What things cost in 2008
In 2008, a dozen eggs averaged $1.99, a gallon of whole milk averaged $3.80 and a pound of white bread averaged $1.37. Here are 47 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
2008$1.00Sep 2026$1.56
It takes $1.56 in September 2026 to buy what $1 bought on average in 2008: prices overall are 1.56 times as high.
- Items priced in 2008
- 47Of the 53 on this site
- Cheaper now, after inflation
- 25Today’s price is below the old one in today’s dollars
- Dearer now, after inflation
- 22Rose faster than prices overall
- Prices overall
- 1.56×CPI-U, 2008 average to Sep 2026
Cheapest now, compared with 2008
The five items whose price rose least against everything else since 2008. Negative means today’s price takes less of today’s money.
| Item | 2008 average | Sep 2026 | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lemonsper lb | $2.01 | $2.13 | down 32.1% |
| Flour, white all-purposeper lb | 50.7¢ | 54.5¢ | down 31.2% |
| Bananasper lb | 60.9¢ | 65.6¢ | down 31.2% |
| Milk, wholeper gallon | $3.80 | $4.11 | down 30.9% |
| Tomatoes, field grownper lb | $1.74 | $1.99 | down 27.1% |
Dearest now, compared with 2008
The five items whose price rose most against everything else since 2008.
| Item | 2008 average | Sep 2026 | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ground beef, 100% beefper lb | $2.34 | $6.79 | up 85.1% |
| Chuck roast, bonelessper lb | $3.54 | $9.19 | up 66.0% |
| Ground beef, lean and extra leanper lb | $3.26 | $8.46 | up 65.7% |
| Sirloin steak, bonelessper lb | $5.99 | $14.11 | up 50.4% |
| Round steak, bonelessper lb | $4.24 | $9.84 | up 48.3% |
Dairy & eggs in 2008
5 items| Item | 2008 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eggs, grade A largeper dozen | $1.99 | $3.11 | $2.27 | up 14.4% | down 27.0% |
| Milk, wholeper gallon | $3.80 | $5.94 | $4.11 | up 8.2% | down 30.9% |
| Cheddar cheeseper lb | $4.73 | $7.40 | $6.13 | up 29.8% | down 17.1% |
| American processed cheeseper lb | $4.04 | $6.33 | $4.74 | up 17.2% | down 25.1% |
| Ice creamper half gallon | $4.21 | $6.59 | $5.93 | up 40.8% | down 10.0% |
Meat in 2008
13 items| Item | 2008 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ground beef, 100% beefper lb | $2.34 | $3.67 | $6.79 | up 189.8% | up 85.1% |
| Ground beef, lean and extra leanper lb | $3.26 | $5.11 | $8.46 | up 159.4% | up 65.7% |
| Ground chuckper lb | $2.87 | $4.50 | $6.48 | up 125.6% | up 44.1% |
| Chicken, wholeper lb | $1.21 | $1.89 | $2.06 | up 71.0% | up 9.2% |
| Chicken breast, bonelessper lb | $3.40 | $5.32 | $4.20 | up 23.6% | down 21.0% |
| Chicken legs, bone-inper lb | $1.42 | $2.23 | $1.74 | up 22.3% | down 21.9% |
| Bacon, slicedper lb | $3.66 | $5.73 | $6.76 | up 84.6% | up 17.9% |
| Pork chopsper lb | $3.74 | $5.86 | $4.55 | up 21.6% | down 22.3% |
| Ham, bonelessper lb | $3.21 | $5.03 | $5.45 | up 69.5% | up 8.3% |
| Sirloin steak, bonelessper lb | $5.99 | $9.38 | $14.11 | up 135.4% | up 50.4% |
| Round steak, bonelessper lb | $4.24 | $6.63 | $9.84 | up 132.1% | up 48.3% |
| Chuck roast, bonelessper lb | $3.54 | $5.53 | $9.19 | up 159.8% | up 66.0% |
