What things cost in 2017
In 2017, a dozen eggs averaged $1.47, a gallon of whole milk averaged $3.23 and a pound of white bread averaged $1.33. 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
2017$1.00Sep 2026$1.37
It takes $1.37 in September 2026 to buy what $1 bought on average in 2017: prices overall are 1.37 times as high.
- Items priced in 2017
- 48Of the 53 on this site
- Cheaper now, after inflation
- 21Today’s price is below the old one in today’s dollars
- Dearer now, after inflation
- 27Rose faster than prices overall
- Prices overall
- 1.37×CPI-U, 2017 average to Sep 2026
The same shopping bag, 2017 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.
2017$18.56Sep 2026$31.53
Up 70% in dollars of the day. In Sep 2026 dollars the 2017 bag cost $25.52, so after inflation it is up 24%.
- Eggs per dozen2017: $1.47Sep 2026: $2.27
- Whole milk per gallon2017: $3.23Sep 2026: $4.11
- White bread per lb2017: $1.33Sep 2026: $1.83
- Ground beef per lb2017: $3.64Sep 2026: $6.79
- Whole chicken per lb2017: $1.47Sep 2026: $2.06
- Bananas per lb2017: 56.3¢Sep 2026: 65.6¢
- Coffee per lb2017: $4.45Sep 2026: $9.33
- Regular gas per gallon2017: $2.41Sep 2026: $4.48
Cheapest now, compared with 2017
The five items whose price rose least against everything else since 2017. Negative means today’s price takes less of today’s money.
| Item | 2017 average | Sep 2026 | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomatoes, field grownper lb | $1.93 | $1.99 | down 25.0% |
| Lemonsper lb | $2.01 | $2.13 | down 22.9% |
| Flour, white all-purposeper lb | 50.7¢ | 54.5¢ | down 21.9% |
| Spaghetti and macaroniper lb | $1.28 | $1.38 | down 21.7% |
| Wine, red and white tableper liter | $12.66 | $13.77 | down 20.8% |
Dearest now, compared with 2017
The five items whose price rose most against everything else since 2017.
| Item | 2017 average | Sep 2026 | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heating oil (fuel oil #2)per gallon | $2.45 | $5.92 | up 76.2% |
| Diesel fuelper gallon | $2.63 | $6.33 | up 75.4% |
| Coffee, ground roastper lb | $4.45 | $9.33 | up 52.4% |
| Gasoline, all typesper gallon | $2.47 | $4.63 | up 36.5% |
| Ground beef, 100% beefper lb | $3.64 | $6.79 | up 35.6% |
Dairy & eggs in 2017
5 items| Item | 2017 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eggs, grade A largeper dozen | $1.47 | $2.02 | $2.27 | up 54.9% | up 12.7% |
| Milk, wholeper gallon | $3.23 | $4.43 | $4.11 | up 27.3% | down 7.4% |
| Cheddar cheeseper lb | $4.90 | $6.73 | $6.13 | up 25.3% | down 8.9% |
| American processed cheeseper lb | $4.25 | $5.84 | $4.74 | up 11.5% | down 18.9% |
| Ice creamper half gallon | $4.69 | $6.45 | $5.93 | up 26.4% | down 8.1% |
Meat in 2017
13 items| Item | 2017 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ground beef, 100% beefper lb | $3.64 | $5.01 | $6.79 | up 86.4% | up 35.6% |
| Ground beef, lean and extra leanper lb | $5.63 | $7.73 | $8.46 | up 50.4% | up 9.4% |
| Ground chuckper lb | $3.71 | $5.10 | $6.48 | up 74.8% | up 27.2% |
| Chicken, wholeper lb | $1.47 | $2.02 | $2.06 | up 40.2% | up 2.0% |
| Chicken breast, bonelessper lb | $3.20 | $4.40 | $4.20 | up 31.2% | down 4.6% |
| Chicken legs, bone-inper lb | $1.45 | $2.00 | $1.74 | up 19.6% | down 13.0% |
| Bacon, slicedper lb | $5.77 | $7.93 | $6.76 | up 17.1% | down 14.8% |
| Pork chopsper lb | $3.81 | $5.23 | $4.55 | up 19.5% | down 13.1% |
