What things cost in 2012
In 2012, a dozen eggs averaged $1.84, a gallon of whole milk averaged $3.49 and a pound of white bread averaged $1.42. 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
2012$1.00Sep 2026$1.47
It takes $1.47 in September 2026 to buy what $1 bought on average in 2012: prices overall are 1.47 times as high.
- Items priced in 2012
- 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
- 1.47×CPI-U, 2012 average to Sep 2026
The same shopping bag, 2012 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.
2012$21.12Sep 2026$31.53
Up 49% in dollars of the day. In Sep 2026 dollars the 2012 bag cost $31.00, so after inflation it is up 2%.
- Eggs per dozen2012: $1.84Sep 2026: $2.27
- Whole milk per gallon2012: $3.49Sep 2026: $4.11
- White bread per lb2012: $1.42Sep 2026: $1.83
- Ground beef per lb2012: $3.03Sep 2026: $6.79
- Whole chicken per lb2012: $1.42Sep 2026: $2.06
- Bananas per lb2012: 60.2¢Sep 2026: 65.6¢
- Coffee per lb2012: $5.68Sep 2026: $9.33
- Regular gas per gallon2012: $3.64Sep 2026: $4.48
Cheapest now, compared with 2012
The five items whose price rose least against everything else since 2012. Negative means today’s price takes less of today’s money.
| Item | 2012 average | Sep 2026 | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spaghetti and macaroniper lb | $1.32 | $1.38 | down 29.1% |
| Flour, white all-purposeper lb | 51.7¢ | 54.5¢ | down 28.2% |
| Bananasper lb | 60.2¢ | 65.6¢ | down 25.7% |
| Cheddar cheeseper lb | $5.63 | $6.13 | down 25.7% |
| Chicken legs, bone-inper lb | $1.58 | $1.74 | down 24.9% |
Dearest now, compared with 2012
The five items whose price rose most against everything else since 2012.
| Item | 2012 average | Sep 2026 | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ground beef, 100% beefper lb · 11 of 12 months | $3.03 | $6.79 | up 52.7% |
| Lettuce, romaineper lb | $1.52 | $3.31 | up 48.6% |
| Sirloin steak, bonelessper lb | $6.65 | $14.11 | up 44.5% |
| Chuck roast, bonelessper lb | $4.39 | $9.19 | up 42.5% |
| Ground beef, lean and extra leanper lb | $4.06 | $8.46 | up 41.9% |
Dairy & eggs in 2012
5 items| Item | 2012 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eggs, grade A largeper dozen | $1.84 | $2.70 | $2.27 | up 23.6% | down 15.7% |
| Milk, wholeper gallon | $3.49 | $5.13 | $4.11 | up 17.6% | down 19.9% |
| Cheddar cheeseper lb | $5.63 | $8.26 | $6.13 | up 9.0% | down 25.7% |
| American processed cheeseper lb | $4.19 | $6.15 | $4.74 | up 13.1% | down 22.9% |
| Ice creamper half gallon | $5.04 | $7.40 | $5.93 | up 17.7% | down 19.8% |
Meat in 2012
13 items| Item | 2012 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ground beef, 100% beefper lb · 11 of 12 months | $3.03 | $4.45 | $6.79 | up 124.2% | up 52.7% |
| Ground beef, lean and extra leanper lb | $4.06 | $5.96 | $8.46 | up 108.2% | up 41.9% |
| Ground chuckper lb | $3.41 | $5.00 | $6.48 | up 90.1% | up 29.5% |
| Chicken, wholeper lb | $1.42 | $2.09 | $2.06 | up 45.1% | down 1.1% |
| Chicken breast, bonelessper lb | $3.24 | $4.76 | $4.20 | up 29.7% | down 11.6% |
| Chicken legs, bone-inper lb | $1.58 | $2.32 | $1.74 | up 10.2% | down 24.9% |
| Bacon, slicedper lb | $4.56 | $6.69 | $6.76 | up 48.3% | up 1.0% |
| Pork chopsper lb | $3.96 | $5.82 | $4.55 | up 14.8% | down 21.8% |
| Ham, bonelessper lb | $3.73 | $5.47 | $5.45 | up 46.3% | down 0.3% |
