What things cost in 2004
In 2004, a dozen eggs averaged $1.34, a gallon of whole milk averaged $3.16 and a pound of white bread averaged 96.9¢. 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
2004$1.00Sep 2026$1.78
It takes $1.78 in September 2026 to buy what $1 bought on average in 2004: prices overall are 1.78 times as high.
- Items priced in 2004
- 45Of 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
- 31Rose faster than prices overall
- Prices overall
- 1.78×CPI-U, 2004 average to Sep 2026
The same shopping bag, 2004 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.
2004$13.92Sep 2026$31.53
Up 127% in dollars of the day. In Sep 2026 dollars the 2004 bag cost $24.83, so after inflation it is up 27%.
- Eggs per dozen2004: $1.34Sep 2026: $2.27
- Whole milk per gallon2004: $3.16Sep 2026: $4.11
- White bread per lb2004: 96.9¢Sep 2026: $1.83
- Ground beef per lb2004: $2.16Sep 2026: $6.79
- Whole chicken per lb2004: $1.07Sep 2026: $2.06
- Bananas per lb2004: 49.5¢Sep 2026: 65.6¢
- Coffee per lb2004: $2.85Sep 2026: $9.33
- Regular gas per gallon2004: $1.88Sep 2026: $4.48
Cheapest now, compared with 2004
The five items whose price rose least against everything else since 2004. Negative means today’s price takes less of today’s money.
| Item | 2004 average | Sep 2026 | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pork chopsper lb | $3.90 | $4.55 | down 34.6% |
| American processed cheeseper lb | $3.98 | $4.74 | down 33.3% |
| Tomatoes, field grownper lb | $1.61 | $1.99 | down 30.4% |
| Strawberriesper 12 oz (dry pint) | $2.23 | $2.84 | down 28.7% |
| Milk, wholeper gallon | $3.16 | $4.11 | down 27.0% |
Dearest now, compared with 2004
The five items whose price rose most against everything else since 2004.
| Item | 2004 average | Sep 2026 | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heating oil (fuel oil #2)per gallon | $1.65 | $5.92 | up 101.9% |
| Diesel fuelper gallon | $1.92 | $6.33 | up 84.9% |
| Coffee, ground roastper lb | $2.85 | $9.33 | up 83.6% |
| Ground beef, 100% beefper lb | $2.16 | $6.79 | up 76.3% |
| Ground beef, lean and extra leanper lb | $2.93 | $8.46 | up 61.9% |
Dairy & eggs in 2004
5 items| Item | 2004 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eggs, grade A largeper dozen | $1.34 | $2.39 | $2.27 | up 69.6% | down 5.0% |
| Milk, wholeper gallon | $3.16 | $5.63 | $4.11 | up 30.1% | down 27.0% |
| Cheddar cheeseper lb | $4.27 | $7.62 | $6.13 | up 43.5% | down 19.5% |
| American processed cheeseper lb | $3.98 | $7.11 | $4.74 | up 18.9% | down 33.3% |
| Ice creamper half gallon | $3.84 | $6.84 | $5.93 | up 54.6% | down 13.3% |
Meat in 2004
12 items| Item | 2004 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ground beef, 100% beefper lb | $2.16 | $3.85 | $6.79 | up 214.6% | up 76.3% |
| Ground beef, lean and extra leanper lb | $2.93 | $5.23 | $8.46 | up 188.8% | up 61.9% |
| Ground chuckper lb | $2.50 | $4.46 | $6.48 | up 159.1% | up 45.2% |
| Chicken, wholeper lb | $1.07 | $1.91 | $2.06 | up 93.0% | up 8.2% |
| Chicken legs, bone-inper lb | $1.33 | $2.37 | $1.74 | up 30.7% | down 26.7% |
| Bacon, slicedper lb | $3.38 | $6.02 | $6.76 | up 100.1% | up 12.2% |
| Pork chopsper lb | $3.90 | $6.96 | $4.55 | up 16.6% | down 34.6% |
| Ham, bonelessper lb | $3.05 | $5.45 | $5.45 | up 78.4% | unchanged 0.0% |