| Ham, bonelessper lb | $3.87 | $5.32 | $5.45 | up 40.9% | up 2.5% |
| Sirloin steak, bonelessper lb | $8.05 | $11.06 | $14.11 | up 75.3% | up 27.5% |
| Round steak, bonelessper lb | $5.79 | $7.96 | $9.84 | up 70.0% | up 23.7% |
| Chuck roast, bonelessper lb | $5.15 | $7.07 | $9.19 | up 78.5% | up 29.9% |
| Beef for stew, bonelessper lb | $5.37 | $7.38 | $8.53 | up 59.0% | up 15.7% |
Produce in 2017
9 items| Item | 2017 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bananasper lb | 56.3¢ | 77.4¢ | 65.6¢ | up 16.6% | down 15.2% |
| Oranges, navelper lb | $1.34 | $1.84 | $1.72 | up 28.5% | down 6.5% |
| Lemonsper lb | $2.01 | $2.76 | $2.13 | up 6.0% | down 22.9% |
| Grapefruitper lb | $1.28 | $1.76 | $1.62 | up 26.9% | down 7.6% |
| Strawberriesper 12 oz (dry pint) | $2.34 | $3.22 | $2.84 | up 21.4% | down 11.7% |
| Potatoes, whiteper lb | 72.4¢ | 99.5¢ | 98.9¢ | up 36.7% | down 0.6% |
| Tomatoes, field grownper lb | $1.93 | $2.65 | $1.99 | up 3.2% | down 25.0% |
| Lettuce, icebergper lb | $1.03 | $1.42 | $1.64 | up 58.9% | up 15.6% |
| Lettuce, romaineper lb | $2.11 | $2.90 | $3.31 | up 57.0% | up 14.2% |
Pantry in 2017
10 items| Item | 2017 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bread, whiteper lb | $1.33 | $1.83 | $1.83 | up 37.3% | down 0.1% |
| Bread, whole wheatper lb | $1.99 | $2.74 | $2.81May 2026 | up 41.3% | up 2.8% |
| Flour, white all-purposeper lb | 50.7¢ | 69.7¢ | 54.5¢ | up 7.4% | down 21.9% |
| Sugar, whiteper lb | 64.8¢ | 89.0¢ | $1.02 | up 57.4% | up 14.5% |
| Rice, white long grainper lb | 72.1¢ | 99.1¢ | $1.12 | up 55.0% | up 12.8% |
| Spaghetti and macaroniper lb | $1.28 | $1.76 | $1.38 | up 7.7% | down 21.7% |
| Coffee, ground roastper lb | $4.45 | $6.12 | $9.33 | up 109.6% | up 52.4% |
| Cookies, chocolate chipper lb | $3.49 | $4.80 | $5.15 | up 47.6% | up 7.4% |
| Potato chipsper 16 oz | $4.41 | $6.06 | $6.67 | up 51.2% | up 10.0% |
| Dried beansper lb | $1.36 | $1.87 | $1.67 | up 22.9% | down 10.6% |
Drinks in 2017
3 items| Item | 2017 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orange juice, frozen concentrateper 16 oz | $2.65 | $3.65 | $4.82Jul 2026 | up 81.5% | up 32.0% |
| Beer (malt beverages)per 16 oz | $1.39 | $1.91 | $1.88 | up 35.2% | down 1.7% |
| Wine, red and white tableper liter | $12.66 | $17.39 | $13.77 | up 8.8% | down 20.8% |
Energy in 2017
8 items| Item | 2017 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gasoline, regular unleadedper gallon | $2.41 | $3.31 | $4.48 | up 86.2% | up 35.5% |
| Gasoline, all typesper gallon | $2.47 | $3.39 | $4.63 | up 87.6% | up 36.5% |
| Gasoline, midgrade unleadedper gallon | $2.69 | $3.70 | $4.96 | up 84.1% | up 34.0% |
| Gasoline, premium unleadedper gallon | $2.91 | $4.00 | $5.43 | up 86.4% | up 35.6% |
| Diesel fuelper gallon | $2.63 | $3.61 | $6.33 | up 141.1% | up 75.4% |
| Electricityper kWh | 13.8¢ | 18.9¢ | 19.6¢ | up 42.3% | up 3.5% |
| Natural gas (piped utility gas)per therm | $1.02 | $1.40 | $1.70 | up 66.7% | up 21.3% |
| Heating oil (fuel oil #2)per gallon | $2.45 | $3.36 | $5.92 | up 142.1% | up 76.2% |
How we got these numbers
- 2017 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 2017 average of CPI-U (245.1).
- 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 2017: 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, 2017 average, in Sep 2026 dollars, Sep 2026 price