A Full McDonald’s Combo Meal
In 1955, when Ray Kroc opened his first McDonald’s franchise in Des Plaines, Illinois, you could get a hamburger for just 15 cents, french fries for 10 cents, and a soda for another 10 cents. That means an entire McDonald’s meal cost less than 40 cents total. The complete nine-item McDonald’s menu in 1949 cost only $1.14 total, which included hamburgers, cheeseburgers, milkshakes, coffee, french fries, milk, root beer, orangeade, and Coca Cola.
Think about it – you could walk into McDonald’s with a single dollar bill and literally buy everything on their menu with change left over. When adjusted for inflation, that $1.14 would be roughly $15 in today’s money. Ray Kroc made $366.12 on his first day of business, which represented a whole lot of 15-cent hamburgers.
A Dozen Eggs Plus Breakfast
In 1951, a dozen eggs cost just 61 cents. But eggs weren’t the only affordable breakfast item. A loaf of bread cost around 15 cents, while a pound of ground beef was about 60 cents. You could even grab a cup of coffee for just 10 cents and a hamburger for 25 cents at most restaurants.
For reference, that 60-cent dozen eggs would be equivalent to about $6.50 in today’s money. With your dollar, you could actually afford eggs, bread, and still have change for that morning coffee. Milk cost 41 cents per half gallon, and coffee was 79 cents per pound at the grocery store.
Five Candy Bars or Bubble Gum Packs
Candy bars in the 1950s cost just 5 to 10 cents each, making them an affordable treat for everyone. You might not be able to buy candy bars from the 50s for 5 cents a pop anymore, but back then those prices were real. This meant your dollar could buy you anywhere from 10 to 20 candy bars depending on the type.
Gold Mine Gum bubble gum packs were popular since the 1950s, and Bazooka Bubble Gum came with small comic strips, making it more than just gum. Movie theater concession stands sold boxes of Juicelets for just a nickel, and customers remembered getting “the most for our nickel” when buying them. Some people even remember buying six candy items at Walgreens in the 1960s, with nickel candy bars selling “3 for 11 cents.”
A Pack of Cigarettes and Change
A pack of cigarettes containing 20 cigarettes cost about 19 cents in 1950. This was during an era when smoking was commonplace and not yet understood to be a major health risk. By 1960, cigarettes cost an average of 26 cents per pack, and over half of adult males were smokers in 1965.
With your dollar, you could buy five packs of cigarettes and still have a nickel left over. Movie theaters were even selling gum despite the cleaning problems it caused, with industry publications reporting that “Added Profits from Chewing Gum Sales Outweigh Cleaning Problem Occurred.” The tobacco industry was booming, and prices reflected mass production and widespread social acceptance.
Two Large Pizzas
When college students Dan and Frank Carney opened Pizza Hut in Kansas in the late 1950s, a large pizza cost only $1.50. Wait, that’s more than a dollar! But here’s the twist – smaller pizzas and pizza by the slice were even cheaper. Many local pizza shops offered personal-sized pizzas for around 50 cents.
Pizza Hut has since grown into an international chain and one of the most trusted fast-food restaurants in America, but a large hand-tossed cheese pizza there will now set you back about $19. The pizza industry was just beginning to take off in the 1950s, with many Italian immigrants opening small neighborhood pizzerias where you could get a fresh slice for a quarter or less.
A Movie Ticket and Candy
One person remembered their father describing going to the movies, having a hamburger and pop for just 25 cents around 1938, and ten-cent hamburgers were available on the Pike amusement pier in Long Beach, California in 1940. Movie tickets in smaller towns during the 1950s often cost between 25 to 50 cents for adults.
In the early 1950s, certain candies like Jujyfruits were among the top 10 sellers at movie theaters. Movie theater concession stands even featured advertising with pin-up style women resembling Marilyn Monroe to promote Necco Wafers. You could catch a matinee show and grab some candy, all for under a dollar in many smaller communities.
A Complete Breakfast at a Diner
Diners were incredibly affordable in the 1950s. By 1973, a NYC soul food restaurant called “The Pink Teacup” offered a breakfast special with strawberry pancakes, maple syrup, 2 eggs, a smothered pork chop, greens, coffee, and biscuits for $2.85. But in the early 1950s, similar meals cost much less.
Dining out was relatively affordable, with a meal at a restaurant costing around $1-2 per person. Many diners offered complete breakfast specials – eggs, bacon, toast, hash browns, and coffee – for around 75 cents to 95 cents. When Dunkin’ Donuts started as “Open Kettle” in 1948, they charged 5 cents for a doughnut and 10 cents for coffee.
