How much did things cost in 1955?

These are some prices of a few items in 1955.

	1955 price	Inflation adjusted
Gallon of petrol	4s 6½d	£4.50
Pint of beer (bottled) [*]	1s 11d	£1.90
20 cigarettes [*]	3s 7d	£3.60
Loaf of bread (white, unwrapped) [*]	7½d	62p
Loose leaf tea [*] 4oz	1s 8½d	£1.70
Sugar 1lb [*]	8d	67p
Pint of milk [*]	7d	58p
Butter ½lb [*]	1s 11d	£1.90
Cheddar cheese 1lb [*]	2s 6d	£2.50
Margarine 1lb [*]	1s 8½d	£1.70
Lard 1lb [*]	1s 11d	£1.90
Eggs 1 dozen [*]	4s 7d	£4.60
Potatoes lb [*]	3d	25p
Cabbages lb [*]	4½d	37p
Onions lb [*]	5½d	46p
Eating apples lb [*]	1s 1d	£1.10
Oranges lb [*]	11d	92p
Cocoa lb [*]	4s 6d	£4.50
Coal - 1cwt [*]	6s 8d	£6.70
Penguin chocolate bar	3½d	29p
Bush TV53 14" television	65 guineas	£1,400
Ferranti M55 radio	13½ guineas	£280
Qualcast Panther push lawn mower	£7 7s 5d	£150
The Daily Mirror newspaper	2d	17p
Average house price	£1,937	£39,000
Ford Anglia car	£511	£10,000
GEC refrigerator	65 guineas	£1,400
Hoover washing machine	61 guineas	£1,300
Invincible vacuum cleaner	£19 17s 6d	£400

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 1955 adjusted for incomes see Income adjusted prices for 1955

References

[1] 'The price of tea', published in the Manchester Guardian, 7 February 1955, page 8