Remember The Year
Home › Your year › 2003

2003: what things cost, the #1 song and more

In 2003, a gallon of gas cost $1.59, a gallon of milk was $2.76, a stamp was 37¢ and the median house sold for $192,100. If you were born in 2003, you turn 23 in 2026. Here's how 2003 prices compare with today.

Born in
2003
Gen Z
🏠House$192,100Today: $393,300
⛽Gas$1.59Today: $4.48
🥛Milk$2.76Today: $4.11
🥚Eggs$1.24Today: $2.27
🍞Bread$1.00Today: $1.83
☕Coffee$2.92Today: $9.33
✉️Stamp37¢Today: 82¢
🎵 #1 song: “In da Club”
50 Cent

Prices in 2003 vs. today

“In today's money” adjusts the 2003 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.

Item2003In today's moneyToday
🏠 Median price of a house soldmedian sale price$192,100$351,853$393,300
+105%
⛽ Gallon of regular gasper gallon$1.59$2.91$4.48
+182%
🥛 Gallon of whole milkper gallon$2.76$5.06$4.11
+49%
🥚 Dozen large eggsper dozen$1.24$2.28$2.27
+83%
🍞 Loaf of white breadper pound$1.00$1.83$1.83
+83%
☕ Pound of ground coffeeper pound$2.92$5.34$9.33
+220%
✉️ First-class postage stampper letter37¢68¢82¢
+122%
💡 Kilowatt-hour of home electricityper kWh, residential8.7¢15.9¢18.3¢
+110%
⏱️ Federal minimum wageper hour$5.15$9.43$7.25
+41%
🧰 Average factory worker's hourly payper hour, manufacturing production workers$15.74$28.84$30.21
+92%
👪 Median family incomeper year$52,700$96,526$110,500
+110%
🍔 Pound of ground beefper pound$1.95$3.57$6.79
+248%
🥓 Pound of baconper pound$3.20$5.86$6.76
+111%
🍗 Pound of whole chickenper pound$1.03$1.89$2.06
+100%
🧀 Pound of cheddar cheeseper pound$3.95$7.23$6.13
+55%
🍌 Pound of bananasper pound51¢93¢66¢
+29%
🍅 Pound of tomatoesper pound$1.51$2.76$1.99
+32%
🍬 Pound of white sugarper pound43¢78¢$1.02
+139%
🌾 Pound of flourper pound31¢57¢55¢
+75%

2003 at a glance

Turning this year23 years old
GenerationGen Z
PresidentGeorge W. Bush
U.S. population290.6 million
$1 back then is worth$1.83 today
#1 albumGet Rich or Die Tryin' – 50 Cent
🎵
Song of the year
“In da Club”
50 Cent · Billboard Year-End #1

Questions people ask about 2003

How much was a gallon of gas in 2003?

Regular gasoline averaged $1.59 a gallon in 2003 (U.S. city average, including taxes). That's about $2.91 in today's money. In Sep 2026 it averaged $4.48.

How much was a postage stamp in 2003?

A first-class stamp cost 37¢ in 2003. Today it costs 82¢.

How much did a house cost in 2003?

The median price of a house sold in the U.S. in 2003 was $192,100, about $351,853 adjusted for inflation. The latest median (Q3 2026) is $393,300.

What was the minimum wage in 2003?

The federal minimum wage was $5.15 an hour in 2003, worth about $9.43 an hour today. It has been $7.25 since July 2009.

How much was milk in 2003?

A gallon of whole milk averaged $2.76 in 2003. Today: $4.11.

How much were eggs in 2003?

A dozen large Grade A eggs averaged $1.24 in 2003. Today: $2.27.

What was the #1 song of 2003?

Billboard's top song of 2003 was “In da Club” by 50 Cent.

How much is $1 from 2003 worth today?

$1 in 2003 buys about as much as $1.83 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.