What things cost in 2005
In 2005, a dozen eggs averaged $1.22, a gallon of whole milk averaged $3.19 and a pound of white bread averaged $1.04. 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
2005$1.00Sep 2026$1.73
It takes $1.73 in September 2026 to buy what $1 bought on average in 2005: prices overall are 1.73 times as high.
- Items priced in 2005
- 46Of 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
- 31Rose faster than prices overall
- Prices overall
- 1.73×CPI-U, 2005 average to Sep 2026
The same shopping bag, 2005 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.
2005$14.85Sep 2026$31.53
Up 112% in dollars of the day. In Sep 2026 dollars the 2005 bag cost $25.61, so after inflation it is up 23%.
- Eggs per dozen2005: $1.22Sep 2026: $2.27
- Whole milk per gallon2005: $3.19Sep 2026: $4.11
- White bread per lb2005: $1.04Sep 2026: $1.83
- Ground beef per lb2005: $2.30Sep 2026: $6.79
- Whole chicken per lb2005: $1.06Sep 2026: $2.06
- Bananas per lb2005: 49.2¢Sep 2026: 65.6¢
- Coffee per lb2005: $3.26Sep 2026: $9.33
- Regular gas per gallon2005: $2.30Sep 2026: $4.48
Cheapest now, compared with 2005
The five items whose price rose least against everything else since 2005. Negative means today’s price takes less of today’s money.
| Item | 2005 average | Sep 2026 | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pork chopsper lb | $3.77 | $4.55 | down 30.1% |
| American processed cheeseper lb | $3.88 | $4.74 | down 29.3% |
| Tomatoes, field grownper lb | $1.61 | $1.99 | down 28.4% |
| Milk, wholeper gallon | $3.19 | $4.11 | down 25.3% |
| Chicken legs, bone-inper lb | $1.33 | $1.74 | down 24.0% |
Dearest now, compared with 2005
The five items whose price rose most against everything else since 2005.
| Item | 2005 average | Sep 2026 | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ground beef, 100% beefper lb | $2.30 | $6.79 | up 71.4% |
| Coffee, ground roastper lb | $3.26 | $9.33 | up 65.8% |
| Ground beef, lean and extra leanper lb | $2.97 | $8.46 | up 64.9% |
| Chuck roast, bonelessper lb | $3.28 | $9.19 | up 62.1% |
| Heating oil (fuel oil #2)per gallon | $2.22 | $5.92 | up 54.7% |
Dairy & eggs in 2005
5 items| Item | 2005 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eggs, grade A largeper dozen | $1.22 | $2.10 | $2.27 | up 86.5% | up 8.1% |
| Milk, wholeper gallon | $3.19 | $5.50 | $4.11 | up 28.8% | down 25.3% |
| Cheddar cheeseper lb | $4.38 | $7.56 | $6.13 | up 40.0% | down 18.9% |
| American processed cheeseper lb | $3.88 | $6.70 | $4.74 | up 22.1% | down 29.3% |
| Ice creamper half gallon | $3.74 | $6.46 | $5.93 | up 58.4% | down 8.2% |
Meat in 2005
12 items| Item | 2005 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ground beef, 100% beefper lb | $2.30 | $3.96 | $6.79 | up 195.8% | up 71.4% |
| Ground beef, lean and extra leanper lb | $2.97 | $5.13 | $8.46 | up 184.7% | up 64.9% |
| Ground chuckper lb | $2.54 | $4.38 | $6.48 | up 155.4% | up 48.0% |
| Chicken, wholeper lb | $1.06 | $1.82 | $2.06 | up 95.5% | up 13.3% |
| Chicken legs, bone-inper lb | $1.33 | $2.29 | $1.74 | up 31.1% | down 24.0% |
| Bacon, slicedper lb | $3.39 | $5.85 | $6.76 | up 99.2% | up 15.4% |
| Pork chopsper lb | $3.77 | $6.51 | $4.55 | up 20.6% | down 30.1% |
| Ham, bonelessper lb | $3.16 | $5.46 | $5.45 | up 72.4% | down 0.1% |
