What things cost in 2003
In 2003, a dozen eggs averaged $1.24, a gallon of whole milk averaged $2.76 and a pound of white bread averaged $1.00. Here are 46 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
2003$1.00Sep 2026$1.83
It takes $1.83 in September 2026 to buy what $1 bought on average in 2003: prices overall are 1.83 times as high.
- Items priced in 2003
- 46Of 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
- 30Rose faster than prices overall
- Prices overall
- 1.83×CPI-U, 2003 average to Sep 2026
The same shopping bag, 2003 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.
2003$13.01Sep 2026$31.53
Up 142% in dollars of the day. In Sep 2026 dollars the 2003 bag cost $23.82, so after inflation it is up 32%.
- Eggs per dozen2003: $1.24Sep 2026: $2.27
- Whole milk per gallon2003: $2.76Sep 2026: $4.11
- White bread per lb2003: $1.00Sep 2026: $1.83
- Ground beef per lb2003: $1.95Sep 2026: $6.79
- Whole chicken per lb2003: $1.03Sep 2026: $2.06
- Bananas per lb2003: 50.9¢Sep 2026: 65.6¢
- Coffee per lb2003: $2.92Sep 2026: $9.33
- Regular gas per gallon2003: $1.59Sep 2026: $4.48
Cheapest now, compared with 2003
The five items whose price rose least against everything else since 2003. Negative means today’s price takes less of today’s money.
| Item | 2003 average | Sep 2026 | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pork chopsper lb | $3.79 | $4.55 | down 34.5% |
| American processed cheeseper lb | $3.77 | $4.74 | down 31.4% |
| Bananasper lb | 50.9¢ | 65.6¢ | down 29.6% |
| Tomatoes, field grownper lb | $1.51 | $1.99 | down 27.9% |
| Chicken legs, bone-inper lb | $1.26 | $1.74 | down 24.4% |
Dearest now, compared with 2003
The five items whose price rose most against everything else since 2003.
| Item | 2003 average | Sep 2026 | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heating oil (fuel oil #2)per gallon | $1.40 | $5.92 | up 130.8% |
| Diesel fuelper gallon | $1.65 | $6.33 | up 110.1% |
| Ground beef, 100% beefper lb | $1.95 | $6.79 | up 90.2% |
| Coffee, ground roastper lb | $2.92 | $9.33 | up 74.7% |
| Ground beef, lean and extra leanper lb | $2.73 | $8.46 | up 69.5% |
Dairy & eggs in 2003
5 items| Item | 2003 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eggs, grade A largeper dozen | $1.24 | $2.28 | $2.27 | up 82.6% | down 0.3% |
| Milk, wholeper gallon | $2.76 | $5.06 | $4.11 | up 48.7% | down 18.8% |
| Cheddar cheeseper lb | $3.95 | $7.23 | $6.13 | up 55.3% | down 15.2% |
| American processed cheeseper lb | $3.77 | $6.91 | $4.74 | up 25.6% | down 31.4% |
| Ice creamper half gallon | $3.81 | $6.98 | $5.93 | up 55.7% | down 15.0% |
Meat in 2003
12 items| Item | 2003 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ground beef, 100% beefper lb | $1.95 | $3.57 | $6.79 | up 248.2% | up 90.2% |
| Ground beef, lean and extra leanper lb | $2.73 | $4.99 | $8.46 | up 210.4% | up 69.5% |
| Ground chuckper lb | $2.28 | $4.17 | $6.48 | up 184.7% | up 55.4% |
| Chicken, wholeper lb | $1.03 | $1.89 | $2.06 | up 99.5% | up 8.9% |
| Chicken legs, bone-inper lb | $1.26 | $2.30 | $1.74 | up 38.4% | down 24.4% |
| Bacon, slicedper lb | $3.20 | $5.86 | $6.76 | up 111.3% | up 15.3% |
| Pork chopsper lb | $3.79 | $6.95 | $4.55 | up 20.0% | down 34.5% |
| Ham, bonelessper lb | $2.89 | $5.29 | $5.45 | up 88.5% | up 2.9% |
