{"id":61327,"date":"2025-08-21T08:36:19","date_gmt":"2025-08-21T12:36:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/casino.betmgm.com\/en\/blog\/?post_type=article&p=61327"},"modified":"2026-01-14T08:50:51","modified_gmt":"2026-01-14T13:50:51","slug":"the-cost-of-fun-through-the-decades-1980-1990-2000-2010-and-2020s","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/casino.betmgm.com\/en\/blog\/reel-life\/the-cost-of-fun-through-the-decades-1980-1990-2000-2010-and-2020s\/","title":{"rendered":"The Cost Of Fun Through the Decades: 1980, 1990, 2000, 2010, and 2020s"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a><\/div>","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":61328,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","categories":[420],"tags":[],"topic":[543],"class_list":["post-61327","article","type-article","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-life","topic-reel-life"],"acf":{"article_highlights":null,"article_builder":[{"acf_fc_layout":"paragraph","title_only":true,"content":"Step back in time to the good old days.<\/span>\r\n\r\nWhen you think of the 80s, 90s and early 00s what comes to mind? Maybe it's the thrill of the latest arcade game, the joy of unwrapping a brand new video game console, or your first bite into a candy bar. The world of entertainment has always been a source of joy, but one thing has changed significantly over the years: the cost. From the 80s to the 2020s, the prices of the most popular forms of fun, such as arcades, video games, movie nights, and even fast food, have dramatically shifted.<\/span>\r\n\r\nTo bring those memories back to life, <\/span>BetMGM Arcade<\/span><\/a> has created the Nostalgic Fun Index.<\/span>\r\n

What is the Nostalgic Fun Index?<\/h2>\r\nThe Nostalgic Fun Index is an intriguing look at how the price of fun has evolved over more than four decades by tracking changes in four categories: Tech, Experiences, Collectibles, and Food & Drink. By analyzing prices from old catalogues, brochures, vintage ads, industry reports, news archives, wayback machines and more, we\u2019ve compiled a timeline that tracks the cost of a classic day of joy and entertainment from 1980 to 2025.<\/span>\r\n\r\nThe story it tells is equal parts nostalgic and interesting.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n

