What things cost in 2009
In 2009, a dozen eggs averaged $1.66, a gallon of whole milk averaged $3.11 and a pound of white bread averaged $1.39. 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
2009$1.00Sep 2026$1.57
It takes $1.57 in September 2026 to buy what $1 bought on average in 2009: prices overall are 1.57 times as high.
- Items priced in 2009
- 47Of the 53 on this site
- Cheaper now, after inflation
- 23Today’s price is below the old one in today’s dollars
- Dearer now, after inflation
- 24Rose faster than prices overall
- Prices overall
- 1.57×CPI-U, 2009 average to Sep 2026
Cheapest now, compared with 2009
The five items whose price rose least against everything else since 2009. Negative means today’s price takes less of today’s money.
| Item | 2009 average | Sep 2026 | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bananasper lb | 61.1¢ | 65.6¢ | down 31.7% |
| Flour, white all-purposeper lb | 50.1¢ | 54.5¢ | down 30.7% |
| Chicken legs, bone-inper lb | $1.49 | $1.74 | down 25.9% |
| Spaghetti and macaroniper lb | $1.16 | $1.38 | down 24.8% |
| Dried beansper lb | $1.39 | $1.67 | down 23.7% |
Dearest now, compared with 2009
The five items whose price rose most against everything else since 2009.
| Item | 2009 average | Sep 2026 | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ground beef, 100% beefper lb | $2.22 | $6.79 | up 94.7% |
| Diesel fuelper gallon | $2.53 | $6.33 | up 59.5% |
| Ground beef, lean and extra leanper lb | $3.40 | $8.46 | up 58.5% |
| Chuck roast, bonelessper lb | $3.69 | $9.19 | up 58.5% |
| Sirloin steak, bonelessper lb | $5.83 | $14.11 | up 54.0% |
Dairy & eggs in 2009
5 items| Item | 2009 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eggs, grade A largeper dozen | $1.66 | $2.61 | $2.27 | up 36.5% | down 13.1% |
| Milk, wholeper gallon | $3.11 | $4.88 | $4.11 | up 32.1% | down 15.9% |
| Cheddar cheeseper lb | $4.67 | $7.33 | $6.13 | up 31.4% | down 16.4% |
| American processed cheeseper lb | $3.90 | $6.13 | $4.74 | up 21.4% | down 22.7% |
| Ice creamper half gallon | $4.32 | $6.79 | $5.93 | up 37.2% | down 12.6% |
Meat in 2009
13 items| Item | 2009 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ground beef, 100% beefper lb | $2.22 | $3.49 | $6.79 | up 205.9% | up 94.7% |
| Ground beef, lean and extra leanper lb | $3.40 | $5.34 | $8.46 | up 148.9% | up 58.5% |
| Ground chuckper lb | $2.88 | $4.52 | $6.48 | up 125.3% | up 43.4% |
| Chicken, wholeper lb | $1.28 | $2.01 | $2.06 | up 61.5% | up 2.8% |
| Chicken breast, bonelessper lb | $3.33 | $5.23 | $4.20 | up 26.1% | down 19.7% |
| Chicken legs, bone-inper lb | $1.49 | $2.35 | $1.74 | up 16.4% | down 25.9% |
| Bacon, slicedper lb | $3.61 | $5.67 | $6.76 | up 87.3% | up 19.2% |
| Pork chopsper lb | $3.64 | $5.72 | $4.55 | up 24.9% | down 20.5% |
| Ham, bonelessper lb | $3.38 | $5.31 | $5.45 | up 61.3% | up 2.7% |
| Sirloin steak, bonelessper lb | $5.83 | $9.16 | $14.11 | up 141.8% | up 54.0% |
| Round steak, bonelessper lb | $4.14 | $6.50 | $9.84 | up 137.8% | up 51.4% |
