What things cost in 2018
In 2018, a dozen eggs averaged $1.74, a gallon of whole milk averaged $2.90 and a pound of white bread averaged $1.29. Here are 51 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
2018$1.00Sep 2026$1.34
It takes $1.34 in September 2026 to buy what $1 bought on average in 2018: prices overall are 1.34 times as high.
- Items priced in 2018
- 51Of the 53 on this site
- Cheaper now, after inflation
- 20Today’s price is below the old one in today’s dollars
- Dearer now, after inflation
- 31Rose faster than prices overall
- Prices overall
- 1.34×CPI-U, 2018 average to Sep 2026
Cheapest now, compared with 2018
The five items whose price rose least against everything else since 2018. Negative means today’s price takes less of today’s money.
| Item | 2018 average | Sep 2026 | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lemonsper lb | $2.25 | $2.13 | down 29.5% |
| Butter, stickper lb · 9 of 12 months | $4.07 | $3.96 | down 27.3% |
| Tomatoes, field grownper lb | $1.92 | $1.99 | down 22.6% |
| Wine, red and white tableper liter | $12.46 | $13.77 | down 17.6% |
| Bananasper lb | 57.4¢ | 65.6¢ | down 14.8% |
Dearest now, compared with 2018
The five items whose price rose most against everything else since 2018.
| Item | 2018 average | Sep 2026 | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diesel fuelper gallon | $3.16 | $6.33 | up 49.4% |
| Orange juice, frozen concentrateper 16 oz | $2.49 | $4.82Jul 2026 | up 44.4% |
| Heating oil (fuel oil #2)per gallon | $3.09 | $5.92 | up 42.9% |
| Ground beef, 100% beefper lb | $3.72 | $6.79 | up 36.2% |
| Chuck roast, bonelessper lb | $5.19 | $9.19 | up 32.0% |
Dairy & eggs in 2018
8 items| Item | 2018 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eggs, grade A largeper dozen | $1.74 | $2.34 | $2.27 | up 30.4% | down 2.8% |
| Milk, wholeper gallon | $2.90 | $3.89 | $4.11 | up 41.8% | up 5.7% |
| Milk, low-fat, reduced-fat or skimper gallon · 9 of 12 months | $2.61 | $3.50 | $3.59 | up 37.3% | up 2.6% |
| Butter, stickper lb · 9 of 12 months | $4.07 | $5.45 | $3.96 | down 2.7% | down 27.3% |
| Cheddar cheeseper lb | $5.13 | $6.89 | $6.13 | up 19.4% | down 11.0% |
| American processed cheeseper lb · 11 of 12 months | $4.01 | $5.38 | $4.74 | up 18.2% | down 11.9% |
| Ice creamper half gallon | $4.74 | $6.36 | $5.93 | up 25.2% | down 6.7% |
| Yogurtper 8 oz · 9 of 12 months | $1.06 | $1.42 | $1.58 | up 48.4% | up 10.9% |
Meat in 2018
12 items| Item | 2018 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ground beef, 100% beefper lb | $3.72 | $4.99 | $6.79 | up 82.8% | up 36.2% |
| Ground beef, lean and extra leanper lb | $5.35 | $7.17 | $8.46 | up 58.2% | up 17.9% |
| Ground chuckper lb | $3.73 | $5.00 | $6.48 | up 74.0% | up 29.7% |
| Chicken, wholeper lb | $1.50 | $2.01 | $2.06 | up 37.9% | up 2.7% |
| Chicken breast, bonelessper lb | $3.08 | $4.13 | $4.20 | up 36.7% | up 1.8% |
| Chicken legs, bone-inper lb | $1.42 | $1.90 | $1.74 | up 22.8% | down 8.5% |
| Bacon, slicedper lb | $5.47 | $7.34 | $6.76 | up 23.6% | down 7.9% |
| Pork chopsper lb | $3.73 | $5.01 | $4.55 | up 22.0% | down 9.1% |
| Ham, bonelessper lb | $4.02 | $5.39 | $5.45 | up 35.6% | up 1.0% |
| Sirloin steak, bonelessper lb | $8.40 | $11.27 | $14.11 | up 67.9% | up 25.1% |
