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1991: what things cost, the #1 song and more

In 1991, a gallon of gas cost $1.14, a half-gallon of milk was $1.37, a stamp was 29¢ and the median house sold for $120,000. If you were born in 1991, you turn 35 in 2026. Here's how 1991 prices compare with today.

Born in
1991
Millennial
🏠House$120,000Today: $393,300
⛽Gas$1.14Today: $4.48
🥛Milk (½ gal)$1.37Today: $2.05
🥚Eggs99¢Today: $2.27
🍞Bread71¢Today: $1.83
☕Coffee$2.81Today: $9.33
✉️Stamp29¢Today: 82¢
🎵 #1 song: “(Everything I Do) I Do It for You”
Bryan Adams

Prices in 1991 vs. today

“In today's money” adjusts the 1991 price for inflation (CPI-U, Sep 2026). If today's price is higher than that, the item really did get more expensive, not just the dollar.

Item1991In today's moneyToday
🏠 Median price of a house soldmedian sale price$120,000$296,881$393,300
+228%
⛽ Gallon of regular gasper gallon$1.14$2.82$4.48
+293%
🥛 Half-gallon of whole milkper half-gallon$1.37$3.39$2.05
+50%
🥚 Dozen large eggsper dozen99¢$2.45$2.27
+130%
🍞 Loaf of white breadper pound71¢$1.76$1.83
+158%
☕ Pound of ground coffeeper pound$2.81$6.95$9.33
+232%
✉️ First-class postage stampper letter29¢72¢82¢
+183%
💡 Kilowatt-hour of home electricityper kWh, residential8.0¢19.8¢18.3¢
+129%
⏱️ Federal minimum wageper hour$4.25$10.51$7.25
+71%
🧰 Average factory worker's hourly payper hour, manufacturing production workers$11.13$27.53$30.21
+171%
👪 Median family incomeper year$35,900$88,817$110,500
+208%
🍔 Pound of ground beefper pound$1.59$3.95$6.79
+326%
🥓 Pound of baconper pound$2.22$5.49$6.76
+204%
🍗 Pound of whole chickenper pound88¢$2.18$2.06
+135%
🧀 Pound of cheddar cheeseper pound$3.55$8.79$6.13
+73%
🍌 Pound of bananasper pound48¢$1.1966¢
+36%
🍅 Pound of tomatoesper pound$1.01$2.49$1.99
+98%
🍬 Pound of white sugarper pound43¢$1.06$1.02
+138%
🌾 Pound of flourper pound23¢58¢55¢
+133%

1991 at a glance

Turning this year35 years old
GenerationMillennial
PresidentGeorge H. W. Bush
U.S. population253.5 million
$1 back then is worth$2.47 today
#1 albumMariah Carey – Mariah Carey
🎵
Song of the year
“(Everything I Do) I Do It for You”
Bryan Adams · Billboard Year-End #1

Questions people ask about 1991

How much was a gallon of gas in 1991?

Regular gasoline averaged $1.14 a gallon in 1991 (U.S. city average, including taxes). That's about $2.82 in today's money. In Sep 2026 it averaged $4.48.

How much was a postage stamp in 1991?

A first-class stamp cost 29¢ in 1991. Today it costs 82¢.

How much did a house cost in 1991?

The median price of a house sold in the U.S. in 1991 was $120,000, about $296,881 adjusted for inflation. The latest median (Q3 2026) is $393,300.

What was the minimum wage in 1991?

The federal minimum wage was $4.25 an hour in 1991, worth about $10.51 an hour today. It has been $7.25 since July 2009.

How much was milk in 1991?

A half-gallon of whole milk averaged $1.37 in 1991. Today: $2.05.

How much were eggs in 1991?

A dozen large Grade A eggs averaged 99¢ in 1991. Today: $2.27.

What was the #1 song of 1991?

Billboard's top song of 1991 was “(Everything I Do) I Do It for You” by Bryan Adams.

How much is $1 from 1991 worth today?

$1 in 1991 buys about as much as $2.47 did in Sep 2026, based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI-U).

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau & HUD, Median Sales Price of Houses Sold; U.S. Energy Information Administration (regular gasoline, U.S. city average retail price incl. taxes; leaded until 1975, unleaded from 1976); U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Average Price Data (U.S. city average); U.S. Postal Service rate history (rate in effect July 1); U.S. Energy Information Administration (average residential price incl. taxes); U.S. Department of Labor (rate in effect July 1); U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics; U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey; Billboard Year-End Hot 100. How we calculate these.