What things cost in 2001
In 2001, a dozen eggs averaged 92.9¢, a gallon of whole milk averaged $2.88 and a pound of white bread averaged 99.9¢. 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
2001$1.00Sep 2026$1.90
It takes $1.90 in September 2026 to buy what $1 bought on average in 2001: prices overall are 1.90 times as high.
- Items priced in 2001
- 44Of 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
- 29Rose faster than prices overall
- Prices overall
- 1.90×CPI-U, 2001 average to Sep 2026
The same shopping bag, 2001 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.
2001$12.69Sep 2026$31.53
Up 148% in dollars of the day. In Sep 2026 dollars the 2001 bag cost $24.15, so after inflation it is up 31%.
- Eggs per dozen2001: 92.9¢Sep 2026: $2.27
- Whole milk per gallon2001: $2.88Sep 2026: $4.11
- White bread per lb2001: 99.9¢Sep 2026: $1.83
- Ground beef per lb2001: $1.71Sep 2026: $6.79
- Whole chicken per lb2001: $1.11Sep 2026: $2.06
- Bananas per lb2001: 50.7¢Sep 2026: 65.6¢
- Coffee per lb2001: $3.09Sep 2026: $9.33
- Regular gas per gallon2001: $1.46Sep 2026: $4.48
Cheapest now, compared with 2001
The five items whose price rose least against everything else since 2001. Negative means today’s price takes less of today’s money.
| Item | 2001 average | Sep 2026 | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pork chopsper lb | $3.97 | $4.55 | down 39.8% |
| American processed cheeseper lb | $3.87 | $4.74 | down 35.7% |
| Bananasper lb | 50.7¢ | 65.6¢ | down 32.0% |
| Chicken legs, bone-inper lb | $1.31 | $1.74 | down 30.5% |
| Milk, wholeper gallon | $2.88 | $4.11 | down 25.2% |
Dearest now, compared with 2001
The five items whose price rose most against everything else since 2001.
| Item | 2001 average | Sep 2026 | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heating oil (fuel oil #2)per gallon | $1.31 | $5.92 | up 137.6% |
| Diesel fuelper gallon | $1.53 | $6.33 | up 116.9% |
| Ground beef, 100% beefper lb | $1.71 | $6.79 | up 108.2% |
| Ground beef, lean and extra leanper lb | $2.47 | $8.46 | up 80.0% |
| Chuck roast, bonelessper lb | $2.79 | $9.19 | up 73.3% |
Dairy & eggs in 2001
5 items| Item | 2001 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eggs, grade A largeper dozen | 92.9¢ | $1.77 | $2.27 | up 144.5% | up 28.5% |
| Milk, wholeper gallon | $2.88 | $5.49 | $4.11 | up 42.4% | down 25.2% |
| Cheddar cheeseper lb | $4.03 | $7.66 | $6.13 | up 52.3% | down 20.0% |
| American processed cheeseper lb | $3.87 | $7.37 | $4.74 | up 22.4% | down 35.7% |
| Ice creamper half gallon | $3.70 | $7.05 | $5.93 | up 60.2% | down 15.8% |
Meat in 2001
12 items| Item | 2001 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ground beef, 100% beefper lb | $1.71 | $3.26 | $6.79 | up 296.2% | up 108.2% |
| Ground beef, lean and extra leanper lb | $2.47 | $4.70 | $8.46 | up 242.5% | up 80.0% |
| Ground chuckper lb | $2.11 | $4.01 | $6.48 | up 207.8% | up 61.8% |
| Chicken, wholeper lb | $1.11 | $2.10 | $2.06 | up 86.8% | down 1.9% |
| Chicken legs, bone-inper lb | $1.31 | $2.50 | $1.74 | up 32.3% | down 30.5% |
| Bacon, slicedper lb | $3.25 | $6.19 | $6.76 | up 107.6% | up 9.1% |
| Pork chopsper lb | $3.97 | $7.56 | $4.55 | up 14.5% | down 39.8% |