| Sirloin steak, bonelessper lb | $6.11 | $10.54 | $14.11 | up 131.0% | up 33.8% |
| Round steak, bonelessper lb | $4.10 | $7.07 | $9.84 | up 140.2% | up 39.1% |
| Chuck roast, bonelessper lb | $3.28 | $5.67 | $9.19 | up 179.8% | up 62.1% |
| Beef for stew, bonelessper lb | $3.33 | $5.74 | $8.53 | up 156.5% | up 48.6% |
Produce in 2005
8 items| Item | 2005 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bananasper lb | 49.2¢ | 84.9¢ | 65.6¢ | up 33.3% | down 22.8% |
| Oranges, navelper lb · 10 of 12 months | 99.6¢ | $1.71 | $1.72 | up 73.0% | up 0.5% |
| Lemonsper lb | $1.41 | $2.43 | $2.13 | up 50.8% | down 12.5% |
| Grapefruitper lb · 11 of 12 months | $1.09 | $1.88 | $1.62 | up 49.1% | down 13.7% |
| Strawberriesper 12 oz (dry pint) | $2.11 | $3.65 | $2.84 | up 34.5% | down 22.1% |
| Potatoes, whiteper lb | 47.1¢ | 81.3¢ | 98.9¢ | up 109.9% | up 21.7% |
| Tomatoes, field grownper lb | $1.61 | $2.78 | $1.99 | up 23.6% | down 28.4% |
| Lettuce, icebergper lb | 87.0¢ | $1.50 | $1.64 | up 88.0% | up 9.0% |
Pantry in 2005
10 items| Item | 2005 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bread, whiteper lb | $1.04 | $1.79 | $1.83 | up 75.9% | up 2.0% |
| Bread, whole wheatper lb | $1.35 | $2.34 | $2.81May 2026 | up 107.9% | up 20.5% |
| Flour, white all-purposeper lb | 32.4¢ | 55.9¢ | 54.5¢ | up 68.3% | down 2.5% |
| Sugar, whiteper lb | 43.5¢ | 75.1¢ | $1.02 | up 134.0% | up 35.6% |
| Rice, white long grainper lb | 55.4¢ | 95.7¢ | $1.12 | up 101.8% | up 16.9% |
| Spaghetti and macaroniper lb | 89.9¢ | $1.55 | $1.38 | up 53.0% | down 11.4% |
| Coffee, ground roastper lb | $3.26 | $5.63 | $9.33 | up 186.0% | up 65.8% |
| Cookies, chocolate chipper lb | $2.67 | $4.61 | $5.15 | up 92.9% | up 11.8% |
| Potato chipsper 16 oz | $3.37 | $5.81 | $6.67 | up 98.0% | up 14.7% |
| Dried beansper lb | 80.2¢ | $1.38 | $1.67 | up 108.1% | up 20.6% |
Drinks in 2005
3 items| Item | 2005 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orange juice, frozen concentrateper 16 oz | $1.83 | $3.16 | $4.82Jul 2026 | up 163.2% | up 52.5% |
| Beer (malt beverages)per 16 oz | $1.09 | $1.87 | $1.88 | up 72.6% | unchanged 0.0% |
| Wine, red and white tableper liter | $7.77 | $13.40 | $13.77 | up 77.2% | up 2.8% |
Energy in 2005
8 items| Item | 2005 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gasoline, regular unleadedper gallon | $2.30 | $3.95 | $4.48 | up 95.3% | up 13.3% |
| Gasoline, all typesper gallon | $2.34 | $4.03 | $4.63 | up 98.1% | up 15.0% |
| Gasoline, midgrade unleadedper gallon | $2.39 | $4.12 | $4.96 | up 107.4% | up 20.3% |
| Gasoline, premium unleadedper gallon | $2.49 | $4.29 | $5.43 | up 117.8% | up 26.4% |
| Diesel fuelper gallon | $2.52 | $4.34 | $6.33 | up 151.2% | up 45.8% |
| Electricityper kWh | 10.0¢ | 17.3¢ | 19.6¢ | up 96.0% | up 13.6% |
| Natural gas (piped utility gas)per therm | $1.25 | $2.16 | $1.70 | up 35.8% | down 21.2% |
| Heating oil (fuel oil #2)per gallon | $2.22 | $3.83 | $5.92 | up 166.7% | up 54.7% |
How we got these numbers
- 2005 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 2005 average of CPI-U (195.3).
- 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 2005: 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, 2005 average, in Sep 2026 dollars, Sep 2026 price