| Chuck roast, bonelessper lb | $3.69 | $5.80 | $9.19 | up 148.9% | up 58.5% |
| Beef for stew, bonelessper lb | $3.78 | $5.94 | $8.53 | up 125.8% | up 43.8% |
Produce in 2009
9 items| Item | 2009 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bananasper lb | 61.1¢ | 96.0¢ | 65.6¢ | up 7.3% | down 31.7% |
| Oranges, navelper lb | $1.05 | $1.65 | $1.72 | up 64.0% | up 4.5% |
| Lemonsper lb | $1.52 | $2.39 | $2.13 | up 40.0% | down 10.8% |
| Grapefruitper lb | 90.3¢ | $1.42 | $1.62 | up 79.9% | up 14.7% |
| Strawberriesper 12 oz (dry pint) | $2.10 | $3.30 | $2.84 | up 35.4% | down 13.8% |
| Potatoes, whiteper lb | 62.2¢ | 97.7¢ | 98.9¢ | up 59.0% | up 1.2% |
| Tomatoes, field grownper lb | $1.62 | $2.55 | $1.99 | up 22.8% | down 21.8% |
| Lettuce, icebergper lb | 91.3¢ | $1.43 | $1.64 | up 79.1% | up 14.1% |
| Lettuce, romaineper lb | $1.76 | $2.76 | $3.31 | up 88.7% | up 20.1% |
Pantry in 2009
9 items| Item | 2009 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bread, whiteper lb | $1.39 | $2.18 | $1.83 | up 31.9% | down 16.0% |
| Bread, whole wheatper lb | $1.88 | $2.95 | $2.81May 2026 | up 49.6% | down 4.8% |
| Flour, white all-purposeper lb | 50.1¢ | 78.7¢ | 54.5¢ | up 8.8% | down 30.7% |
| Sugar, whiteper lb | 57.0¢ | 89.6¢ | $1.02 | up 78.7% | up 13.8% |
| Rice, white long grainper lb | 76.6¢ | $1.20 | $1.12 | up 46.0% | down 7.1% |
| Spaghetti and macaroniper lb | $1.16 | $1.83 | $1.38 | up 18.1% | down 24.8% |
| Cookies, chocolate chipper lb | $3.17 | $4.98 | $5.15 | up 62.3% | up 3.4% |
| Potato chipsper 16 oz | $4.57 | $7.18 | $6.67 | up 45.9% | down 7.1% |
| Dried beansper lb | $1.39 | $2.19 | $1.67 | up 19.8% | down 23.7% |
Drinks in 2009
3 items| Item | 2009 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orange juice, frozen concentrateper 16 oz | $2.57 | $4.03 | $4.82Jul 2026 | up 87.7% | up 19.5% |
| Beer (malt beverages)per 16 oz | $1.21 | $1.89 | $1.88 | up 55.5% | down 1.0% |
| Wine, red and white tableper liter | $10.07 | $15.82 | $13.77 | up 36.7% | down 12.9% |
Energy in 2009
8 items| Item | 2009 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gasoline, regular unleadedper gallon | $2.35 | $3.69 | $4.48 | up 90.7% | up 21.6% |
| Gasoline, all typesper gallon | $2.40 | $3.77 | $4.63 | up 92.9% | up 22.9% |
| Gasoline, midgrade unleadedper gallon | $2.47 | $3.87 | $4.96 | up 100.7% | up 27.9% |
| Gasoline, premium unleadedper gallon | $2.61 | $4.09 | $5.43 | up 108.2% | up 32.7% |
| Diesel fuelper gallon | $2.53 | $3.97 | $6.33 | up 150.3% | up 59.5% |
| Electricityper kWh | 12.7¢ | 20.0¢ | 19.6¢ | up 54.1% | down 1.9% |
| Natural gas (piped utility gas)per therm | $1.12 | $1.76 | $1.70 | up 51.7% | down 3.5% |
| Heating oil (fuel oil #2)per gallon | $2.51 | $3.95 | $5.92 | up 135.5% | up 50.0% |
How we got these numbers
- 2009 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 2009 average of CPI-U (214.5).
- 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 2009: 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, 2009 average, in Sep 2026 dollars, Sep 2026 price