Drake
Prices in 2018 vs. today
“In today's money” adjusts the 2018 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 | 2018 | Today |
|---|---|---|
| 🏠 Median price of a house soldmedian sale price | $325,300 | $393,300 +21% |
| ⛽ Gallon of regular gasper gallon | $2.73 | $4.48 +64% |
| 🥛 Gallon of whole milkper gallon | $2.90 | $4.11 +42% |
| 🥚 Dozen large eggsper dozen | $1.74 | $2.27 +30% |
| 🍞 Loaf of white breadper pound | $1.29 | $1.83 +42% |
| ☕ Pound of ground coffeeper pound | $4.30 | $9.33 +117% |
| ✉️ First-class postage stampper letter | 50¢ | 82¢ +64% |
| 💡 Kilowatt-hour of home electricityper kWh, residential | 12.9¢ | 18.3¢ +42% |
| ⏱️ Federal minimum wageper hour | $7.25 | $7.25 +0% |
| 🧰 Average factory worker's hourly payper hour, manufacturing production workers | $21.52 | $30.21 +40% |
| 👪 Median family incomeper year | $78,700 | $110,500 +40% |
| 🍔 Pound of ground beefper pound | $3.71 | $6.79 +83% |
| 🥓 Pound of baconper pound | $5.47 | $6.76 +24% |
| 🍗 Pound of whole chickenper pound | $1.50 | $2.06 +38% |
| 🧀 Pound of cheddar cheeseper pound | $5.13 | $6.13 +19% |
| 🍌 Pound of bananasper pound | 57¢ | 66¢ +14% |
| 🍅 Pound of tomatoesper pound | $1.92 | $1.99 +4% |
| 🍬 Pound of white sugarper pound | 62¢ | $1.02 +65% |
| 🌾 Pound of flourper pound | 46¢ | 55¢ +18% |
2018 at a glance
Questions people ask about 2018
How much was a gallon of gas in 2018?
Regular gasoline averaged $2.73 a gallon in 2018 (U.S. city average, including taxes). That's about $3.67 in today's money. In Sep 2026 it averaged $4.48.
How much was a postage stamp in 2018?
A first-class stamp cost 50¢ in 2018. Today it costs 82¢.
How much did a house cost in 2018?
The median price of a house sold in the U.S. in 2018 was $325,300, about $436,494 adjusted for inflation. The latest median (Q3 2026) is $393,300.
What was the minimum wage in 2018?
The federal minimum wage was $7.25 an hour in 2018, worth about $9.73 an hour today. It has been $7.25 since July 2009.
How much was milk in 2018?
A gallon of whole milk averaged $2.90 in 2018. Today: $4.11.
How much were eggs in 2018?
A dozen large Grade A eggs averaged $1.74 in 2018. Today: $2.27.
What was the #1 song of 2018?
Billboard's top song of 2018 was “God's Plan” by Drake.
How much is $1 from 2018 worth today?
$1 in 2018 buys about as much as $1.34 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.
Get tomorrow's year in your inbox
One short email each morning around 7am Eastern: the new daily game and one surprising price from the past. No spam, unsubscribe in one click.