Cost Of Fun Index<\/h2>\r\nNote:<\/i><\/b> The Joy Index doesn\u2019t adjust for inflation\u2014the prices reflect what people actually paid at the time.<\/span><\/i>"},{"acf_fc_layout":"paragraph","title_only":true,"content":"
\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
<\/th>\r\n80s Price<\/th>\r\n90s Price<\/th>\r\n00s Price<\/th>\r\n2010 Price<\/th>\r\n2020 Price<\/th>\r\n2025 Price<\/th>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/thead>\r\n
Tech<\/th>\r\n<\/th>\r\n<\/th>\r\n<\/th>\r\n<\/th>\r\n<\/th>\r\n<\/th>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Game Console<\/td>\r\n199\r\nAtari 2600<\/td>\r\n199\r\nSNES<\/td>\r\n299\r\nPlaystation 2<\/td>\r\n499\r\nPlaystation 3<\/td>\r\n499\r\nPlaystation 5<\/td>\r\n699\r\nPlaystation 5 Pro<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Typical TV for the era<\/td>\r\n500<\/td>\r\n435<\/td>\r\n392<\/td>\r\n799<\/td>\r\n450<\/td>\r\n400<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Average Total Cost<\/td>\r\n699<\/td>\r\n634<\/td>\r\n691<\/td>\r\n1298<\/td>\r\n943<\/td>\r\n1099<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Experiences<\/th>\r\n<\/th>\r\n<\/th>\r\n<\/th>\r\n<\/th>\r\n<\/th>\r\n<\/th>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Arcade Tokens<\/td>\r\n0.25<\/td>\r\n0.25<\/td>\r\n0.50<\/td>\r\n0.50<\/td>\r\n0.25<\/td>\r\n0.25<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Movie Ticket<\/td>\r\n2.69<\/td>\r\n4.22<\/td>\r\n5.39<\/td>\r\n7.89<\/td>\r\n9.18<\/td>\r\n11.31<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Walt Disney World Ticket (one day)<\/td>\r\n7.5<\/td>\r\n31<\/td>\r\n46<\/td>\r\n82<\/td>\r\n117<\/td>\r\n159<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Concert Ticket<\/td>\r\n15.13<\/td>\r\n17<\/td>\r\n46.69<\/td>\r\n61<\/td>\r\n100<\/td>\r\n135.92<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Movie Rental<\/td>\r\n2.40<\/td>\r\n3<\/td>\r\n5<\/td>\r\n7.99\r\nNetflix<\/td>\r\n8.99\r\nNetflix<\/td>\r\n8\r\nNetflix<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Average Total Cost<\/td>\r\n27.97<\/td>\r\n55.47<\/td>\r\n103.58<\/td>\r\n159.38<\/td>\r\n235.42<\/td>\r\n314.48<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Fun & Collectibles<\/th>\r\n<\/th>\r\n<\/th>\r\n<\/th>\r\n<\/th>\r\n<\/th>\r\n<\/th>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
BMX Track Bike (20inch)<\/td>\r\n93.99<\/td>\r\n79.97<\/td>\r\n275<\/td>\r\n400<\/td>\r\n400<\/td>\r\n319<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Action Figure (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Michaelangelo)<\/td>\r\n3.99<\/td>\r\n4.99<\/td>\r\n6.99<\/td>\r\n8.99<\/td>\r\n12.99<\/td>\r\n16.50<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Handheld Portable Cassette Recorder<\/td>\r\n49.95<\/td>\r\n36.95<\/td>\r\n29.99<\/td>\r\n21.99<\/td>\r\n25.80<\/td>\r\n25.99<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Barbie Doll<\/td>\r\n5.99<\/td>\r\n7.99<\/td>\r\n9.99<\/td>\r\n12.99<\/td>\r\n14.99<\/td>\r\n19<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Comic Book<\/td>\r\n0.40<\/td>\r\n1.75<\/td>\r\n2.95<\/td>\r\n3.99<\/td>\r\n4.40<\/td>\r\n5.99<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
CD Album<\/td>\r\n17<\/td>\r\n16.99<\/td>\r\n18<\/td>\r\n14.90<\/td>\r\n15.30<\/td>\r\n16.45<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Average Total Cost<\/td>\r\n171.32<\/td>\r\n148.64<\/td>\r\n342.92<\/td>\r\n462.86<\/td>\r\n473.48<\/td>\r\n402.93<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Food & Drink<\/th>\r\n<\/th>\r\n<\/th>\r\n<\/th>\r\n<\/th>\r\n<\/th>\r\n<\/th>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Happy Meal<\/td>\r\n1.1<\/td>\r\n2.36<\/td>\r\n2.63<\/td>\r\n3.19<\/td>\r\n3.99<\/td>\r\n4.99<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Candy Bar (Hersheys, standard size)<\/td>\r\n0.25<\/td>\r\n0.45<\/td>\r\n0.80<\/td>\r\n0.95<\/td>\r\n0.99<\/td>\r\n1.08<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Ice Cream (per half galleon)<\/td>\r\n1.76<\/td>\r\n2.72<\/td>\r\n3.32<\/td>\r\n4.48<\/td>\r\n4.82<\/td>\r\n6.46<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Soda (Coca-Cola)<\/td>\r\n0.42<\/td>\r\n0.40<\/td>\r\n1.07<\/td>\r\n1.79<\/td>\r\n1.64<\/td>\r\n2<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Pizza (Pizza Hut, medium, one topping)<\/td>\r\n6.95<\/td>\r\n10.28<\/td>\r\n8<\/td>\r\n6<\/td>\r\n6<\/td>\r\n15.95<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Theatre Popcorn (small)<\/td>\r\n0.75<\/td>\r\n1.50<\/td>\r\n2.25<\/td>\r\n4.75<\/td>\r\n7.49<\/td>\r\n8.19<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Average Total Cost<\/td>\r\n11.23<\/td>\r\n17.71<\/td>\r\n18.07<\/td>\r\n21.16<\/td>\r\n24.93<\/td>\r\n38.67<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n
Cost of Fun<\/th>\r\n909.52<\/th>\r\n855.82<\/th>\r\n1155.57<\/th>\r\n1941.40<\/th>\r\n1682.83<\/th>\r\n1855.08<\/th>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tfoot>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<\/div>"},{"acf_fc_layout":"paragraph","title_only":true,"content":"

The Findings: The Cost of Fun Through the Decade<\/h2>\r\n

Summary<\/h4>\r\nHere are the key findings from the Nostalgic Fun Index:<\/span>\r\n