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FinanceInflation

Bacon costs 19% more than it did in 2020: How much soaring inflation has caused everyday expenses to rise

By
Chris Morris
Chris Morris
Former Contributing Writer
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By
Chris Morris
Chris Morris
Former Contributing Writer
Down Arrow Button Icon
October 13, 2021, 7:30 PM ET

You don’t have to go too far to see the real-world effects of inflation.

The consumer price index was up 0.4% in September from August and is up 5.4% from a year ago, a 13-year high. But broad numbers like that don’t always resonate with people. It’s the price changes in individual, everyday items that show the real impact on their wallet.

Retailers are fighting inflation in a variety of ways, including shrinking packaging sizes to keep prices the same so customers don’t always know they’re paying more for less. So rather than diving into the reasons for inflation (ranging from worker shortages to supply-chain issues to energy costs), we thought it would be more effective to show how today’s prices compare with those of a year ago.

Food and beverage inflation

Bacon: +19.3% over the past year

Ground beef: +10.8%

Pork ribs: +19.2%

Chicken: +7.6%

Ham: +7%

Fresh fish: +10.7%

Eggs: +12.6%

Apples: +7.8%

Lettuce: +5%

Carbonated drinks: +5.3%

Salad dressing: +7.2%

Peanut butter: +6.2%

Food from vending machines: +6%

Beer (retail, not at a restaurant or bar): +3%

Wine (retail, not at a restaurant or bar): +1.6%

Energy inflation

Gasoline: +42.1%

Propane, kerosene, and firewood: +27.6%

Natural gas: +20.6%

Consumer goods inflation

Rental cars: +42.9%

Living room, kitchen, and dining room furniture: +13.7%

Washer and dryer: +19.1%

Paper towels and other household paper products: +5.3%

Women’s dresses: +9.5%

Children’s shoes: +11.9%

New cars: +8.8%

Used cars: +24.4%

TVs: +12.7%

Cigarettes: +7%

Hotel rooms: +17.5%

Haircuts: +5%

More finance coverage from Fortune:

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  • Nearly 90% of Americans now use fintech—with Boomers the fastest-growing demo
  • Commentary: Pay streaming is about to upend salaries as we know them
  • Gas prices have more than tripled in the last 18 months—and are likely to go higher

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About the Author
By Chris MorrisFormer Contributing Writer

Chris Morris is a former contributing writer at Fortune, covering everything from general business news to the video game and theme park industries.

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