| Beef for stew, bonelessper lb | $3.79 | $5.92 | $8.53 | up 125.4% | up 44.0% |
Produce in 2008
9 items| Item | 2008 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bananasper lb | 60.9¢ | 95.3¢ | 65.6¢ | up 7.7% | down 31.2% |
| Oranges, navelper lb | $1.12 | $1.74 | $1.72 | up 54.3% | down 1.2% |
| Lemonsper lb | $2.01 | $3.14 | $2.13 | up 6.1% | down 32.1% |
| Grapefruitper lb | 96.6¢ | $1.51 | $1.62 | up 68.1% | up 7.5% |
| Strawberriesper 12 oz (dry pint) | $2.29 | $3.59 | $2.84 | up 24.1% | down 20.9% |
| Potatoes, whiteper lb | 63.1¢ | 98.7¢ | 98.9¢ | up 56.8% | up 0.2% |
| Tomatoes, field grownper lb | $1.74 | $2.73 | $1.99 | up 14.2% | down 27.1% |
| Lettuce, icebergper lb | 90.5¢ | $1.42 | $1.64 | up 80.7% | up 15.4% |
| Lettuce, romaineper lb | $1.71 | $2.68 | $3.31 | up 93.6% | up 23.7% |
Pantry in 2008
9 items| Item | 2008 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bread, whiteper lb | $1.37 | $2.14 | $1.83 | up 33.9% | down 14.4% |
| Bread, whole wheatper lb | $1.94 | $3.03 | $2.81May 2026 | up 45.3% | down 7.2% |
| Flour, white all-purposeper lb | 50.7¢ | 79.3¢ | 54.5¢ | up 7.6% | down 31.2% |
| Sugar, whiteper lb | 52.9¢ | 82.8¢ | $1.02 | up 92.6% | up 23.1% |
| Rice, white long grainper lb | 73.3¢ | $1.15 | $1.12 | up 52.6% | down 2.4% |
| Spaghetti and macaroniper lb | $1.12 | $1.75 | $1.38 | up 22.8% | down 21.6% |
| Cookies, chocolate chipper lb | $2.88 | $4.51 | $5.15 | up 78.6% | up 14.1% |
| Potato chipsper 16 oz | $4.02 | $6.29 | $6.67 | up 65.8% | up 6.0% |
| Dried beansper lb | $1.21 | $1.89 | $1.67 | up 37.9% | down 11.9% |
Drinks in 2008
3 items| Item | 2008 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orange juice, frozen concentrateper 16 oz | $2.54 | $3.97 | $4.82Jul 2026 | up 89.8% | up 21.3% |
| Beer (malt beverages)per 16 oz | $1.16 | $1.82 | $1.88 | up 61.4% | up 3.1% |
| Wine, red and white tableper liter | $9.45 | $14.80 | $13.77 | up 45.6% | down 6.9% |
Energy in 2008
8 items| Item | 2008 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gasoline, regular unleadedper gallon | $3.27 | $5.10 | $4.48 | up 37.2% | down 12.1% |
| Gasoline, all typesper gallon | $3.32 | $5.18 | $4.63 | up 39.6% | down 10.6% |
| Gasoline, midgrade unleadedper gallon | $3.38 | $5.28 | $4.96 | up 46.6% | down 6.1% |
| Gasoline, premium unleadedper gallon | $3.52 | $5.49 | $5.43 | up 54.2% | down 1.2% |
| Diesel fuelper gallon | $3.91 | $6.11 | $6.33 | up 61.7% | up 3.6% |
| Electricityper kWh | 12.3¢ | 19.3¢ | 19.6¢ | up 58.9% | up 1.6% |
| Natural gas (piped utility gas)per therm | $1.44 | $2.26 | $1.70 | up 17.7% | down 24.7% |
| Heating oil (fuel oil #2)per gallon | $3.75 | $5.86 | $5.92 | up 57.8% | up 1.1% |
How we got these numbers
- 2008 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 2008 average of CPI-U (215.3).
- 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 2008: reduced-fat milk, butter, yogurt, coffee, 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 CSV47 rows: item, unit, 2008 average, in Sep 2026 dollars, Sep 2026 price