| Round steak, bonelessper lb | $5.71 | $7.66 | $9.84 | up 72.4% | up 28.5% |
| Chuck roast, bonelessper lb | $5.19 | $6.96 | $9.19 | up 77.2% | up 32.0% |
Produce in 2018
9 items| Item | 2018 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bananasper lb | 57.4¢ | 77.0¢ | 65.6¢ | up 14.3% | down 14.8% |
| Oranges, navelper lb | $1.41 | $1.90 | $1.72 | up 22.0% | down 9.1% |
| Lemonsper lb | $2.25 | $3.02 | $2.13 | down 5.4% | down 29.5% |
| Grapefruitper lb | $1.35 | $1.81 | $1.62 | up 20.7% | down 10.0% |
| Strawberriesper 12 oz (dry pint) | $2.34 | $3.15 | $2.84 | up 21.2% | down 9.7% |
| Potatoes, whiteper lb | 74.0¢ | 99.2¢ | 98.9¢ | up 33.7% | down 0.4% |
| Tomatoes, field grownper lb | $1.92 | $2.57 | $1.99 | up 3.9% | down 22.6% |
| Lettuce, icebergper lb | 94.4¢ | $1.27 | $1.64 | up 73.3% | up 29.2% |
| Lettuce, romaineper lb | $2.10 | $2.82 | $3.31 | up 57.8% | up 17.6% |
Pantry in 2018
9 items| Item | 2018 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bread, whiteper lb | $1.29 | $1.73 | $1.83 | up 42.3% | up 6.1% |
| Bread, whole wheatper lb | $1.96 | $2.63 | $2.81May 2026 | up 43.5% | up 7.0% |
| Flour, white all-purposeper lb | 46.2¢ | 62.0¢ | 54.5¢ | up 18.0% | down 12.0% |
| Sugar, whiteper lb | 61.6¢ | 82.7¢ | $1.02 | up 65.4% | up 23.2% |
| Rice, white long grainper lb | 69.4¢ | 93.1¢ | $1.12 | up 61.2% | up 20.1% |
| Spaghetti and macaroniper lb | $1.19 | $1.59 | $1.38 | up 16.0% | down 13.6% |
| Cookies, chocolate chipper lb | $3.50 | $4.70 | $5.15 | up 47.2% | up 9.7% |
| Potato chipsper 16 oz | $4.45 | $5.97 | $6.67 | up 50.0% | up 11.8% |
| Dried beansper lb | $1.34 | $1.80 | $1.67 | up 24.3% | down 7.3% |
Drinks in 2018
5 items| Item | 2018 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orange juice, frozen concentrateper 16 oz | $2.49 | $3.34 | $4.82Jul 2026 | up 93.8% | up 44.4% |
| Soft drinks, 2-liter bottleper 2 liters · 9 of 12 months | $1.46 | $1.95 | $2.27 | up 55.7% | up 16.4% |
| Soft drinks, 12-pack cansper 12 oz can · 9 of 12 months | 34.1¢ | 45.6¢ | 59.1¢ | up 73.5% | up 29.6% |
| Beer (malt beverages)per 16 oz | $1.41 | $1.90 | $1.88 | up 32.7% | down 1.1% |
| Wine, red and white tableper liter | $12.46 | $16.72 | $13.77 | up 10.5% | down 17.6% |
Energy in 2018
8 items| Item | 2018 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gasoline, regular unleadedper gallon | $2.74 | $3.67 | $4.48 | up 63.9% | up 22.1% |
| Gasoline, all typesper gallon | $2.79 | $3.75 | $4.63 | up 65.8% | up 23.6% |
| Gasoline, midgrade unleadedper gallon | $3.03 | $4.07 | $4.96 | up 63.6% | up 21.9% |
| Gasoline, premium unleadedper gallon | $3.27 | $4.39 | $5.43 | up 66.0% | up 23.7% |
| Diesel fuelper gallon | $3.16 | $4.24 | $6.33 | up 100.5% | up 49.4% |
| Electricityper kWh | 13.6¢ | 18.3¢ | 19.6¢ | up 43.9% | up 7.2% |
| Natural gas (piped utility gas)per therm | $1.05 | $1.41 | $1.70 | up 62.3% | up 21.0% |
| Heating oil (fuel oil #2)per gallon | $3.09 | $4.14 | $5.92 | up 91.7% | up 42.9% |
How we got these numbers
- 2018 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 2018 average of CPI-U (251.1).
- 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 2018: beef stew meat, coffee. 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 CSV51 rows: item, unit, 2018 average, in Sep 2026 dollars, Sep 2026 price