Five Gallons of Gasoline
Gasoline cost 27 cents per gallon in 1950. This means your dollar could buy you nearly four full gallons of gas. For many people, this was enough fuel to drive around town for several days, given that cars were smaller and trips were typically shorter in the 1950s.
Gas station attendants would pump your gas, check your oil, clean your windshield, and check your tire pressure – all included in that 27-cent price. Nearly half of car buyers (47%) paid for their vehicles in full cash rather than financing. The automobile culture was booming, but the costs were still very manageable for most middle-class families.
Three Pounds of Ground Beef
A pound of ground beef cost around 60 cents in the 1950s, while other meats had varying prices. T-bone steak cost 95 cents per pound, while pot roast was only 43 cents per pound. Your dollar could buy you enough ground beef for several family meals.
Spareribs cost 39 cents per pound and cabbage was just 4 cents per pound. The low cost of food helped make it possible for many American families to afford a nutritious and balanced diet, even on a limited budget. Butcher shops were neighborhood staples, and you could often get bones for your dog thrown in for free.
A Men’s Haircut and Shave
Men’s haircuts cost about $1 to $1.50 in 1955. In many smaller towns and older barbershops, you could still get a haircut for around 75 cents to a dollar. Barbershops were social hubs where men would gather to discuss sports, politics, and local news.
Many barbershops offered package deals that included a haircut, shave, and even a shoe shine for just over a dollar. The classic barbershop experience with hot towels, straight razor shaves, and bay rum aftershave was standard service. These establishments often featured red, white, and blue spinning poles and checkerboard floors that became iconic symbols of the era.
Two Pounds of Coffee
Coffee prices varied during the 1950s, with some areas charging 93 cents per pound in 1951 and others offering it for 69 cents per pound later in the decade. According to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data, coffee cost 79 cents per pound in 1950.
Coffee was typically sold in one-pound metal cans or paper bags. Many grocery stores would grind your beans fresh while you waited. During the Great Depression and World War II, products like Corn Flakes were promoted as meat fillers and milk extenders, but by the 1950s and 1960s they were familiar, filling, and fun for afterschool and bedtime snacks. Coffee culture was simpler then – most people drank it black or with cream and sugar.
Taco Bell’s Entire Original Menu
When Glen Bell opened the first Taco Bell in Downey, California in 1962, he kept pricing simple – every item on the menu cost just 19 cents. The menu included classics like tacos, burritos, frijoles, and tostadas. With your dollar, you could buy five items from their complete menu.
Today, Taco Bell is still considered a deal with soft tacos priced at $1.79 and bean burritos going for $1.89. Bell took a no-frills approach to Mexican food, making it accessible to mainstream American tastes. The restaurant industry was experimenting with ethnic cuisines, and Taco Bell helped introduce Mexican food to suburban America at incredibly affordable prices.
Twenty White Castle Sliders
When White Castle opened its first restaurant in Wichita, Kansas in 1921, it charged 5 cents for a pint-sized burger. By the 1950s, these small square hamburgers were still incredibly affordable. These days, a plain slider costs between $1 and $2.
White Castle pioneered the fast-food concept with their small, steam-grilled burgers cooked on a bed of onions. The restaurants were designed to look clean and sanitary, with white porcelain and stainless steel fixtures. Their slogan “Buy ’em by the sack” encouraged customers to purchase multiple burgers at once, and many people would buy a dozen or more for just a few dollars.
KFC Family Bucket Components
Colonel Sanders and his first franchisee created the Kentucky Fried Chicken Family Bucket in 1957, which included 15 pieces of chicken, gravy, and six hot rolls for just $3.50. While the complete bucket cost more than a dollar, individual pieces were much cheaper.
With inflation, that $3.50 is about equal to KFC’s current price of around $30 for a 16-piece bucket today. You could buy several pieces of chicken, biscuits, and gravy for under a dollar. Unfortunately, the modern version comes with sides at an additional cost. The original KFC offered generous portions and that “finger-licking good” recipe that made it a household name.
A Tank of Heating Oil
Home heating costs were remarkably low in the 1950s. Many families heated their homes with oil, coal, or natural gas at a fraction of today’s costs. A typical home heating oil delivery might cost between $15-25 for enough fuel to heat a house for a month during winter.
The purchasing power was dramatically different – $100 in 1950 is equivalent to $1,333.88 in 2025, with an average inflation rate of 3.51% per year. A dollar in 1950 could buy what would cost over $13 today. Utility bills were manageable for most families, and energy efficiency wasn’t a major concern since costs were so low.