| Sirloin steak, bonelessper lb | $5.94 | $10.88 | $14.11 | up 137.3% | up 29.6% |
| Round steak, bonelessper lb | $3.84 | $7.02 | $9.84 | up 156.5% | up 40.1% |
| Chuck roast, bonelessper lb | $3.05 | $5.58 | $9.19 | up 201.5% | up 64.6% |
| Beef for stew, bonelessper lb | $3.10 | $5.69 | $8.53 | up 174.9% | up 50.1% |
Produce in 2003
8 items| Item | 2003 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bananasper lb | 50.9¢ | 93.2¢ | 65.6¢ | up 29.0% | down 29.6% |
| Oranges, navelper lb · 9 of 12 months | 83.8¢ | $1.54 | $1.72 | up 105.6% | up 12.2% |
| Lemonsper lb | $1.32 | $2.41 | $2.13 | up 61.5% | down 11.8% |
| Grapefruitper lb | 72.3¢ | $1.32 | $1.62 | up 124.8% | up 22.8% |
| Strawberriesper 12 oz (dry pint) · 10 of 12 months | $1.93 | $3.53 | $2.84 | up 47.2% | down 19.5% |
| Potatoes, whiteper lb | 45.8¢ | 84.0¢ | 98.9¢ | up 115.7% | up 17.7% |
| Tomatoes, field grownper lb | $1.51 | $2.76 | $1.99 | up 32.0% | down 27.9% |
| Lettuce, icebergper lb | 82.3¢ | $1.51 | $1.64 | up 98.8% | up 8.6% |
Pantry in 2003
10 items| Item | 2003 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bread, whiteper lb | $1.00 | $1.83 | $1.83 | up 82.9% | down 0.2% |
| Bread, whole wheatper lb · 9 of 12 months | $1.43 | $2.61 | $2.81May 2026 | up 97.4% | up 7.7% |
| Flour, white all-purposeper lb | 31.2¢ | 57.1¢ | 54.5¢ | up 74.9% | down 4.6% |
| Sugar, whiteper lb | 42.7¢ | 78.2¢ | $1.02 | up 138.8% | up 30.3% |
| Rice, white long grainper lb | 45.2¢ | 82.8¢ | $1.12 | up 147.3% | up 35.0% |
| Spaghetti and macaroniper lb | 93.3¢ | $1.71 | $1.38 | up 47.4% | down 19.5% |
| Coffee, ground roastper lb | $2.92 | $5.34 | $9.33 | up 220.0% | up 74.7% |
| Cookies, chocolate chipper lb | $2.81 | $5.15 | $5.15 | up 83.1% | unchanged 0.0% |
| Potato chipsper 16 oz | $3.50 | $6.41 | $6.67 | up 90.6% | up 4.1% |
| Dried beansper lb | 76.0¢ | $1.39 | $1.67 | up 119.6% | up 19.9% |
Drinks in 2003
3 items| Item | 2003 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orange juice, frozen concentrateper 16 oz | $1.85 | $3.39 | $4.82Jul 2026 | up 160.5% | up 42.2% |
| Beer (malt beverages)per 16 oz | $1.01 | $1.86 | $1.88 | up 85.0% | up 1.0% |
| Wine, red and white tableper liter | $6.39 | $11.70 | $13.77 | up 115.5% | up 17.6% |
Energy in 2003
8 items| Item | 2003 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gasoline, regular unleadedper gallon | $1.59 | $2.91 | $4.48 | up 181.8% | up 53.9% |
| Gasoline, all typesper gallon | $1.64 | $3.00 | $4.63 | up 182.8% | up 54.4% |
| Gasoline, midgrade unleadedper gallon | $1.69 | $3.09 | $4.96 | up 193.9% | up 60.5% |
| Gasoline, premium unleadedper gallon | $1.78 | $3.25 | $5.43 | up 205.4% | up 66.8% |
| Diesel fuelper gallon | $1.65 | $3.01 | $6.33 | up 284.8% | up 110.1% |
| Electricityper kWh | 9.3¢ | 17.0¢ | 19.6¢ | up 111.1% | up 15.2% |
| Natural gas (piped utility gas)per therm | 96.8¢ | $1.77 | $1.70 | up 75.5% | down 4.2% |
| Heating oil (fuel oil #2)per gallon | $1.40 | $2.57 | $5.92 | up 322.9% | up 130.8% |
How we got these numbers
- 2003 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 2003 average of CPI-U (184.0).
- 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 2003: reduced-fat milk, butter, yogurt, chicken breast, 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 CSV46 rows: item, unit, 2003 average, in Sep 2026 dollars, Sep 2026 price