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What things cost in 1988

42 items · 29 observed in the public record · 13 inflation-estimated

ItemIn 1988Today's money
Average home sale price / each$134,800$384,430
Average hourly earnings, private / hour$9.41$26.63
Bacon / lb$1.90$5.38
Bananas / lb$0.50$1.42
Bread, white / lb$0.60$1.70
Cheddar cheese, natural / lb$3.16$8.94
Chicken legs, bone-in / lb$1.14$3.23
Chicken, whole / lb$0.87$2.46
Coffee / lb$2.74$7.75
Eggs, grade A large / dozen$0.71$2.01
Electricity / kwh$0.08$0.24
Flour, white / lb$0.21$0.59
Fuel oil #2 / gallon$0.86$2.43
Ground beef / lb$1.39$3.93
Ice cream / half gallon$2.43$6.88
Lemons / lb$0.90$2.55
Median home sale price / each$110,000$313,704
Median household income / year$27,230$78,596
Minimum wage, federal / hour$3.35$9.48
Natural gas / therm$0.59$1.67
Orange juice, frozen concentrate / 16 oz$1.90$5.38
Oranges, navel / lb$0.60$1.71
Potato chips / 16 oz$2.57$7.27
Potatoes, white / lb$0.26$0.74
Rice, white / lb$0.49$1.39
Spaghetti and macaroni / lb$0.78$2.21
Strawberries / 12 oz$0.94$2.66
Sugar, white / lb$0.36$1.02
Tomatoes / lb$0.77$2.18
Beans, dried, any type / lb$0.54$1.53
Butter, stick / lb$2.00$5.66
Chicken breast, boneless / lb$1.98$5.61
Diesel, all types / gallon$0.97$2.76
Gasoline, regular / gallon$0.94$2.66
Ham / lb$2.63$7.45
Lettuce, romaine / lb$0.80$2.27
Malt beverages, all types / 16 oz$0.63$1.77
Milk, whole / gallon$1.94$5.48
Soft drinks, all / 2 liter$0.69$1.97
Steak, sirloin, boneless / lb$3.68$10.41
Wine, red and white table / liter$3.66$10.35
Yogurt / 8 oz$0.51$1.45

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19871989
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Verified prices are drawn from U.S. public records (BLS/FRED, public domain). Estimated prices are inflation-derived and labeled as such.
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