• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
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
Down Arrow Button Icon
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:

  • Oct. 15 deadline looms for people who obtained 2021 tax extension
  • Where Zillow says home prices are headed in 2022
  • 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

Subscribe to Fortune Daily to get essential business stories straight to your inbox each morning.

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.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Finance

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Finance

Eddie Bauer
RetailRetail
Eddie Bauer’s retail operator declares bankruptcy as younger shoppers view the brand as ‘old-fashioned and a bit irrelevant’
By Anne D'Innocenzio and The Associated PressFebruary 9, 2026
3 hours ago
Personal FinanceSavings
Best money market accounts of February 2026
By Glen Luke FlanaganFebruary 9, 2026
3 hours ago
CryptoDonald Trump
The Trump family’s crypto portfolio is getting battered with the rest of the industry—but Melania’s memecoin has fared surprisingly well
By Ben WeissFebruary 9, 2026
3 hours ago
Personal Financechecking accounts
Best checking account bonuses for February 2026
By Glen Luke FlanaganFebruary 9, 2026
4 hours ago
take off
InvestingMarkets
Why you shouldn’t worry about AI eating the stock market, top analyst says. The U.S. economy is ‘about to take off’
By Nick LichtenbergFebruary 9, 2026
5 hours ago
A sign outside of a home with Guthrie’s name on it
CryptoCryptocurrency
Nancy Guthrie’s family faces $6 million Bitcoin ransom demand for 5 p.m. ET: How such a payment would take place
By Carlos GarciaFebruary 9, 2026
6 hours ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Economy
Elon Musk warns the U.S. is '1,000% going to go bankrupt' unless AI and robotics save the economy from crushing debt
By Jason MaFebruary 7, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
China might be beginning to back away from U.S. debt as investors get nervous about overexposure to American assets
By Eleanor PringleFebruary 9, 2026
13 hours ago
placeholder alt text
AI
As billionaires bail, Mark Zuckerberg doubles down on California with $50 million donation
By Sydney LakeFebruary 9, 2026
8 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
Russian officials are warning Putin that a financial crisis could arrive this summer, report says, while his war on Ukraine becomes too big to fail
By Jason MaFebruary 8, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
C-Suite
Meet Jody Allen, the billionaire owner of the Seattle Seahawks, who plans to sell the team and donate the proceeds to charity
By Jake AngeloFebruary 9, 2026
5 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Commentary
America marks its 250th birthday with a fading dream—the first time that younger generations will make less than their parents
By Mark Robert Rank and The ConversationFebruary 8, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.