How much did things cost in 1960?
These are prices of some sample items in 1960.
How much were these prices for someone on an average income in 1960? To get a feel for this, I have adjusted them for the increase in incomes from 1960 to today. You can see these adjusted prices in the column 'Income adjusted'.
| 1960 price | Income adjusted | |
|---|---|---|
| Gallon of petrol | 4s 8d | £15 |
| Pint of beer | 1s 10d | £5.70 |
| 20 cigarettes | 4s 1d | £13 |
| A box of matches | 2d | 52p |
| Pint of milk | 8d | £2.10 |
| Bush television | 54 guineas | £3,500 |
| Bush TR82 transistor radio | 21 guineas | £1,400 |
| Qualcast Panther push lawnmower | £8 2s 9d | £510 |
| The Daily Mirror newspaper | 2½d | 65p |
| Average house price | £2,235 | £140,000 |
| Ford Anglia car | £589 | £37,000 |
| Rolls Refrigomatic refrigerator | 57 guineas | £3,700 |
| Rolls Electromatic Twin Tub washing machine | 52 guineas | £3,400 |
| Hoover Junior vacuum cleaner | £3 17s 4d | £240 |
| Colston dishwasher | £89 5s 4d | £5,600 |
| Light bulbs | 1s 2d to 1s 8½d | £3.60 to £5.30 |
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 1960 adjusted for inflation see Infation adjusted prices for 1960
By Steven Braggs, November 2021, updated May 2022
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