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What things cost in 1998

42 items · 37 observed in the public record · 5 inflation-estimated

ItemIn 1998Today's money
Average home sale price / each$178,800$367,450
Average hourly earnings, private / hour$12.99$26.61
Bacon / lb$2.46$5.04
Bananas / lb$0.51$1.04
Beans, dried, any type / lb$0.70$1.43
Bread, white / lb$0.86$1.76
Cheddar cheese, natural / lb$3.43$7.03
Chicken legs, bone-in / lb$1.28$2.62
Chicken, whole / lb$1.02$2.09
Coffee / lb$3.79$7.76
Diesel, all types / gallon$1.04$2.13
Eggs, grade A large / dozen$0.93$1.91
Electricity / kwh$0.09$0.19
Flour, white / lb$0.31$0.64
Fuel oil #2 / gallon$0.87$1.78
Gasoline, regular / gallon$1.07$2.19
Ground beef / lb$1.39$2.85
Ham / lb$2.82$5.78
Ice cream / half gallon$3.05$6.25
Lemons / lb$1.06$2.17
Malt beverages, all types / 16 oz$0.83$1.70
Median home sale price / each$149,500$307,236
Median household income / year$38,890$80,368
Milk, whole / gallon$2.62$5.37
Minimum wage, federal / hour$5.15$10.55
Natural gas / therm$0.67$1.38
Orange juice, frozen concentrate / 16 oz$1.63$3.34
Oranges, navel / lb$0.67$1.37
Potato chips / 16 oz$3.15$6.45
Potatoes, white / lb$0.39$0.80
Rice, white / lb$0.54$1.11
Spaghetti and macaroni / lb$0.90$1.84
Steak, sirloin, boneless / lb$4.40$9.01
Strawberries / 12 oz$1.41$2.89
Sugar, white / lb$0.43$0.88
Tomatoes / lb$1.39$2.85
Wine, red and white table / liter$4.81$9.85
Butter, stick / lb$2.77$5.68
Chicken breast, boneless / lb$2.75$5.63
Lettuce, romaine / lb$1.11$2.28
Soft drinks, all / 2 liter$0.96$1.97
Yogurt / 8 oz$0.71$1.45

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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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