What things cost in 2016
In 2016, a dozen eggs averaged $1.68, a gallon of whole milk averaged $3.20 and a pound of white bread averaged $1.37. 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
2016$1.00Sep 2026$1.40
It takes $1.40 in September 2026 to buy what $1 bought on average in 2016: prices overall are 1.40 times as high.
- Items priced in 2016
- 48Of the 53 on this site
- Cheaper now, after inflation
- 22Today’s price is below the old one in today’s dollars
- Dearer now, after inflation
- 26Rose faster than prices overall
- Prices overall
- 1.40×CPI-U, 2016 average to Sep 2026
The same shopping bag, 2016 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.
2016$18.58Sep 2026$31.53
Up 70% in dollars of the day. In Sep 2026 dollars the 2016 bag cost $26.09, so after inflation it is up 21%.
- Eggs per dozen2016: $1.68Sep 2026: $2.27
- Whole milk per gallon2016: $3.20Sep 2026: $4.11
- White bread per lb2016: $1.37Sep 2026: $1.83
- Ground beef per lb2016: $3.75Sep 2026: $6.79
- Whole chicken per lb2016: $1.46Sep 2026: $2.06
- Bananas per lb2016: 57.3¢Sep 2026: 65.6¢
- Coffee per lb2016: $4.39Sep 2026: $9.33
- Regular gas per gallon2016: $2.14Sep 2026: $4.48
Cheapest now, compared with 2016
The five items whose price rose least against everything else since 2016. Negative means today’s price takes less of today’s money.
| Item | 2016 average | Sep 2026 | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomatoes, field grownper lb | $1.93 | $1.99 | down 26.4% |
| Flour, white all-purposeper lb | 52.5¢ | 54.5¢ | down 26.1% |
| Lemonsper lb | $2.04 | $2.13 | down 25.6% |
| Spaghetti and macaroniper lb | $1.30 | $1.38 | down 24.7% |
| American processed cheeseper lb | $4.37 | $4.74 | down 22.7% |
Dearest now, compared with 2016
The five items whose price rose most against everything else since 2016.
| Item | 2016 average | Sep 2026 | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heating oil (fuel oil #2)per gallon | $2.11 | $5.92 | up 99.8% |
| Diesel fuelper gallon | $2.29 | $6.33 | up 96.8% |
| Coffee, ground roastper lb | $4.39 | $9.33 | up 51.3% |
| Gasoline, all typesper gallon | $2.20 | $4.63 | up 49.7% |
| Gasoline, regular unleadedper gallon | $2.14 | $4.48 | up 49.1% |
Dairy & eggs in 2016
5 items| Item | 2016 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eggs, grade A largeper dozen | $1.68 | $2.37 | $2.27 | up 34.9% | down 4.0% |
| Milk, wholeper gallon | $3.20 | $4.50 | $4.11 | up 28.1% | down 8.7% |
| Cheddar cheeseper lb | $5.23 | $7.35 | $6.13 | up 17.2% | down 16.6% |
| American processed cheeseper lb | $4.37 | $6.13 | $4.74 | up 8.5% | down 22.7% |
| Ice creamper half gallon | $4.76 | $6.69 | $5.93 | up 24.5% | down 11.3% |
Meat in 2016
13 items| Item | 2016 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ground beef, 100% beefper lb | $3.75 | $5.27 | $6.79 | up 81.1% | up 29.0% |
| Ground beef, lean and extra leanper lb | $5.71 | $8.02 | $8.46 | up 48.1% | up 5.5% |
| Ground chuckper lb | $3.85 | $5.40 | $6.48 | up 68.6% | up 20.1% |
| Chicken, wholeper lb | $1.46 | $2.05 | $2.06 | up 41.0% | up 0.5% |
| Chicken breast, bonelessper lb | $3.25 | $4.56 | $4.20 | up 29.3% | down 7.9% |
| Chicken legs, bone-inper lb | $1.53 | $2.15 | $1.74 | up 13.8% | down 19.0% |
| Bacon, slicedper lb | $5.42 | $7.61 | $6.76 | up 24.6% | down 11.2% |
| Pork chopsper lb | $4.09 | $5.74 | $4.55 | up 11.3% | down 20.7% |