| Sirloin steak, bonelessper lb | $6.65 | $9.76 | $14.11 | up 112.1% | up 44.5% |
| Round steak, bonelessper lb | $4.79 | $7.04 | $9.84 | up 105.2% | up 39.8% |
| Chuck roast, bonelessper lb | $4.39 | $6.45 | $9.19 | up 109.1% | up 42.5% |
| Beef for stew, bonelessper lb | $4.50 | $6.61 | $8.53 | up 89.5% | up 29.1% |
Produce in 2012
9 items| Item | 2012 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bananasper lb | 60.2¢ | 88.3¢ | 65.6¢ | up 9.0% | down 25.7% |
| Oranges, navelper lb | $1.05 | $1.54 | $1.72 | up 63.6% | up 11.5% |
| Lemonsper lb | $1.56 | $2.30 | $2.13 | up 36.0% | down 7.3% |
| Grapefruitper lb | $1.08 | $1.58 | $1.62 | up 50.6% | up 2.7% |
| Strawberriesper 12 oz (dry pint) | $1.99 | $2.92 | $2.84 | up 42.5% | down 2.9% |
| Potatoes, whiteper lb | 65.9¢ | 96.7¢ | 98.9¢ | up 50.0% | up 2.2% |
| Tomatoes, field grownper lb | $1.46 | $2.14 | $1.99 | up 36.8% | down 6.8% |
| Lettuce, icebergper lb | 85.7¢ | $1.26 | $1.64 | up 90.9% | up 30.1% |
| Lettuce, romaineper lb | $1.52 | $2.23 | $3.31 | up 118.2% | up 48.6% |
Pantry in 2012
10 items| Item | 2012 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bread, whiteper lb | $1.42 | $2.08 | $1.83 | up 29.1% | down 12.0% |
| Bread, whole wheatper lb | $1.99 | $2.92 | $2.81May 2026 | up 41.5% | down 3.6% |
| Flour, white all-purposeper lb | 51.7¢ | 75.9¢ | 54.5¢ | up 5.4% | down 28.2% |
| Sugar, whiteper lb | 69.4¢ | $1.02 | $1.02 | up 46.8% | unchanged 0.0% |
| Rice, white long grainper lb | 69.7¢ | $1.02 | $1.12 | up 60.4% | up 9.3% |
| Spaghetti and macaroniper lb | $1.32 | $1.94 | $1.38 | up 4.0% | down 29.1% |
| Coffee, ground roastper lb | $5.68 | $8.33 | $9.33 | up 64.4% | up 12.0% |
| Cookies, chocolate chipper lb | $3.62 | $5.32 | $5.15 | up 42.2% | down 3.1% |
| Potato chipsper 16 oz | $4.99 | $7.32 | $6.67 | up 33.7% | down 8.9% |
| Dried beansper lb | $1.44 | $2.11 | $1.67 | up 16.2% | down 20.8% |
Drinks in 2012
3 items| Item | 2012 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orange juice, frozen concentrateper 16 oz | $2.67 | $3.93 | $4.82Jul 2026 | up 80.1% | up 22.7% |
| Beer (malt beverages)per 16 oz | $1.25 | $1.84 | $1.88 | up 49.7% | up 2.0% |
| Wine, red and white tableper liter | $10.28 | $15.08 | $13.77 | up 34.0% | down 8.7% |
Energy in 2012
8 items| Item | 2012 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gasoline, regular unleadedper gallon | $3.64 | $5.35 | $4.48 | up 23.0% | down 16.2% |
| Gasoline, all typesper gallon | $3.70 | $5.42 | $4.63 | up 25.3% | down 14.6% |
| Gasoline, midgrade unleadedper gallon | $3.77 | $5.54 | $4.96 | up 31.4% | down 10.5% |
| Gasoline, premium unleadedper gallon | $3.92 | $5.76 | $5.43 | up 38.3% | down 5.7% |
| Diesel fuelper gallon | $4.00 | $5.87 | $6.33 | up 58.3% | up 7.9% |
| Electricityper kWh | 13.0¢ | 19.0¢ | 19.6¢ | up 51.3% | up 3.1% |
| Natural gas (piped utility gas)per therm | 96.5¢ | $1.42 | $1.70 | up 76.1% | up 20.0% |
| Heating oil (fuel oil #2)per gallon | $3.75 | $5.51 | $5.92 | up 57.8% | up 7.5% |
How we got these numbers
- 2012 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 2012 average of CPI-U (229.6).
- 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 2012: 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, 2012 average, in Sep 2026 dollars, Sep 2026 price