What things cost in 2011
In 2011, a dozen eggs averaged $1.77, a gallon of whole milk averaged $3.57 and a pound of white bread averaged $1.44. Here are 48 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
2011$1.00Sep 2026$1.50
It takes $1.50 in September 2026 to buy what $1 bought on average in 2011: prices overall are 1.50 times as high.
- Items priced in 2011
- 48Of the 53 on this site
- Cheaper now, after inflation
- 26Today’s price is below the old one in today’s dollars
- Dearer now, after inflation
- 22Rose faster than prices overall
- Prices overall
- 1.50×CPI-U, 2011 average to Sep 2026
The same shopping bag, 2011 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.
2011$20.18Sep 2026$31.53
Up 56% in dollars of the day. In Sep 2026 dollars the 2011 bag cost $30.22, so after inflation it is up 4%.
- Eggs per dozen2011: $1.77Sep 2026: $2.27
- Whole milk per gallon2011: $3.57Sep 2026: $4.11
- White bread per lb2011: $1.44Sep 2026: $1.83
- Ground beef per lb2011: $2.77Sep 2026: $6.79
- Whole chicken per lb2011: $1.29Sep 2026: $2.06
- Bananas per lb2011: 61.0¢Sep 2026: 65.6¢
- Coffee per lb2011: $5.19Sep 2026: $9.33
- Regular gas per gallon2011: $3.53Sep 2026: $4.48
Cheapest now, compared with 2011
The five items whose price rose least against everything else since 2011. Negative means today’s price takes less of today’s money.
| Item | 2011 average | Sep 2026 | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flour, white all-purposeper lb | 51.8¢ | 54.5¢ | down 29.8% |
| Bananasper lb | 61.0¢ | 65.6¢ | down 28.2% |
| Spaghetti and macaroniper lb | $1.24 | $1.38 | down 26.1% |
| Pork chopsper lb | $4.05 | $4.55 | down 25.1% |
| Cheddar cheeseper lb | $5.42 | $6.13 | down 24.4% |
Dearest now, compared with 2011
The five items whose price rose most against everything else since 2011.
| Item | 2011 average | Sep 2026 | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ground beef, 100% beefper lb | $2.77 | $6.79 | up 63.4% |
| Sirloin steak, bonelessper lb | $6.23 | $14.11 | up 51.3% |
| Ground beef, lean and extra leanper lb | $3.77 | $8.46 | up 49.9% |
| Chuck roast, bonelessper lb | $4.24 | $9.19 | up 44.5% |
| Round steak, bonelessper lb | $4.61 | $9.84 | up 42.6% |
Dairy & eggs in 2011
5 items| Item | 2011 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eggs, grade A largeper dozen | $1.77 | $2.65 | $2.27 | up 28.4% | down 14.3% |
| Milk, wholeper gallon | $3.57 | $5.35 | $4.11 | up 15.0% | down 23.2% |
| Cheddar cheeseper lb | $5.42 | $8.11 | $6.13 | up 13.2% | down 24.4% |
| American processed cheeseper lb | $4.07 | $6.09 | $4.74 | up 16.5% | down 22.2% |
| Ice creamper half gallon | $4.93 | $7.38 | $5.93 | up 20.4% | down 19.7% |
Meat in 2011
13 items| Item | 2011 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ground beef, 100% beefper lb | $2.77 | $4.16 | $6.79 | up 144.8% | up 63.4% |
| Ground beef, lean and extra leanper lb | $3.77 | $5.65 | $8.46 | up 124.5% | up 49.9% |
| Ground chuckper lb | $3.19 | $4.77 | $6.48 | up 103.5% | up 35.9% |
| Chicken, wholeper lb | $1.29 | $1.93 | $2.06 | up 59.8% | up 6.7% |
| Chicken breast, bonelessper lb | $3.19 | $4.77 | $4.20 | up 31.9% | down 11.9% |
| Chicken legs, bone-inper lb | $1.49 | $2.23 | $1.74 | up 16.8% | down 22.1% |
| Bacon, slicedper lb | $4.63 | $6.93 | $6.76 | up 46.0% | down 2.5% |
| Pork chopsper lb | $4.05 | $6.07 | $4.55 | up 12.3% | down 25.1% |
