What things cost in 2020
In 2020, a dozen eggs averaged $1.51, a gallon of whole milk averaged $3.32 and a pound of white bread averaged $1.45. 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
2020$1.00Sep 2026$1.30
It takes $1.30 in September 2026 to buy what $1 bought on average in 2020: prices overall are 1.30 times as high.
- Items priced in 2020
- 48Of 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
- 28Rose faster than prices overall
- Prices overall
- 1.30×CPI-U, 2020 average to Sep 2026
The same shopping bag, 2020 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.
2020$19.14Sep 2026$31.53
Up 65% in dollars of the day. In Sep 2026 dollars the 2020 bag cost $24.92, so after inflation it is up 27%.
- Eggs per dozen2020: $1.51Sep 2026: $2.27
- Whole milk per gallon2020: $3.32Sep 2026: $4.11
- White bread per lb2020: $1.45Sep 2026: $1.83
- Ground beef per lb2020: $4.12Sep 2026: $6.79
- Whole chicken per lb2020: $1.56Sep 2026: $2.06
- Bananas per lb2020: 57.8¢Sep 2026: 65.6¢
- Coffee per lb2020: $4.43Sep 2026: $9.33
- Regular gas per gallon2020: $2.17Sep 2026: $4.48
Cheapest now, compared with 2020
The five items whose price rose least against everything else since 2020. Negative means today’s price takes less of today’s money.
| Item | 2020 average | Sep 2026 | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomatoes, field grownper lb · 10 of 12 months | $1.96 | $1.99 | down 22.0% |
| Pork chopsper lb | $4.18 | $4.55 | down 16.5% |
| Spaghetti and macaroniper lb | $1.26 | $1.38 | down 16.4% |
| Butter, stickper lb | $3.62 | $3.96 | down 16.0% |
| Wine, red and white tableper liter | $12.42 | $13.77 | down 14.8% |
Dearest now, compared with 2020
The five items whose price rose most against everything else since 2020.
| Item | 2020 average | Sep 2026 | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heating oil (fuel oil #2)per gallon | $2.29 | $5.92 | up 98.8% |
| Diesel fuelper gallon | $2.62 | $6.33 | up 85.5% |
| Coffee, ground roastper lb | $4.43 | $9.33 | up 61.7% |
| Orange juice, frozen concentrateper 16 oz | $2.33 | $4.82Jul 2026 | up 59.1% |
| Gasoline, all typesper gallon | $2.24 | $4.63 | up 58.7% |
Dairy & eggs in 2020
8 items| Item | 2020 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eggs, grade A largeper dozen | $1.51 | $1.96 | $2.27 | up 50.9% | up 15.8% |
| Milk, wholeper gallon | $3.32 | $4.32 | $4.11 | up 23.7% | down 4.9% |
| Milk, low-fat, reduced-fat or skimper gallon | $2.94 | $3.83 | $3.59 | up 22.2% | down 6.2% |
| Butter, stickper lb | $3.62 | $4.71 | $3.96 | up 9.4% | down 16.0% |
| Cheddar cheeseper lb | $5.50 | $7.16 | $6.13 | up 11.6% | down 14.3% |
| American processed cheeseper lb | $4.10 | $5.34 | $4.74 | up 15.4% | down 11.3% |
| Ice creamper half gallon | $4.92 | $6.41 | $5.93 | up 20.5% | down 7.5% |
| Yogurtper 8 oz | $1.21 | $1.57 | $1.58 | up 30.9% | up 0.6% |
Meat in 2020
13 items| Item | 2020 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ground beef, 100% beefper lb | $4.12 | $5.36 | $6.79 | up 65.0% | up 26.8% |
| Ground beef, lean and extra leanper lb | $5.80 | $7.55 | $8.46 | up 45.9% | up 12.0% |
| Ground chuckper lb | $4.39 | $5.71 | $6.48 | up 47.8% | up 13.5% |
| Chicken, wholeper lb · 11 of 12 months | $1.56 | $2.03 | $2.06 | up 32.1% | up 1.5% |
| Chicken breast, bonelessper lb | $3.22 | $4.20 | $4.20 | up 30.4% | up 0.2% |
| Chicken legs, bone-inper lb | $1.55 | $2.02 | $1.74 | up 12.2% | down 13.8% |
| Bacon, slicedper lb | $5.58 | $7.27 | $6.76 | up 21.0% | down 7.0% |
