How much bitcoin did things cost?
Pick something you buy every day and see how much bitcoin it took to buy it, month by month since 2010. With the average prices published by the US government and the real bitcoin price: no projections.
Pick what to buy
Today, a dozen eggs costs
2,840 sats
$2.27, average price for September 2026 · bitcoin at $79,950 on October 26, 2026
In July 2010 it cost 21.9 BTC: 771,000 times more bitcoin than today. In dollars, it went from $1.44 to $2.27.
A dozen eggs in bitcoin, month by month
Log scale: each line is worth 10 times the one below. October 2025 has no data: the US government didn't publish prices that month because of its shutdown.
How much bitcoin each item cost
The item's price in dollars divided by the average bitcoin price for the same month. "Today" uses each item's latest published price and the bitcoin price on October 26, 2026.
| Item | July 2010 | January 2020 | Today |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bananas (1 pound) | 8.87 BTC | 6,810 sats | 821 sats |
| White bread (1 pound) | 20.7 BTC | 16,100 sats | 2,290 sats |
| Eggs (1 dozen) | 21.9 BTC | 17,500 sats | 2,840 sats |
| Chicken breast (1 pound, boneless) | 50.3 BTC | 36,600 sats | 5,260 sats |
| Whole milk (1 gallon) | 50.4 BTC | 38,900 sats | 5,140 sats |
| Gas (1 gallon, regular) | 41.6 BTC | 30,700 sats | 5,610 sats |
| A new house (median sale price) | 3,520,000 BTC | 39.8 BTC | 5.14 BTC |
- In July 2010, a dozen eggs cost 21.9 BTC; in January 2020, 17,500 sats; today, 2,840 sats.
How it's calculated
For each month, the item's price in dollars is divided by that month's average bitcoin price. "Today" divides the item's latest published price by the latest daily bitcoin price. Small amounts are shown in satoshis (sats): 1 BTC is 100 million sats. They're shown with three digits, because the prices are averages for the whole month.
Food and gas prices are the average prices published every month by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS): what each item cost, on average, in stores and gas stations in cities across the country. They're from the US because it's one of the few countries that publishes prices of specific items, month by month and measured the same way for decades. Prices where you live may differ.
The house is the median sale price of new houses in the US, published every quarter by the Census Bureau and the Department of Housing: half sold for more and half for less. It's compared with the average bitcoin price for those three months.
October 2025 has no food prices: because of the US government shutdown, the BLS didn't collect them that month. It isn't filled in: the chart leaves the gap.
Bitcoin prices start on July 18, 2010: the July 2010 average covers only that part of the month. Back then there was hardly anywhere to buy bitcoin, so treat it as a theoretical exercise.
Sources: bitcoin prices from Coin Metrics Community Data (the same as in "One dollar a day"); average prices from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (Average Price Data); median price of new houses from the US Census Bureau (both via FRED). Latest bitcoin price: October 26, 2026.
Educational content. This is not investment advice, and past results don't guarantee future results.
Calculated and reviewed by Compass. Sources, checks and method
Frequently asked questions
How much bitcoin does a dozen eggs cost?
Today, 2,840 sats, using the average US price for September 2026 ($2.27). In January 2020 it cost 17,500 sats, and in July 2010, 21.9 BTC.
How much bitcoin does a house cost?
A new house in the US, at the median sale price ($410,700), costs 5.14 BTC today. In January 2020 it cost 39.8 BTC, and in mid-2010, 3,520,000 BTC.
How is it calculated?
For each month, the item's price in dollars is divided by that month's average bitcoin price. "Today" divides the item's latest published price by the latest daily bitcoin price.
Why US prices?
Food and gas prices are the average prices published every month by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS): what each item cost, on average, in stores and gas stations in cities across the country. They're from the US because it's one of the few countries that publishes prices of specific items, month by month and measured the same way for decades. Prices where you live may differ.
Where does the data come from, and how often is it updated?
Sources: bitcoin prices from Coin Metrics Community Data (the same as in "One dollar a day"); average prices from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (Average Price Data); median price of new houses from the US Census Bureau (both via FRED). The bitcoin price is updated every day, and item prices once a month. The latest bitcoin price is from October 26, 2026.