About This Quiz
Thanks to the relentless march of inflation, prices of everything, from housing to a gallon of milk, continue to rise over time. People living in decades past had to pinch pennies and stretch dollars to afford necessities or splurge on a taste of luxury, just like modern families. Take our quiz to see if you can guess how much everyday items cost in days past!The median home value in the U.S. in 1940 was $2,938, but just like today, prices varied based on where you lived. In 2017, the median price of an existing U.S. home is $228,400.
At a time when 60 percent of the population still lived in rural areas, the median household income was $490 in 1900. In 2015, the median household income in the U.S. was just under $56,000.
The Model T marked the beginning of the move from horse-powered carriage to car. The first units that rolled out of the factory cost $825 -- that's about $18,000 today. A new car in 2016 costs around $31,000.
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You could subscribe to a major newspaper in the 1860s for between $8 and $10 per year -- at a time when the average laborer made less than $1 a day. Today, a subscription to the "New York Times" with home delivery starts at around $10 a week.
A six-pack of standard American beer cost around $0.99 in the 1960s. Today, a six-pack of Bud Light rings in at around $6 or $7 -- or double that for many craft beers.
Back in 1777, a pound of butter cost just $0.13. By the dawn of the Civil War in 1860, the price had risen to $0.29 per pound. Today, high-quality butter can easily cost $4 per pound.
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A gallon of milk cost just $0.95 in the mid '60s. Today, a gallon will set you back around $3.32.
A gallon of gas cost $0.21 in 1929 -- that's around $2.38 in today's dollars. Gas hit its peak in 2008, at $4.11 per gallon.
One year of tuition, room and board for an in-state student at a public college cost $2,551 in 1980 -- or $8,307 adjusted for inflation. The same year of tuition, room and board costs an average of $20,092 per year in 2016.
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The Big Mac is a popular item for comparing prices and purchasing power. When the McDonald's classic first came out in 1968, it was priced at $0.49. By 2015, it cost $4.79. The restaurant's cheeseburger fared a little better -- starting at $0.19 in 1955 and priced at $1 in 2015.
The average movie ticket cost just a quarter in 1939, arguably one of the biggest years in film history -- "Gone With the Wind," "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington," "Stagecoach" and "Oz" all came out that year. Today, the average movie ticket costs $8.73.
Opening day admission at Disneyland cost just $1, but rides were extra, and ranged from around $0.10 to $0.30. Today, rides are included in the price of a ticket, but daily admission starts at a whopping $91 during off-peak times.
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The Apple II, which included a display and was one of the first complete PC's on the market, was priced at $1,298 when it was released. Today, a new Macbook costs less and offers features early computer users could only dream of -- in a notebook that's wafer thin and unbelievably light.
The median price for a standard home in 1950 cost $7,354 -- that's $44,600 in today's dollars -- and measured less than 1,000 square feet. Today, the average new home measures more than 2,500 square feet, and median home value is around $232,500.
As the Great Depression reared its ugly head, families had to dig deep to shell out the $0.05 to $0.10 needed to buy a loaf of bread. Today, bread averages around $2.40, or slightly more for whole wheat.
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You could mail a letter first-class in the U.S. for a mere $0.02 in 1915. In 2017, the same stamp costs just $0.49 -- although it's much less necessary to everyday life, thanks to email.
Hershey kept the price of its iconic candy bar at just a nickel from 1900 to 1969, when it doubled the price of a bar while also doubling the size.
A bottle of Coke cost just a nickel for nearly 70 years -- from 1886 to 1930. When the company was ready to raise the price, they tried to get the government to make a 7.5-cent coin. When that didn't work out, they eventually raised the price to $0.06.
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A ticket to a World Series Cubs game in 1908 was just $1.50. When the Cubs went back to the World Series in 2016, the face value of tickets ranged from $175 to $400 -- though tickets were actually going for much more than that. For game five, for example, the average ticket sold for $3,000.
A typical visit to the doctor cost $3.41 in 1958. Today, the average visit costs an uninsured patient $160, and even insured patients will pay $49 out of pocket on average.
Yes, we have bananas, back then and today! In 1955, bananas cost $0.17 per pound. Today, they're around $0.59 per pound -- still cheap by any standard.
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A round steak cost $0.90 per pound back in '55, compared to $4.30 per pound today.
Today, a standard air ticket costs around 1 percent of a person's average income. Back in the '50s, it would cost around 5 percent of a typical income. A ticket from Chicago to Phoenix was around $138 round-trip, which equates to around $1,168 today.
Around 50 percent of adults smoked in the early '60s, and cigarettes were dirt cheap, averaging just $0.20 per pack. Today, they ring in at $5.51 nationwide.
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A dozen eggs cost just under a dollar 30 years ago, and averages $1.73 in 2016.
The typical monthly electric bill in 1965 was $17.55. Today, it's closer to $110.21 and rising each year.
A washing machine cost between $120 and $130 in 1954. Today, typical budget units range from $275 to $400, and even those include bells and whistles that '50s housewives could only dream of.
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The first modern refrigerators came out in 1925. By 1947, a typical unit cost $200 -- that's $1,800 in today's dollars. An average refrigerator in 2016 costs between $1,800 and $3,600.
A 12-inch black and white television cost $445 in 1947 -- that's more than $4,000 in today's dollars. You can get a huge smart TV for around $1,500 in 2016.
You could buy Chuck Taylor All-Stars for $3 back in 1947. Today, a pair of the classic shoes cost between $40 and $50 on average.
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