| Ham, bonelessper lb | $4.03 | $5.66 | $5.45 | up 35.1% | down 3.8% |
| Sirloin steak, bonelessper lb | $8.39 | $11.77 | $14.11 | up 68.2% | up 19.8% |
| Round steak, bonelessper lb | $5.90 | $8.28 | $9.84 | up 66.8% | up 18.8% |
| Chuck roast, bonelessper lb | $5.22 | $7.33 | $9.19 | up 75.9% | up 25.3% |
| Beef for stew, bonelessper lb | $5.32 | $7.47 | $8.53 | up 60.4% | up 14.2% |
Produce in 2016
9 items| Item | 2016 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bananasper lb | 57.3¢ | 80.4¢ | 65.6¢ | up 14.5% | down 18.4% |
| Oranges, navelper lb | $1.25 | $1.75 | $1.72 | up 38.3% | down 1.5% |
| Lemonsper lb | $2.04 | $2.86 | $2.13 | up 4.4% | down 25.6% |
| Grapefruitper lb · 10 of 12 months | $1.16 | $1.63 | $1.62 | up 39.6% | down 0.7% |
| Strawberriesper 12 oz (dry pint) | $2.44 | $3.42 | $2.84 | up 16.6% | down 17.0% |
| Potatoes, whiteper lb | 68.1¢ | 95.6¢ | 98.9¢ | up 45.2% | up 3.4% |
| Tomatoes, field grownper lb | $1.93 | $2.71 | $1.99 | up 3.4% | down 26.4% |
| Lettuce, icebergper lb | $1.06 | $1.49 | $1.64 | up 53.8% | up 9.5% |
| Lettuce, romaineper lb | $1.92 | $2.70 | $3.31 | up 72.2% | up 22.6% |
Pantry in 2016
10 items| Item | 2016 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bread, whiteper lb | $1.37 | $1.93 | $1.83 | up 33.5% | down 5.0% |
| Bread, whole wheatper lb | $1.96 | $2.76 | $2.81May 2026 | up 43.2% | up 2.0% |
| Flour, white all-purposeper lb | 52.5¢ | 73.7¢ | 54.5¢ | up 3.8% | down 26.1% |
| Sugar, whiteper lb | 64.2¢ | 90.1¢ | $1.02 | up 58.7% | up 13.1% |
| Rice, white long grainper lb | 71.6¢ | $1.01 | $1.12 | up 56.1% | up 11.2% |
| Spaghetti and macaroniper lb | $1.30 | $1.83 | $1.38 | up 5.7% | down 24.7% |
| Coffee, ground roastper lb | $4.39 | $6.17 | $9.33 | up 112.4% | up 51.3% |
| Cookies, chocolate chipper lb | $3.35 | $4.70 | $5.15 | up 53.9% | up 9.6% |
| Potato chipsper 16 oz | $4.46 | $6.26 | $6.67 | up 49.5% | up 6.5% |
| Dried beansper lb | $1.41 | $1.98 | $1.67 | up 18.2% | down 15.8% |
Drinks in 2016
3 items| Item | 2016 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orange juice, frozen concentrateper 16 oz | $2.71 | $3.81 | $4.82Jul 2026 | up 77.5% | up 26.4% |
| Beer (malt beverages)per 16 oz | $1.35 | $1.90 | $1.88 | up 38.5% | down 1.3% |
| Wine, red and white tableper liter | $12.33 | $17.32 | $13.77 | up 11.6% | down 20.5% |
Energy in 2016
8 items| Item | 2016 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gasoline, regular unleadedper gallon | $2.14 | $3.01 | $4.48 | up 109.3% | up 49.1% |
| Gasoline, all typesper gallon | $2.20 | $3.09 | $4.63 | up 110.2% | up 49.7% |
| Gasoline, midgrade unleadedper gallon | $2.40 | $3.37 | $4.96 | up 106.5% | up 47.1% |
| Gasoline, premium unleadedper gallon | $2.61 | $3.66 | $5.43 | up 107.9% | up 48.1% |
| Diesel fuelper gallon | $2.29 | $3.22 | $6.33 | up 176.3% | up 96.8% |
| Electricityper kWh | 13.5¢ | 19.0¢ | 19.6¢ | up 45.0% | up 3.2% |
| Natural gas (piped utility gas)per therm | 92.1¢ | $1.29 | $1.70 | up 84.5% | up 31.5% |
| Heating oil (fuel oil #2)per gallon | $2.11 | $2.96 | $5.92 | up 180.4% | up 99.8% |
How we got these numbers
- 2016 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 2016 average of CPI-U (240.0).
- 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 2016: 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, 2016 average, in Sep 2026 dollars, Sep 2026 price