How much did things cost in 1950?
In 1950 the average house price was £2,000. That's just £51,000 in today's money.
Comparing house prices to income growth gives a different picture. In 1950 the average weekly wage was around £5. Today the figure is about £500. Wages have increased by a factor or 100, so unfortunately have house prices. The UK's average house price in February 2022 was £260,230. Our increased income has been eaten up by house price inflation.
At the other end of the scale, Britain's most popular newspaper, The Daily Mirror, cost just 1d (11p in today's money).
These are some prices of a few other items in 1950.
Motoring
The big news in motoring in 1950 was that petrol rationing ended in May 1950.
A gallon of petrol was 3s ¼d in 1950, or £3.85 in today's money.
Family cars started at around £310 for a Ford Anglia. Some other family cars from 1950 were as follows:
| 1950 price | Inflation adjusted | |
|---|---|---|
| Ford Prefect | £371 | £9,900 |
| Morris Minor (2-door saloon) | £383 | £10,000 |
| Austin Devon | £501 12s 3d | £13,000 |
| Vauxhall Velox | £550 | £15,000 |
| Ford V8 Pilot | £764 | £20,000 |
The big Ford V8 Pilot was a last taste of Art Deco glamour. It was based on a pre-war car. Ford dropped it the following year.
Read more about Ford cars from the 1950s
Food and drink
Food rationing was easing in 1950. On 19 May 1950, canned and dried fruit, chocolate biscuits, treacle, syrup, jellies and mincemeat came off the ration. Sugar and butter were still rationed.
These are 1950 prices for popular food products.
| 1950 price | Inflation adjusted | |
|---|---|---|
| Pint of beer [1] | 1s 2d | £1.60 |
| Bottle of whisky [1] | £1 13s 4d | £45 |
| Bottle of table wine [1] | 12s | £16 |
| Loaf of bread (white, unwrapped) [*] | 5½d | 61p |
| Loose leaf tea [*] 4oz | 10d | £1.10 |
| Sugar 1lb [*] | 5d | 56p |
| Pint of milk [*] | 5d | 56p |
| Butter ½lb [*] | 1s | £1.30 |
| Cheddar cheese 1lb [*] | 1s 2d | £1.60 |
| Margarine 1lb [*] | 10d | £1.10 |
| Lard 1lb [*] | 1s | £1.30 |
| Eggs 1 dozen [*] | 3s 6d | £4.70 |
| Potatoes lb [*] | 1½d | 17p |
| Cabbages lb [*] | 2½d | 28p |
| Onions lb [*] | 4d | 45p |
| Oranges lb [*] | 9d | £1 |
| Cocoa lb [*] | 2s 9d | £3.70 |
Smoking
| 1950 price | Inflation adjusted | |
|---|---|---|
| 20 cigarettes | 3s 6d [2] | £4.70 |
Heating
Most people relied on coal fires in 1950.
| 1950 price | Inflation adjusted | |
|---|---|---|
| Coal - 1cwt [*] | 4s 5½d | £6 |
Electronics
Image by Alexander Baxevanis licensed under Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0).
Television ownership was only 2% of UK households in 1950. Not only were television sets expensive, but broadcasting did not cover the whole country. Most people owned radios. They were generally large console sets in wood veneer or Bakelite cabinets.
| 1950 price | Inflation adjusted | |
|---|---|---|
| Regentone 12" television | 63 guineas | £1,800 |
| Murphy A146 console radio | £35 | £940 |
Household electrical goods
Ownership of consumer durables was low in 1950. For those that could afford it they made life considerably easier.
| 1950 price | Inflation adjusted | |
|---|---|---|
| Astral refrigerator | £37 9s 6d | £1,000 |
| Hoover Electric washing machine | £31 5s | £840 |
| Hoover Junior vacuum cleaner | £20 4s | £540 |
Gardening
| 1950 price | Inflation adjusted | |
|---|---|---|
| Champion lawn mower (Gamages) | 60/- | £80 |
Notes
Prices are in pounds, shillings and pence.
Some shops priced more expensive items in guineas. A guinea is one pound and one shilling or £1.05.
The inflation adjusted prices are based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI).
For a comparison of prices in 1950 adjusted for incomes see Income adjusted prices for 1950
References
[*] Data are derived from the Retail Prices Index from July 1947 to 2004
[1] Hansard HC Deb 22 May 1980 vol 985 c336W
[2] 'Labour stinging the poor' published in The Manchester Guardian, 2 November 1950, page 6
By Steven Braggs, December 2021, updated May 2022
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