Prices are now 12.5x higher than in 1954
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, something that cost $100 in 1954 costs about $1,245.28 today. The inflation rate in 1954 was 0.7%, and total inflation from 1954 to August 2026 was 1,145%.
The federal minimum wage was $0.75 an hour at the end of 1954, or about $9.34 an hour in today's dollars.
The S&P 500 index started 1954 at 25.46. With dividends reinvested, $100 invested in the S&P 500 in 1954 would have grown to about $238,524.25 by 2026, before adjusting for inflation.
Some costs rose much faster than others. Compared with overall inflation, tobacco rose the most since 1954 (452% more than inflation), and clothing rose the least (75% less).
| All prices, on average | $1,245.28 |
| Food | $1,233.27 |
| Groceries | $1,062.97 |
| Restaurant meals | $1,799.92 |
| Eggs | $455.13 |
| Milk | $716.41 |
| Bread | $1,582.10 |
| Meat | $1,198.80 |
| Fresh fruit | $1,753.81 |
Cost of living in 1954 by category
The Bureau of Labor Statistics began publishing average prices for individual items in 1980. For 1954, these comparisons use the consumer price index for each spending category: each row shows what something that cost $100 in 1954 costs in August 2026, and how that compares with overall inflation of 1,145%.
Food & drink
| Category | $100 in 1954 today | Compared with inflation |
|---|---|---|
| Food | $100 in 1954 today$1,233.27 | Compared with inflation1% less than inflation |
| Groceries | $100 in 1954 today$1,062.97 | Compared with inflation15% less than inflation |
| Restaurant meals | $100 in 1954 today$1,799.92 | Compared with inflation45% more than inflation |
| Eggs | $100 in 1954 today$455.13 | Compared with inflation63% less than inflation |
| Milk | $100 in 1954 today$716.41 | Compared with inflation42% less than inflation |
| Bread | $100 in 1954 today$1,582.10 | Compared with inflation27% more than inflation |
| Meat | $100 in 1954 today$1,198.80 | Compared with inflation4% less than inflation |
| Fresh fruit | $100 in 1954 today$1,753.81 | Compared with inflation41% more than inflation |
| Sugar and sweets | $100 in 1954 today$1,487.08 | Compared with inflation19% more than inflation |
| Alcohol | $100 in 1954 today$740.14 | Compared with inflation41% less than inflation |
| Tobacco | $100 in 1954 today$6,872.33 | Compared with inflation452% more than inflation |
Housing & energy
| Category | $100 in 1954 today | Compared with inflation |
|---|---|---|
| Rent | $100 in 1954 today$1,267.94 | Compared with inflation2% more than inflation |
| Electricity | $100 in 1954 today$1,083.99 | Compared with inflation13% less than inflation |
| Natural gas | $100 in 1954 today$1,910.56 | Compared with inflation53% more than inflation |
| Heating oil | $100 in 1954 today$3,815.80 | Compared with inflation206% more than inflation |
Transportation
| Category | $100 in 1954 today | Compared with inflation |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $100 in 1954 today$1,537.65 | Compared with inflation23% more than inflation |
| New cars | $100 in 1954 today$377.08 | Compared with inflation70% less than inflation |
| Used cars | $100 in 1954 today$791.78 | Compared with inflation36% less than inflation |
| Public transportation | $100 in 1954 today$1,611.96 | Compared with inflation29% more than inflation |
Other costs
| Category | $100 in 1954 today | Compared with inflation |
|---|---|---|
| Clothing | $100 in 1954 today$316.11 | Compared with inflation75% less than inflation |
| Shoes | $100 in 1954 today$439.23 | Compared with inflation65% less than inflation |
| Medical care | $100 in 1954 today$3,323.62 | Compared with inflation167% more than inflation |
| Doctor visits | $100 in 1954 today$2,439.86 | Compared with inflation96% more than inflation |
| Prescription drugs | $100 in 1954 today$1,192.64 | Compared with inflation4% less than inflation |
| Personal care | $100 in 1954 today$1,023.57 | Compared with inflation18% less than inflation |
| Postage | $100 in 1954 today$2,210.82 | Compared with inflation78% more than inflation |
Frequently asked questions
How much is $1 from 1954 worth today?
$1 in 1954 has about the same buying power as $12.45 today, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics consumer price index.
What was the inflation rate in 1954?
The U.S. inflation rate in 1954 was 0.7%, measured as the change in the consumer price index from 1953 to 1954.
What was the minimum wage in 1954?
The federal minimum wage at the end of 1954 was $0.75 an hour, or about $9.34 an hour in today's dollars.
Which costs rose the most since 1954?
Of the spending categories tracked since 1954, tobacco rose the most relative to overall inflation: something that cost $100 in 1954 costs about $6872.33 today. Clothing rose the least, to about $316.11.
Where these numbers come from
Category comparisons use the Bureau of Labor Statistics consumer price index for each category, from the 1954 annual average to August 2026. Overall inflation uses the same consumer price index as our 1954 inflation calculator. The federal minimum wage is from the U.S. Department of Labor, via the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. S&P 500 values are from Robert Shiller's historical stock market data.
Prices in other years
- 1914
- 1915
- 1916
- 1917
- 1918
- 1919
- 1920
- 1921
- 1922
- 1923
- 1924
- 1925
- 1926
- 1927
- 1928
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- 1930
- 1931
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- 1940
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- 1944
- 1945
- 1946
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- 1949
- 1950
- 1951
- 1952
- 1953
- 1954
- 1955
- 1956
- 1957
- 1958
- 1959
- 1960
- 1961
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- 1964
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- 1966
- 1967
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- 2012
- 2013
- 2014
- 2015
- 2016
- 2017
- 2018
- 2019
- 2020
- 2021
- 2022
- 2023
- 2024
- 2025
| All prices, on average | $1,245.28 |
| Food | $1,233.27 |
| Groceries | $1,062.97 |
| Restaurant meals | $1,799.92 |
| Eggs | $455.13 |
| Milk | $716.41 |
| Bread | $1,582.10 |
| Meat | $1,198.80 |
| Fresh fruit | $1,753.81 |