What things cost in 2002
In 2002, a dozen eggs averaged $1.03, a gallon of whole milk averaged $2.76 and a pound of white bread averaged $1.02. 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
2002$1.00Sep 2026$1.87
It takes $1.87 in September 2026 to buy what $1 bought on average in 2002: prices overall are 1.87 times as high.
- Items priced in 2002
- 44Of the 53 on this site
- Cheaper now, after inflation
- 13Today’s price is below the old one in today’s dollars
- Dearer now, after inflation
- 31Rose faster than prices overall
- Prices overall
- 1.87×CPI-U, 2002 average to Sep 2026
The same shopping bag, 2002 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.
2002$12.38Sep 2026$31.53
Up 155% in dollars of the day. In Sep 2026 dollars the 2002 bag cost $23.19, so after inflation it is up 36%.
- Eggs per dozen2002: $1.03Sep 2026: $2.27
- Whole milk per gallon2002: $2.76Sep 2026: $4.11
- White bread per lb2002: $1.02Sep 2026: $1.83
- Ground beef per lb2002: $1.71Sep 2026: $6.79
- Whole chicken per lb2002: $1.07Sep 2026: $2.06
- Bananas per lb2002: 50.7¢Sep 2026: 65.6¢
- Coffee per lb2002: $2.92Sep 2026: $9.33
- Regular gas per gallon2002: $1.36Sep 2026: $4.48
Cheapest now, compared with 2002
The five items whose price rose least against everything else since 2002. Negative means today’s price takes less of today’s money.
| Item | 2002 average | Sep 2026 | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pork chopsper lb | $3.86 | $4.55 | down 37.2% |
| American processed cheeseper lb | $3.88 | $4.74 | down 34.8% |
| Bananasper lb | 50.7¢ | 65.6¢ | down 31.0% |
| Chicken legs, bone-inper lb | $1.31 | $1.74 | down 29.0% |
| Cheddar cheeseper lb | $4.22 | $6.13 | down 22.4% |
Dearest now, compared with 2002
The five items whose price rose most against everything else since 2002.
| Item | 2002 average | Sep 2026 | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heating oil (fuel oil #2)per gallon | $1.16 | $5.92 | up 172.2% |
| Diesel fuelper gallon | $1.43 | $6.33 | up 137.2% |
| Ground beef, 100% beefper lb | $1.71 | $6.79 | up 111.7% |
| Gasoline, premium unleadedper gallon | $1.56 | $5.43 | up 86.2% |
| Gasoline, midgrade unleadedper gallon | $1.47 | $4.96 | up 80.1% |
Dairy & eggs in 2002
5 items| Item | 2002 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eggs, grade A largeper dozen | $1.03 | $1.93 | $2.27 | up 120.2% | up 17.6% |
| Milk, wholeper gallon | $2.76 | $5.17 | $4.11 | up 48.9% | down 20.5% |
| Cheddar cheeseper lb | $4.22 | $7.90 | $6.13 | up 45.4% | down 22.4% |
| American processed cheeseper lb | $3.88 | $7.27 | $4.74 | up 22.1% | down 34.8% |
| Ice creamper half gallon | $3.73 | $6.99 | $5.93 | up 58.9% | down 15.2% |
Meat in 2002
12 items| Item | 2002 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ground beef, 100% beefper lb | $1.71 | $3.21 | $6.79 | up 296.6% | up 111.7% |
| Ground beef, lean and extra leanper lb | $2.58 | $4.83 | $8.46 | up 228.3% | up 75.3% |
| Ground chuckper lb | $2.13 | $4.00 | $6.48 | up 203.9% | up 62.2% |
| Chicken, wholeper lb | $1.07 | $2.01 | $2.06 | up 92.2% | up 2.6% |
| Chicken legs, bone-inper lb | $1.31 | $2.45 | $1.74 | up 33.0% | down 29.0% |
| Bacon, slicedper lb | $3.24 | $6.06 | $6.76 | up 108.8% | up 11.4% |
