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Prices in 1998 vs. today
“In today's money” adjusts the 1998 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.
| Item | 1998 | Today |
|---|---|---|
| 🏠 Median price of a house soldmedian sale price | $151,900 | $393,300 +159% |
| ⛽ Gallon of regular gasper gallon | $1.06 | $4.48 +323% |
| 🥛 Gallon of whole milkper gallon | $2.70 | $4.11 +52% |
| 🥚 Dozen large eggsper dozen | $1.04 | $2.27 +119% |
| 🍞 Loaf of white breadper pound | 86¢ | $1.83 +113% |
| ☕ Pound of ground coffeeper pound | $3.77 | $9.33 +148% |
| ✉️ First-class postage stampper letter | 32¢ | 82¢ +156% |
| 💡 Kilowatt-hour of home electricityper kWh, residential | 8.3¢ | 18.3¢ +120% |
| ⏱️ Federal minimum wageper hour | $5.15 | $7.25 +41% |
| 🧰 Average factory worker's hourly payper hour, manufacturing production workers | $13.45 | $30.21 +125% |
| 👪 Median family incomeper year | $46,700 | $110,500 +137% |
| 🍔 Pound of ground beefper pound | $1.41 | $6.79 +381% |
| 🥓 Pound of baconper pound | $2.54 | $6.76 +166% |
| 🍗 Pound of whole chickenper pound | $1.04 | $2.06 +98% |
| 🧀 Pound of cheddar cheeseper pound | $3.55 | $6.13 +73% |
| 🍌 Pound of bananasper pound | 49¢ | 66¢ +33% |
| 🍅 Pound of tomatoesper pound | $1.48 | $1.99 +35% |
| 🍬 Pound of white sugarper pound | 43¢ | $1.02 +137% |
| 🌾 Pound of flourper pound | 30¢ | 55¢ +82% |
1998 at a glance
Questions people ask about 1998
How much was a gallon of gas in 1998?
Regular gasoline averaged $1.06 a gallon in 1998 (U.S. city average, including taxes). That's about $2.19 in today's money. In Sep 2026 it averaged $4.48.
How much was a postage stamp in 1998?
A first-class stamp cost 32¢ in 1998. Today it costs 82¢.
How much did a house cost in 1998?
The median price of a house sold in the U.S. in 1998 was $151,900, about $313,980 adjusted for inflation. The latest median (Q3 2026) is $393,300.
What was the minimum wage in 1998?
The federal minimum wage was $5.15 an hour in 1998, worth about $10.65 an hour today. It has been $7.25 since July 2009.
How much was milk in 1998?
A gallon of whole milk averaged $2.70 in 1998. Today: $4.11.
How much were eggs in 1998?
A dozen large Grade A eggs averaged $1.04 in 1998. Today: $2.27.
What was the #1 song of 1998?
Billboard's top song of 1998 was “Too Close” by Next.
How much is $1 from 1998 worth today?
$1 in 1998 buys about as much as $2.07 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.
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