| Sirloin steak, bonelessper lb | $6.62 | $11.81 | $14.11 | up 113.0% | up 19.4% |
| Round steak, bonelessper lb | $4.13 | $7.37 | $9.84 | up 138.0% | up 33.4% |
| Chuck roast, bonelessper lb | $3.29 | $5.87 | $9.19 | up 179.3% | up 56.6% |
| Beef for stew, bonelessper lb | $3.32 | $5.92 | $8.53 | up 157.1% | up 44.1% |
Produce in 2004
8 items| Item | 2004 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bananasper lb | 49.5¢ | 88.4¢ | 65.6¢ | up 32.5% | down 25.8% |
| Oranges, navelper lb · 9 of 12 months | 85.9¢ | $1.53 | $1.72 | up 100.7% | up 12.4% |
| Lemonsper lb | $1.23 | $2.20 | $2.13 | up 72.3% | down 3.4% |
| Grapefruitper lb | 81.9¢ | $1.46 | $1.62 | up 98.3% | up 11.3% |
| Strawberriesper 12 oz (dry pint) | $2.23 | $3.98 | $2.84 | up 27.2% | down 28.7% |
| Potatoes, whiteper lb | 45.4¢ | 80.9¢ | 98.9¢ | up 118.0% | up 22.2% |
| Tomatoes, field grownper lb | $1.61 | $2.86 | $1.99 | up 24.0% | down 30.4% |
| Lettuce, icebergper lb | 79.8¢ | $1.42 | $1.64 | up 105.1% | up 14.9% |
Pantry in 2004
9 items| Item | 2004 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bread, whiteper lb | 96.9¢ | $1.73 | $1.83 | up 88.8% | up 5.8% |
| Flour, white all-purposeper lb | 30.3¢ | 54.0¢ | 54.5¢ | up 80.1% | up 1.0% |
| Sugar, whiteper lb | 42.6¢ | 76.1¢ | $1.02 | up 139.0% | up 34.0% |
| Rice, white long grainper lb | 53.6¢ | 95.6¢ | $1.12 | up 108.5% | up 16.9% |
| Spaghetti and macaroniper lb | 94.7¢ | $1.69 | $1.38 | up 45.3% | down 18.6% |
| Coffee, ground roastper lb | $2.85 | $5.08 | $9.33 | up 227.5% | up 83.6% |
| Cookies, chocolate chipper lb | $2.65 | $4.72 | $5.15 | up 94.8% | up 9.2% |
| Potato chipsper 16 oz | $3.40 | $6.07 | $6.67 | up 95.9% | up 9.8% |
| Dried beansper lb | 76.7¢ | $1.37 | $1.67 | up 117.5% | up 21.9% |
Drinks in 2004
3 items| Item | 2004 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orange juice, frozen concentrateper 16 oz | $1.89 | $3.36 | $4.82Jul 2026 | up 155.4% | up 43.2% |
| Beer (malt beverages)per 16 oz | $1.07 | $1.90 | $1.88 | up 76.0% | down 1.4% |
| Wine, red and white tableper liter | $6.92 | $12.34 | $13.77 | up 98.9% | up 11.6% |
Energy in 2004
8 items| Item | 2004 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gasoline, regular unleadedper gallon | $1.88 | $3.35 | $4.48 | up 138.4% | up 33.7% |
| Gasoline, all typesper gallon | $1.92 | $3.43 | $4.63 | up 140.8% | up 35.1% |
| Gasoline, midgrade unleadedper gallon | $1.98 | $3.53 | $4.96 | up 150.7% | up 40.6% |
| Gasoline, premium unleadedper gallon | $2.07 | $3.69 | $5.43 | up 162.4% | up 47.2% |
| Diesel fuelper gallon | $1.92 | $3.42 | $6.33 | up 229.6% | up 84.9% |
| Electricityper kWh | 9.4¢ | 16.8¢ | 19.6¢ | up 107.8% | up 16.4% |
| Natural gas (piped utility gas)per therm | $1.05 | $1.87 | $1.70 | up 62.0% | down 9.2% |
| Heating oil (fuel oil #2)per gallon | $1.65 | $2.93 | $5.92 | up 259.9% | up 101.9% |
How we got these numbers
- 2004 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 2004 average of CPI-U (188.9).
- One item stops early. Orange juice: “now” is BLS’s newest month for it, shown under the price.
- Not listed for 2004: reduced-fat milk, butter, yogurt, chicken breast, romaine lettuce, whole wheat bread, 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, 2004 average, in Sep 2026 dollars, Sep 2026 price