| Pork chopsper lb | $4.18 | $5.45 | $4.55 | up 8.8% | down 16.5% |
| Ham, bonelessper lb · 11 of 12 months | $4.49 | $5.84 | $5.45 | up 21.4% | down 6.6% |
| Sirloin steak, bonelessper lb | $8.95 | $11.65 | $14.11 | up 57.6% | up 21.0% |
| Round steak, bonelessper lb | $6.53 | $8.51 | $9.84 | up 50.6% | up 15.7% |
| Chuck roast, bonelessper lb | $6.01 | $7.83 | $9.19 | up 52.8% | up 17.3% |
| Beef for stew, bonelessper lb | $5.96 | $7.77 | $8.53 | up 43.1% | up 9.9% |
Produce in 2020
4 items| Item | 2020 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bananasper lb | 57.8¢ | 75.3¢ | 65.6¢ | up 13.5% | down 12.8% |
| Strawberriesper 12 oz (dry pint) · 11 of 12 months | $2.49 | $3.24 | $2.84 | up 13.8% | down 12.4% |
| Potatoes, whiteper lb · 10 of 12 months | 81.1¢ | $1.06 | 98.9¢ | up 21.9% | down 6.3% |
| Tomatoes, field grownper lb · 10 of 12 months | $1.96 | $2.55 | $1.99 | up 1.5% | down 22.0% |
Pantry in 2020
10 items| Item | 2020 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bread, whiteper lb | $1.45 | $1.89 | $1.83 | up 26.1% | down 3.2% |
| Bread, whole wheatper lb | $2.09 | $2.72 | $2.81May 2026 | up 34.6% | up 3.4% |
| Flour, white all-purposeper lb · 11 of 12 months | 45.1¢ | 58.7¢ | 54.5¢ | up 20.7% | down 7.2% |
| Sugar, whiteper lb | 63.4¢ | 82.5¢ | $1.02 | up 60.8% | up 23.5% |
| Rice, white long grainper lb · 11 of 12 months | 75.9¢ | 98.7¢ | $1.12 | up 47.4% | up 13.3% |
| Spaghetti and macaroniper lb | $1.26 | $1.64 | $1.38 | up 8.9% | down 16.4% |
| Coffee, ground roastper lb | $4.43 | $5.77 | $9.33 | up 110.5% | up 61.7% |
| Cookies, chocolate chipper lb | $3.70 | $4.82 | $5.15 | up 39.2% | up 7.0% |
| Potato chipsper 16 oz | $4.92 | $6.41 | $6.67 | up 35.5% | up 4.1% |
| Dried beansper lb · 10 of 12 months | $1.43 | $1.86 | $1.67 | up 16.8% | down 10.1% |
Drinks in 2020
5 items| Item | 2020 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orange juice, frozen concentrateper 16 oz | $2.33 | $3.03 | $4.82Jul 2026 | up 107.1% | up 59.1% |
| Soft drinks, 2-liter bottleper 2 liters | $1.65 | $2.15 | $2.27 | up 37.9% | up 5.9% |
| Soft drinks, 12-pack cansper 12 oz can | 38.4¢ | 50.0¢ | 59.1¢ | up 53.9% | up 18.2% |
| Beer (malt beverages)per 16 oz | $1.48 | $1.93 | $1.88 | up 26.4% | down 2.9% |
| Wine, red and white tableper liter | $12.42 | $16.17 | $13.77 | up 10.9% | down 14.8% |
Energy in 2020
8 items| Item | 2020 average | In Sep 2026 $ | Sep 2026 | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gasoline, regular unleadedper gallon | $2.17 | $2.83 | $4.48 | up 106.1% | up 58.4% |
| Gasoline, all typesper gallon | $2.24 | $2.92 | $4.63 | up 106.6% | up 58.7% |
| Gasoline, midgrade unleadedper gallon | $2.52 | $3.28 | $4.96 | up 96.9% | up 51.3% |
| Gasoline, premium unleadedper gallon | $2.79 | $3.63 | $5.43 | up 94.4% | up 49.4% |
| Diesel fuelper gallon | $2.62 | $3.41 | $6.33 | up 141.5% | up 85.5% |
| Electricityper kWh | 13.5¢ | 17.6¢ | 19.6¢ | up 44.8% | up 11.2% |
| Natural gas (piped utility gas)per therm | $1.05 | $1.37 | $1.70 | up 61.2% | up 23.8% |
| Heating oil (fuel oil #2)per gallon | $2.29 | $2.98 | $5.92 | up 158.8% | up 98.8% |
How we got these numbers
- 2020 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 2020 average of CPI-U (258.8).
- 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 2020: oranges, lemons, grapefruit, iceberg lettuce, romaine lettuce. 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, 2020 average, in Sep 2026 dollars, Sep 2026 price