How much did things cost in 1950? (income adjusted)
These are prices of some sample items in 1950.
How much were these prices for someone on an average income in 1950? To get a feel for this, I have adjusted them for the increase in incomes from 1950 to today. You can see these adjusted prices in the column 'Income adjusted'.
| 1950 price | Income adjusted | |
|---|---|---|
| Ford Prefect | £371 | £43,000 |
| Morris Minor (2-door saloon) | £383 | £45,000 |
| Austin Devon | £501 12s 3d | £59,000 |
| Vauxhall Velox | £550 | £64,000 |
| Ford V8 Pilot | £764 | £89,000 |
| Pint of beer [1] | 1s 2d | £6.80 |
| Bottle of whisky [1] | £1 13s 4d | £190 |
| Bottle of table wine [1] | 12s | £70 |
| Loaf of bread (white, unwrapped) [*] | 5½d | £2.70 |
| Loose leaf tea [*] 4oz | 10d | £4.90 |
| Sugar 1lb [*] | 5d | £2.40 |
| Pint of milk [*] | 5d | £2.40 |
| Butter ½lb [*] | 1s | £5.80 |
| Cheddar cheese 1lb [*] | 1s 2d | £6.80 |
| Margarine 1lb [*] | 10d | £4.90 |
| Lard 1lb [*] | 1s | £5.80 |
| Eggs 1 dozen [*] | 3s 6d | £20 |
| Potatoes lb [*] | 1½d | 73p |
| Cabbages lb [*] | 2½d | £1.20 |
| Onions lb [*] | 4d | £1.90 |
| Oranges lb [*] | 9d | £4.40 |
| Cocoa lb [*] | 2s 9d | £16 |
| 20 cigarettes | 3s 6d [2] | £20 |
| Coal - 1cwt [*] | 4s 5½d | £26 |
| Regentone 12" television | 63 guineas | £7,700 |
| Murphy A146 console radio | £35 | £4,100 |
| Astral refrigerator | £37 9s 6d | £4,400 |
| Hoover Electric washing machine | £31 5s | £3,600 |
| Hoover Junior vacuum cleaner | £20 4s | £2,400 |
| Champion lawn mower (Gamages) | 60/- | £350 |
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 income adjusted prices are based on the Bank of England's Three Centuries Macroeconomic Dataset Version 2.3 - 30 June 2016. I have updated the income figures based on the ONS: Series code KAB9, adjusted to bring the figures inline with the Bank of England's.
For a comparison of prices in 1950 adjusted for inflation see Infation 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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