How much did things cost in 1954? (income adjusted)
These are prices of some sample items in 1954.
How much were these prices for someone on an average income in 1954? To get a feel for this, I have adjusted them for the increase in incomes from 1954 to today. You can see these adjusted prices in the column 'Income adjusted'.
| 1954 price | Income adjusted | |
|---|---|---|
| Gallon of petrol | 4s 6½d | £20 |
| Pint of beer | 1s 10d (bottled) [*] | £8 |
| 20 cigarettes [*] | 3s 7d | £16 |
| Loaf of bread (white, unwrapped) [*] | 7½d | £2.70 |
| Loose leaf tea [*] 4oz | 1s 7¼d | £7 |
| Sugar 1lb [*] | 7½d | £2.70 |
| Pint of milk [*] | 7d | £2.50 |
| Butter ½lb [*] | 1s 10½d | £8.20 |
| Cheddar cheese 1lb [*] | 2s ½d | £8.70 |
| Margarine 1lb [*] | 1s 9d | £7.60 |
| Lard 1lb [*] | 2s ½d | £8.70 |
| Eggs 1 dozen [*] | 4s | £17 |
| Potatoes lb [*] | 2d | 73p |
| Cabbages lb [*] | 3½d | £1.30 |
| Onions lb [*] | 4¼d | £1.50 |
| Eating apples lb [*] | 11¼d | £4.10 |
| Oranges lb [*] | 1s | £4.40 |
| Cocoa lb [*] | 4s 6d | £20 |
| Coal - 1cwt [*] | 5s 9d | £25 |
| Ferranti 17" television | 75 guineas | £6,900 |
| Ekco A160 radio in walnut cabinet | £26 | £2,300 |
| Qualcast Commando power lawn mower | £29 15s | £2,600 |
| The Daily Mirror newspaper | 1½d | 54p |
| Average house price | £1,863 | £160,000 |
| Ford Anglia car | £511 | £45,000 |
| Astral refrigerator | £44 18s | £3,900 |
| Hoover washing machine | £46 2s 8d | £4,000 |
| Filler Vx1 De luxe vacuum cleaner | £27 3s | £2,400 |
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 1954 adjusted for inflation see Infation adjusted prices for 1954
By Steven Braggs, December 2021, updated May 2022
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