Ten dollars in 1900 equaled roughly $382 in 2025 purchasing power. Average American households spent about $504 per month on groceries in 2023. In 1900, $10 could purchase a large quantity of staples and proteins sufficient to last nearly four weeks for many households. Grocery costs vary by region; the example uses Walmart Chicago prices. Typical dinners relied on meat, potatoes, and vegetables such as steak, chicken, roast beef, ham, codfish, tomatoes, carrots, lettuce, turnips, beets, and asparagus. Common fruits included apples, cherries, pears, plums, melons, and occasional oranges. Popular restaurant items included Oysters Rockefeller.
In 1900, $10 had the same purchasing power as about $382 in 2025. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (via WalletHub), the average American household in 2023 spent about $504 per month on groceries. So, in 1900, $10 would have been enough for households to stock up on enough food for nearly four weeks (ouch). The times, they are a' changin'. But, at least modern foodies can listen to the radio and sit in an air conditioned room while they eat.
It's worth noting that grocery costs tend to fluctuate based on the cost of living from one region to the next. But, for reference, we've rounded up a grocery list based on prices at a Walmart in Chicago. In 1900, $10 would have been enough to buy four boxes of corn flakes, three pounds of oysters, five pounds of ribeye steak,
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