| Ham, bonelessper lb | $3.59 | $5.37 | $5.45 | up 51.9% | up 1.4% |
| Sirloin steak, bonelessper lb | $6.23 | $9.33 | $14.11 | up 126.6% | up 51.3% |
| Round steak, bonelessper lb | $4.61 | $6.90 | $9.84 | up 113.5% | up 42.6% |
| Chuck roast, bonelessper lb | $4.24 | $6.36 | $9.19 | up 116.4% | up 44.5% |
| Beef for stew, bonelessper lb | $4.25 | $6.36 | $8.53 | up 101.0% | up 34.2% |
Produce in 2011
9 items| Item | 2011 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bananasper lb | 61.0¢ | 91.4¢ | 65.6¢ | up 7.5% | down 28.2% |
| Oranges, navelper lb | $1.10 | $1.64 | $1.72 | up 57.2% | up 5.0% |
| Lemonsper lb | $1.58 | $2.37 | $2.13 | up 34.6% | down 10.1% |
| Grapefruitper lb | 97.6¢ | $1.46 | $1.62 | up 66.4% | up 11.2% |
| Strawberriesper 12 oz (dry pint) | $2.08 | $3.11 | $2.84 | up 36.8% | down 8.8% |
| Potatoes, whiteper lb | 67.7¢ | $1.01 | 98.9¢ | up 46.1% | down 2.4% |
| Tomatoes, field grownper lb | $1.67 | $2.50 | $1.99 | up 19.5% | down 20.3% |
| Lettuce, icebergper lb | 98.9¢ | $1.48 | $1.64 | up 65.4% | up 10.4% |
| Lettuce, romaineper lb | $1.78 | $2.67 | $3.31 | up 86.0% | up 24.1% |
Pantry in 2011
10 items| Item | 2011 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bread, whiteper lb | $1.44 | $2.16 | $1.83 | up 26.7% | down 15.4% |
| Bread, whole wheatper lb | $1.96 | $2.94 | $2.81May 2026 | up 43.5% | down 4.2% |
| Flour, white all-purposeper lb | 51.8¢ | 77.6¢ | 54.5¢ | up 5.2% | down 29.8% |
| Sugar, whiteper lb | 68.3¢ | $1.02 | $1.02 | up 49.2% | down 0.4% |
| Rice, white long grainper lb | 74.1¢ | $1.11 | $1.12 | up 50.9% | up 0.8% |
| Spaghetti and macaroniper lb | $1.24 | $1.86 | $1.38 | up 10.7% | down 26.1% |
| Coffee, ground roastper lb | $5.19 | $7.77 | $9.33 | up 79.8% | up 20.1% |
| Cookies, chocolate chipper lb | $3.35 | $5.02 | $5.15 | up 53.9% | up 2.7% |
| Potato chipsper 16 oz | $4.97 | $7.44 | $6.67 | up 34.2% | down 10.4% |
| Dried beansper lb | $1.36 | $2.03 | $1.67 | up 23.1% | down 17.8% |
Drinks in 2011
3 items| Item | 2011 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orange juice, frozen concentrateper 16 oz | $2.63 | $3.94 | $4.82Jul 2026 | up 83.0% | up 22.2% |
| Beer (malt beverages)per 16 oz | $1.24 | $1.86 | $1.88 | up 50.6% | up 0.6% |
| Wine, red and white tableper liter | $9.93 | $14.87 | $13.77 | up 38.7% | down 7.4% |
Energy in 2011
8 items| Item | 2011 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gasoline, regular unleadedper gallon | $3.53 | $5.28 | $4.48 | up 27.1% | down 15.1% |
| Gasoline, all typesper gallon | $3.58 | $5.36 | $4.63 | up 29.5% | down 13.5% |
| Gasoline, midgrade unleadedper gallon | $3.66 | $5.47 | $4.96 | up 35.6% | down 9.5% |
| Gasoline, premium unleadedper gallon | $3.79 | $5.68 | $5.43 | up 43.1% | down 4.4% |
| Diesel fuelper gallon | $3.88 | $5.80 | $6.33 | up 63.3% | up 9.1% |
| Electricityper kWh | 13.0¢ | 19.4¢ | 19.6¢ | up 51.1% | up 0.9% |
| Natural gas (piped utility gas)per therm | $1.07 | $1.60 | $1.70 | up 59.1% | up 6.2% |
| Heating oil (fuel oil #2)per gallon | $3.71 | $5.56 | $5.92 | up 59.5% | up 6.5% |
How we got these numbers
- 2011 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 2011 average of CPI-U (224.9).
- 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 2011: reduced-fat milk, butter, yogurt, 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 CSV48 rows: item, unit, 2011 average, in Sep 2026 dollars, Sep 2026 price