| Ham, bonelessper lb | $2.74 | $5.21 | $5.45 | up 98.9% | up 4.5% |
| Sirloin steak, bonelessper lb | $5.27 | $10.03 | $14.11 | up 167.6% | up 40.6% |
| Round steak, bonelessper lb | $3.50 | $6.65 | $9.84 | up 181.3% | up 47.8% |
| Chuck roast, bonelessper lb | $2.79 | $5.30 | $9.19 | up 229.8% | up 73.3% |
| Beef for stew, bonelessper lb | $2.96 | $5.63 | $8.53 | up 188.4% | up 51.6% |
Produce in 2001
7 items| Item | 2001 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bananasper lb | 50.7¢ | 96.4¢ | 65.6¢ | up 29.5% | down 32.0% |
| Lemonsper lb | $1.26 | $2.41 | $2.13 | up 68.2% | down 11.6% |
| Grapefruitper lb | 65.1¢ | $1.24 | $1.62 | up 149.5% | up 31.2% |
| Strawberriesper 12 oz (dry pint) · 11 of 12 months | $1.87 | $3.55 | $2.84 | up 52.2% | down 20.0% |
| Potatoes, whiteper lb | 39.0¢ | 74.2¢ | 98.9¢ | up 153.6% | up 33.3% |
| Tomatoes, field grownper lb | $1.32 | $2.51 | $1.99 | up 50.9% | down 20.7% |
| Lettuce, icebergper lb | 79.3¢ | $1.51 | $1.64 | up 106.3% | up 8.4% |
Pantry in 2001
9 items| Item | 2001 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bread, whiteper lb | 99.9¢ | $1.90 | $1.83 | up 83.2% | down 3.7% |
| Bread, whole wheatper lb | $1.44 | $2.74 | $2.81May 2026 | up 95.6% | up 2.8% |
| Flour, white all-purposeper lb | 30.2¢ | 57.5¢ | 54.5¢ | up 80.3% | down 5.3% |
| Sugar, whiteper lb | 43.4¢ | 82.6¢ | $1.02 | up 134.7% | up 23.4% |
| Spaghetti and macaroniper lb | 90.8¢ | $1.73 | $1.38 | up 51.5% | down 20.4% |
| Coffee, ground roastper lb | $3.09 | $5.89 | $9.33 | up 201.8% | up 58.6% |
| Cookies, chocolate chipper lb | $2.44 | $4.64 | $5.15 | up 111.1% | up 11.0% |
| Potato chipsper 16 oz | $3.43 | $6.52 | $6.67 | up 94.6% | up 2.3% |
| Dried beansper lb | 68.7¢ | $1.31 | $1.67 | up 142.9% | up 27.6% |
Drinks in 2001
3 items| Item | 2001 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orange juice, frozen concentrateper 16 oz | $1.89 | $3.60 | $4.82Jul 2026 | up 154.8% | up 33.9% |
| Beer (malt beverages)per 16 oz | 95.5¢ | $1.82 | $1.88 | up 96.2% | up 3.1% |
| Wine, red and white tableper liter | $5.96 | $11.34 | $13.77 | up 131.0% | up 21.4% |
Energy in 2001
8 items| Item | 2001 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gasoline, regular unleadedper gallon | $1.46 | $2.78 | $4.48 | up 206.8% | up 61.2% |
| Gasoline, all typesper gallon | $1.53 | $2.91 | $4.63 | up 202.4% | up 58.9% |
| Gasoline, midgrade unleadedper gallon | $1.58 | $3.00 | $4.96 | up 214.7% | up 65.4% |
| Gasoline, premium unleadedper gallon | $1.66 | $3.15 | $5.43 | up 227.4% | up 72.1% |
| Diesel fuelper gallon | $1.53 | $2.92 | $6.33 | up 312.7% | up 116.9% |
| Electricityper kWh | 9.2¢ | 17.6¢ | 19.6¢ | up 112.3% | up 11.5% |
| Natural gas (piped utility gas)per therm | 93.8¢ | $1.79 | $1.70 | up 81.2% | down 4.8% |
| Heating oil (fuel oil #2)per gallon | $1.31 | $2.49 | $5.92 | up 352.2% | up 137.6% |
How we got these numbers
- 2001 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 2001 average of CPI-U (177.1).
- 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 2001: 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, 2001 average, in Sep 2026 dollars, Sep 2026 price