U.S. city average · September 2026
Spaghetti and macaroni: $1.38 per lb. Up 14% in a year.
In Sep 2026 dollars it cost $2.40 in January 1984, so it is 43% cheaper now after inflation. The record is $1.49, in February 2023; the low was 71.1¢, in March 1987.
Latest · Sep 2026
$1.38
per lb
In one year
+14.1%
From $1.21
In ten years
+6.7%
From $1.29
Record high
$1.49
February 2023
Solid: the average price in each month, in the dollars of that month. Dashed: the same price restated in Sep 2026 dollars using the Consumer Price Index for all urban consumers (CPI-U). Where the dashed line falls, the item got cheaper relative to everything else. Months with no published price are bridged with a straight line.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, average price series APU0000701322 (U.S. city average) · CPI-U CUUR0000SA0
Then and now
A January in every decade, against September 2026.
“Now vs then” is the plain change on the shelf. “After inflation” compares the old price in Sep 2026 dollars with today’s: negative means it costs less of a typical paycheck’s buying power than it did.
| Month | Price then | Today’s $ | Now vs then | After inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1990 | 87.1¢ | $2.30 | up +57.9% | down −40.3% |
| Jan 2000 | 88.1¢ | $1.76 | up +56.1% | down −21.8% |
| Jan 2010 | $1.15 | $1.78 | up +19.9% | down −22.9% |
| Jan 2020 | $1.23 | $1.60 | up +12.2% | down −14.1% |
Year by year · 43 years
Yearly averages, newest first.
Averages of the monthly prices in each calendar year. Years with fewer than nine published months are left out; partial years are marked.
| Year | Average | vs year before | Lowest month | Highest month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20269 of 12 months | $1.35 | up +2.3% | $1.31 Mar | $1.38 Jul |
| 202511 of 12 months | $1.32 | down −6.6% | $1.21 Sep | $1.38 Feb |
| 2024 | $1.42 | down −1.2% | $1.37 Nov | $1.45 Oct |
| 2023 | $1.43 | up +10.5% | $1.37 Nov | $1.49 Feb |
| 2022 | $1.30 | up +9.9% | $1.12 Jan | $1.43 Dec |
| 2021 | $1.18 | down −6.6% | $1.07 Oct | $1.34 Mar |
| 2020 | $1.26 | up +4.7% | $1.22 Oct | $1.31 Dec |
| 2019 | $1.21 | up +1.7% | $1.18 Oct | $1.24 Mar |
| 2018 | $1.19 | down −7.2% | $1.14 Oct | $1.23 Aug |
| 2017 | $1.28 | down −1.8% | $1.24 Dec | $1.31 Jan |
Every year back to 1984
| Year | Average | vs year before | Lowest month | Highest month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | $1.30 | down −1.4% | $1.26 Jan | $1.34 Mar |
| 2015 | $1.32 | up +2.8% | $1.26 Jan | $1.39 Mar |
| 2014 | $1.28 | down −1.7% | $1.16 Dec | $1.38 Aug |
| 2013 | $1.30 | down −1.3% | $1.26 Dec | $1.37 May |
| 2012 | $1.32 | up +6.4% | $1.27 Mar | $1.37 Jul |
| 2011 | $1.24 | up +9.2% | $1.12 Feb | $1.33 Nov |
| 2010 | $1.14 | down −2.3% | $1.09 May | $1.19 Dec |
| 2009 | $1.16 | up +4.0% | $1.12 Apr | $1.23 Aug |
| 2008 | $1.12 | up +28.0% | $1.02 Jan | $1.19 Oct |
| 2007 | 87.5¢ | up +1.9% | 84.4¢ Nov | 92.8¢ Apr |
| 2006 | 85.8¢ | down −4.5% | 83.7¢ Jan | 88.7¢ Dec |
| 2005 | 89.9¢ | down −5.1% | 84.0¢ Jul | 95.9¢ Mar |
| 2004 | 94.7¢ | up +1.5% | 91.8¢ Apr | 97.4¢ Sep |
| 2003 | 93.3¢ | up +1.6% | 86.2¢ Oct | 98.9¢ Jul |
| 2002 | 91.8¢ | up +1.2% | 89.4¢ Sep | 93.5¢ Jun |
| 2001 | 90.8¢ | up +5.3% | 88.2¢ Feb | 93.1¢ Aug |
| 2000 | 86.2¢ | down −1.9% | 83.0¢ Jun | 88.4¢ Dec |
| 1999 | 87.9¢ | down −0.2% | 84.9¢ Oct | 88.8¢ Apr |
| 1998 | 88.0¢ | up +0.8% | 87.0¢ May | 89.5¢ Jun |
| 1997 | 87.3¢ | up +0.9% | 84.9¢ Feb | 88.7¢ Oct |
| 1996 | 86.5¢ | up +0.5% | 84.5¢ Dec | 88.7¢ Jun |
| 1995 | 86.1¢ | down −0.5% | 82.4¢ Oct | 90.4¢ Mar |
| 1994 | 86.5¢ | up +4.7% | 84.9¢ Jan | 87.9¢ Jul |
| 1993 | 82.6¢ | down −3.7% | 80.0¢ May | 84.8¢ Feb |
| 1992 | 85.8¢ | down −1.2% | 83.5¢ Jan | 88.1¢ Aug |
| 1991 | 86.8¢ | up +1.6% | 85.2¢ Oct | 88.7¢ Mar |
| 1990 | 85.4¢ | down −1.3% | 84.2¢ Aug | 87.1¢ Jan |
| 1989 | 86.5¢ | up +7.8% | 85.2¢ Feb | 87.8¢ Nov |
| 1988 | 80.2¢ | up +9.5% | 75.5¢ Jan | 85.2¢ Oct |
| 1987 | 73.2¢ | down −0.8% | 71.1¢ Mar | 74.7¢ Nov |
| 1986 | 73.8¢ | down −0.2% | 72.7¢ Oct | 74.8¢ Mar |
| 1985 | 73.9¢ | up +0.7% | 72.6¢ Oct | 75.0¢ Jul |
| 1984 | 73.4¢ | — | 71.7¢ Feb | 74.8¢ Aug |
About this number
- What this number is. The average price BLS records for “Spaghetti and macaroni, per lb. (453.6 gm)” across U.S. cities, collected for the Consumer Price Index. It is an average across many stores and brands, not a price at any one store.
- No price for October 2025. BLS did not publish one: data unavailable due to the 2025 lapse in appropriations.
- Today’s dollars. Prices are restated in Sep 2026 dollars by multiplying by CPI-U for Sep 2026 (336.94) and dividing by CPI-U for the month in question.