Super Bowl Or Super Expensive? Comparing Prices Over 31 Years

On Sunday, the Cincinnati Bengals will meet the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl 56 at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.

The last time the Bengals played in the Super Bowl was in 1989, where they lost to Joe Montana and the San Francisco 49ers, 20-16 in Superbowl 23.

(Editor’s note: Even though the Super Bowl was played in 1989, it was part of the 1988 season)

It was very different 31 years ago when it came to buying power and I thought it would be fun if we compared the cost of things in 1988 and 2021.

Super Bowl Tickets- The average Superbowl ticket cost $110 in 1988.  This year, fans are forking over an average of $9,000 to $9,200 for tickets. The highest-priced suite is $650K.

Super Bowl Ads- Some people watch the big game just to see the commercials. In 1988, a 30 second ad cost $675,500.  Advertisers are paying $6.5 million this year.

Enjoy this vintage Superbowl ad from the 1989 game featuring Jay Leno.

Gas Prices- In 1998, the average price for a gallon of gas was 90 cents.  According to AAA, the average nationwide price this week is $3.45 a gallon.

Median Income- According to the US Census Bureau, the average median household income in 1988 was $32,191, in 2021 it was $67,521.

House Prices- The average cost of a house in 1988 was $233,184. It was $346,900 in 2021.

Milk-1- The average cost for a gallon of milk was $2.34, in 1988, it was $3.66 a gallon in 2021.

Enjoy the big game on Sunday and be on the lookout for those $6 million commercials!

By the way, here are my prediction for the Superbowl;

Los Angeles Rams  24

Cincinnati Bengals   20