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1999: what things cost, the #1 song and more

In 1999, a gallon of gas cost $1.17, a gallon of milk was $2.84, a stamp was 33¢ and the median house sold for $160,100. If you were born in 1999, you turn 27 in 2026. Here's how 1999 prices compare with today.

Born in
1999
Gen Z
🏠House$160,100Today: $393,300
⛽Gas$1.17Today: $4.48
🥛Milk$2.84Today: $4.11
🥚Eggs96¢Today: $2.27
🍞Bread89¢Today: $1.83
☕Coffee$3.43Today: $9.33
✉️Stamp33¢Today: 82¢
🎵 #1 song: “Believe”
Cher

Prices in 1999 vs. today

“In today's money” adjusts the 1999 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.

Item1999In today's moneyToday
🏠 Median price of a house soldmedian sale price$160,100$323,843$393,300
+146%
⛽ Gallon of regular gasper gallon$1.17$2.36$4.48
+285%
🥛 Gallon of whole milkper gallon$2.84$5.75$4.11
+44%
🥚 Dozen large eggsper dozen96¢$1.94$2.27
+137%
🍞 Loaf of white breadper pound89¢$1.79$1.83
+106%
☕ Pound of ground coffeeper pound$3.43$6.93$9.33
+172%
✉️ First-class postage stampper letter33¢67¢82¢
+148%
💡 Kilowatt-hour of home electricityper kWh, residential8.2¢16.6¢18.3¢
+123%
⏱️ Federal minimum wageper hour$5.15$10.42$7.25
+41%
🧰 Average factory worker's hourly payper hour, manufacturing production workers$13.85$28.02$30.21
+118%
👪 Median family incomeper year$48,800$98,710$110,500
+126%
🍔 Pound of ground beefper pound$1.45$2.94$6.79
+367%
🥓 Pound of baconper pound$2.55$5.15$6.76
+165%
🍗 Pound of whole chickenper pound$1.06$2.14$2.06
+95%
🧀 Pound of cheddar cheeseper pound$3.77$7.63$6.13
+63%
🍌 Pound of bananasper pound49¢99¢66¢
+34%
🍅 Pound of tomatoesper pound$1.37$2.77$1.99
+45%
🍬 Pound of white sugarper pound43¢88¢$1.02
+135%
🌾 Pound of flourper pound29¢59¢55¢
+85%

1999 at a glance

Turning this year27 years old
GenerationGen Z
PresidentBill Clinton
U.S. population279.3 million
$1 back then is worth$2.02 today
#1 albumMillennium – Backstreet Boys
🎵
Song of the year
“Believe”
Cher · Billboard Year-End #1

Questions people ask about 1999

How much was a gallon of gas in 1999?

Regular gasoline averaged $1.17 a gallon in 1999 (U.S. city average, including taxes). That's about $2.36 in today's money. In Sep 2026 it averaged $4.48.

How much was a postage stamp in 1999?

A first-class stamp cost 33¢ in 1999. Today it costs 82¢.

How much did a house cost in 1999?

The median price of a house sold in the U.S. in 1999 was $160,100, about $323,843 adjusted for inflation. The latest median (Q3 2026) is $393,300.

What was the minimum wage in 1999?

The federal minimum wage was $5.15 an hour in 1999, worth about $10.42 an hour today. It has been $7.25 since July 2009.

How much was milk in 1999?

A gallon of whole milk averaged $2.84 in 1999. Today: $4.11.

How much were eggs in 1999?

A dozen large Grade A eggs averaged 96¢ in 1999. Today: $2.27.

What was the #1 song of 1999?

Billboard's top song of 1999 was “Believe” by Cher.

How much is $1 from 1999 worth today?

$1 in 1999 buys about as much as $2.02 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.