1. $312
   $2,938
2. $99,300

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.

1. $35
   $102
2. $490

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.

1. $825
   $82,500
2. $182,500

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.

1. $10
   $100
2. $1,000

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.

1. $0.05
   $0.99
2. $5.00

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.

1. $0.13
   $2.59
2. $9.00

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.

1. $0.95
   $4.00
2. $9.99

A gallon of milk cost just $0.95 in the mid '60s. Today, a gallon will set you back around $3.32.

1. $0.21
   $1.00
2. $13.81

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.

1. $115
   $2,551
2. $14,091

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.

1. $0.07
   $0.49
2. $1.79

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.

1. $0.25
   $1.50
2. $5.25

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.

1. $1
   $20
2. $50

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.

1. $27
   $110
2. $1,298

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.

1. $625
   $7,354
2. $21,087

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.

1. $0.05
   $0.50
2. $1.95

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.

1. $0.02
   $0.17
2. $0.29

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.

1. $0.05
   $0.99
2. $2.50

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.

1. $0.05
   $0.25
2. $1.00

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.

1. $1.50
   $150
2. $1,500

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.

1. $0.25
   $3.41
2. $97

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.

1. $0.01
   $0.17
2. $3.00

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.

1. $0.03
   $0.90
2. $7.21

A round steak cost $0.90 per pound back in '55, compared to $4.30 per pound today.

1. true
2. false

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.

1. $0.20
   $0.99
2. $2.00

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.

1. $0.25
   $0.90
2. $3.00

A dozen eggs cost just under a dollar 30 years ago, and averages $1.73 in 2016.

1. $1.25
   $6.90
2. $17.55

The typical monthly electric bill in 1965 was $17.55. Today, it's closer to $110.21 and rising each year.

1. $7
   $40
2. $120

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.

1. $15
   $75
2. $200

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.

1. $20
   $120
2. $445

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.

1. $3
   $20
2. $50

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.