| Pork chopsper lb | $3.86 | $7.24 | $4.55 | up 17.8% | down 37.2% |
| Ham, bonelessper lb | $2.82 | $5.28 | $5.45 | up 93.2% | up 3.1% |
| Sirloin steak, bonelessper lb | $5.30 | $9.92 | $14.11 | up 166.2% | up 42.1% |
| Round steak, bonelessper lb | $3.50 | $6.56 | $9.84 | up 181.0% | up 50.0% |
| Chuck roast, bonelessper lb | $2.74 | $5.14 | $9.19 | up 234.9% | up 78.8% |
| Beef for stew, bonelessper lb | $2.95 | $5.52 | $8.53 | up 189.4% | up 54.5% |
Produce in 2002
7 items| Item | 2002 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bananasper lb | 50.7¢ | 95.1¢ | 65.6¢ | up 29.3% | down 31.0% |
| Lemonsper lb | $1.39 | $2.60 | $2.13 | up 53.0% | down 18.3% |
| Grapefruitper lb | 64.8¢ | $1.21 | $1.62 | up 150.6% | up 33.8% |
| Strawberriesper 12 oz (dry pint) · 11 of 12 months | $1.86 | $3.48 | $2.84 | up 52.9% | down 18.5% |
| Potatoes, whiteper lb | 49.3¢ | 92.3¢ | 98.9¢ | up 100.5% | up 7.1% |
| Tomatoes, field grownper lb | $1.32 | $2.48 | $1.99 | up 50.4% | down 19.7% |
| Lettuce, icebergper lb | 86.1¢ | $1.62 | $1.64 | up 90.0% | up 1.3% |
Pantry in 2002
9 items| Item | 2002 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bread, whiteper lb | $1.02 | $1.90 | $1.83 | up 80.2% | down 3.8% |
| Bread, whole wheatper lb | $1.46 | $2.74 | $2.81May 2026 | up 92.7% | up 2.9% |
| Flour, white all-purposeper lb | 31.1¢ | 58.4¢ | 54.5¢ | up 75.0% | down 6.6% |
| Sugar, whiteper lb | 43.1¢ | 80.7¢ | $1.02 | up 136.4% | up 26.2% |
| Spaghetti and macaroniper lb | 91.8¢ | $1.72 | $1.38 | up 49.7% | down 20.1% |
| Coffee, ground roastper lb | $2.92 | $5.48 | $9.33 | up 219.2% | up 70.4% |
| Cookies, chocolate chipper lb | $2.59 | $4.86 | $5.15 | up 98.6% | up 6.0% |
| Potato chipsper 16 oz | $3.36 | $6.29 | $6.67 | up 98.7% | up 6.1% |
| Dried beansper lb | 72.8¢ | $1.36 | $1.67 | up 129.2% | up 22.3% |
Drinks in 2002
3 items| Item | 2002 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orange juice, frozen concentrateper 16 oz | $1.85 | $3.46 | $4.82Jul 2026 | up 161.0% | up 39.3% |
| Beer (malt beverages)per 16 oz | 99.2¢ | $1.86 | $1.88 | up 89.0% | up 0.9% |
| Wine, red and white tableper liter | $6.23 | $11.67 | $13.77 | up 120.9% | up 17.9% |
Energy in 2002
8 items| Item | 2002 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gasoline, regular unleadedper gallon | $1.36 | $2.54 | $4.48 | up 230.2% | up 76.3% |
| Gasoline, all typesper gallon | $1.44 | $2.70 | $4.63 | up 221.4% | up 71.7% |
| Gasoline, midgrade unleadedper gallon | $1.47 | $2.75 | $4.96 | up 237.3% | up 80.1% |
| Gasoline, premium unleadedper gallon | $1.56 | $2.91 | $5.43 | up 248.6% | up 86.2% |
| Diesel fuelper gallon | $1.43 | $2.67 | $6.33 | up 344.1% | up 137.2% |
| Electricityper kWh | 9.1¢ | 17.1¢ | 19.6¢ | up 115.2% | up 14.8% |
| Natural gas (piped utility gas)per therm | 78.5¢ | $1.47 | $1.70 | up 116.5% | up 15.6% |
| Heating oil (fuel oil #2)per gallon | $1.16 | $2.18 | $5.92 | up 409.9% | up 172.2% |
How we got these numbers
- 2002 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 2002 average of CPI-U (179.9).
- 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 2002: 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, 2002 average, in Sep 2026 dollars, Sep 2026 price