2026: $2.06
- Bananas per lb2000: 50.1¢Sep 2026: 65.6¢
- Coffee per lb2000: $3.45Sep 2026: $9.33
- Regular gas per gallon2000: $1.51Sep 2026: $4.48
Cheapest now, compared with 2000
The five items whose price rose least against everything else since 2000. Negative means today’s price takes less of today’s money.
| Item | 2000 average | Sep 2026 | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pork chopsper lb | $3.89 | $4.55 | down 40.3% |
| American processed cheeseper lb | $3.70 | $4.74 | down 34.6% |
| Bananasper lb | 50.1¢ | 65.6¢ | down 33.1% |
| Chicken legs, bone-inper lb | $1.27 | $1.74 | down 30.0% |
| Tomatoes, field grownper lb | $1.38 | $1.99 | down 26.3% |
Dearest now, compared with 2000
The five items whose price rose most against everything else since 2000.
| Item | 2000 average | Sep 2026 | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heating oil (fuel oil #2)per gallon | $1.36 | $5.92 | up 122.6% |
| Ground beef, 100% beefper lb | $1.57 | $6.79 | up 121.2% |
| Diesel fuelper gallon | $1.58 | $6.33 | up 105.2% |
| Ground beef, lean and extra leanper lb | $2.26 | $8.46 | up 91.1% |
| Chuck roast, bonelessper lb | $2.51 | $9.19 | up 87.3% |
Dairy & eggs in 2000
5 items| Item | 2000 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eggs, grade A largeper dozen | 91.3¢ | $1.79 | $2.27 | up 148.7% | up 27.1% |
| Milk, wholeper gallon | $2.78 | $5.44 | $4.11 | up 47.7% | down 24.5% |
| Cheddar cheeseper lb | $3.83 | $7.49 | $6.13 | up 60.1% | down 18.2% |
| American processed cheeseper lb | $3.70 | $7.24 | $4.74 | up 28.1% | down 34.6% |
| Ice creamper half gallon | $3.45 | $6.74 | $5.93 | up 72.1% | down 12.0% |
Meat in 2000
12 items| Item | 2000 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ground beef, 100% beefper lb | $1.57 | $3.07 | $6.79 | up 332.8% | up 121.2% |
| Ground beef, lean and extra leanper lb | $2.26 | $4.43 | $8.46 | up 273.9% | up 91.1% |
| Ground chuckper lb | $1.94 | $3.79 | $6.48 | up 234.6% | up 71.0% |
| Chicken, wholeper lb | $1.07 | $2.10 | $2.06 | up 92.7% | down 1.5% |
| Chicken legs, bone-inper lb | $1.27 | $2.48 | $1.74 | up 36.9% | down 30.0% |
| Bacon, slicedper lb | $3.03 | $5.93 | $6.76 | up 122.9% | up 14.0% |
| Pork chopsper lb | $3.89 | $7.62 | $4.55 | up 16.9% | down 40.3% |
| Ham, bonelessper lb | $2.79 | $5.46 | $5.45 | up 95.3% | down 0.2% |
| Sirloin steak, bonelessper lb | $4.73 | $9.25 | $14.11 | up 198.4% | up 52.5% |
| Round steak, bonelessper lb | $3.24 | $6.33 | $9.84 | up 204.0% | up 55.4% |
| Chuck roast, bonelessper lb | $2.51 | $4.90 | $9.19 | up 266.5% | up 87.3% |
| Beef for stew, bonelessper lb | $2.70 | $5.29 | $8.53 | up 215.9% | up 61.4% |
Produce in 2000
7 items| Item | 2000 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bananasper lb | 50.1¢ | 98.0¢ | 65.6¢ | up 30.9% | down 33.1% |
| Lemonsper lb | $1.29 | $2.52 | $2.13 | up 65.0% | down 15.7% |
| Grapefruitper lb | 61.0¢ | $1.19 | $1.62 | up 166.2% | up 36.1% |
| Strawberriesper 12 oz (dry pint) · 10 of 12 months | $1.53 | $3.01 | $2.84 | up 85.3% | down 5.6% |
| Potatoes, whiteper lb | 38.0¢ | 74.3¢ | 98.9¢ | up 160.4% | up 33.0% |
| Tomatoes, field grownper lb | $1.38 | $2.70 | $1.99 | up 44.1% | down 26.3% |
| Lettuce, icebergper lb | 73.6¢ | $1.44 | $1.64 | up 122.3% | up 13.7% |
Pantry in 2000
9 items| Item | 2000 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bread, whiteper lb | 93.0¢ | $1.82 | $1.83 | up 96.7% | up 0.5% |
| Bread, whole wheatper lb | $1.36 | $2.66 | $2.81May 2026 | up 107.4% | up 6.0% |
| Flour, white all-purposeper lb | 29.0¢ | 56.8¢ | 54.5¢ | up 87.8% | down 4.1% |
| Sugar, whiteper lb | 42.4¢ | 83.0¢ | $1.02 | up 140.3% | up 22.8% |
| Spaghetti and macaroniper lb | 86.2¢ | $1.69 | $1.38 | up 59.5% | down 18.5% |
| Coffee, ground roastper lb | $3.45 | $6.75 | $9.33 | up 170.5% | up 38.2% |
| Cookies, chocolate chipper lb | $2.59 | $5.07 | $5.15 | up 98.9% | up 1.7% |
| Potato chipsper 16 oz | $3.36 | $6.58 | $6.67 | up 98.4% | up 1.4% |
| Dried beansper lb | 68.7¢ | $1.34 | $1.67 | up 143.0% | up 24.2% |
Drinks in 2000
3 items| Item | 2000 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orange juice, frozen concentrateper 16 oz | $1.84 | $3.60 | $4.82Jul 2026 | up 161.8% | up 33.8% |
| Beer (malt beverages)per 16 oz | 91.8¢ | $1.80 | $1.88 | up 104.2% | up 4.4% |
| Wine, red and white tableper liter | $5.41 | $10.58 | $13.77 | up 154.6% | up 30.1% |
Energy in 2000
8 items| Item | 2000 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gasoline, regular unleadedper gallon | $1.51 | $2.95 | $4.48 | up 196.8% | up 51.8% |
| Gasoline, all typesper gallon | $1.56 | $3.06 | $4.63 | up 196.4% | up 51.5% |
| Gasoline, midgrade unleadedper gallon | $1.60 | $3.13 | $4.96 | up 209.5% | up 58.2% |
| Gasoline, premium unleadedper gallon | $1.69 | $3.31 | $5.43 | up 220.5% | up 63.9% |
| Diesel fuelper gallon | $1.58 | $3.08 | $6.33 | up 301.4% | up 105.2% |
| Electricityper kWh | 8.7¢ | 17.1¢ | 19.6¢ | up 124.6% | up 14.8% |
| Natural gas (piped utility gas)per therm | 80.3¢ | $1.57 | $1.70 | up 111.6% | up 8.2% |
| Heating oil (fuel oil #2)per gallon | $1.36 | $2.66 | $5.92 | up 335.4% | up 122.6% |
How we got these numbers
- 2000 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 2000 average of CPI-U (172.2).
- 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 2000: reduced-fat milk, butter, yogurt, chicken breast, oranges, romaine lettuce, rice, 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 CSV44 rows: item, unit, 2000 average, in Sep 2026 dollars, Sep 2026 price