1970s Prices & Cost of Living
What did it really cost to live in the 1970s? Explore the wages, prices and everyday expenses behind the decade — from buying a home or a new car to filling the tank and bringing home a paycheck.
Prices tell another side of the 1970s
Low-looking price tags only make sense when you compare them with 1970s wages, inflation and borrowing costs.
The 1970s are remembered for music, fashion and pop culture, but everyday life was also shaped by what people earned and what their money could buy.
Prices changed considerably between 1970 and 1979. Inflation, energy shortages and rising costs meant that a dollar at the beginning of the decade did not buy the same amount by its end.
This hub brings our price and cost-of-living guides together so you can explore the decade through the things people bought, the homes they lived in, the cars they drove and the money they earned.
Start with the prices you remember
Begin with the big picture or jump directly into wages, homes, cars and gasoline.
THE BIG PICTURE
How Much Did Things Cost in the 1970s?
Start with a broad look at groceries, entertainment, homes, cars and the everyday prices people actually paid.
Explore everyday prices
WAGES & INCOME
Average Salary in the 1970s
See how earnings changed through the decade and how wages compared with the rising cost of everyday life.
See 1970s salaries
BUYING A HOME
House Prices in the 1970s
Follow house prices through the decade and compare the cost of buying a home with income and mortgage rates.
Explore house prices
ON THE ROAD
Car Prices in the 1970s
Discover what new cars cost and how familiar models compared with the typical income of the time.
See 1970s car prices
AT THE PUMP
Gas Prices in the 1970s
Track gasoline prices from 1970 to 1979 and revisit the energy crises that changed American driving.
Explore gas prices
Put 1970s money in perspective
Compare historic buying power or test how well you remember the prices of the decade.
INTERACTIVE TOOL
1970s Inflation Calculator
Choose any year from 1970 to 1979 and see what a U.S. dollar amount from the decade would be worth today.
Try the calculator
PRICE GAME
70s Price Guessing Game
Think you remember what everyday things cost? Put your memory to the test with our interactive price game.
Guess the prices
Cheap on paper does not always mean easy to afford
Historic prices become much more useful when they are read alongside income, inflation and the year in which people paid them.
Prices need context
Old advertisements can make the 1970s look incredibly inexpensive, but the people paying those prices also earned 1970s wages.
The year matters
The difference between 1970 and 1979 can be substantial. Our guides use individual years wherever that gives a clearer picture.
About the data
These guides focus primarily on the United States and use established historical statistics and data sources where available.
The prices are only one part of everyday 70s life
Continue through Culture & Trends for stories about daily life, technology, television and the habits that made the decade feel different.
Explore Culture & Trends