# How can a pizza cost $12? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 12, 2014, 9:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-a-pizza-cost-12/707011 "2014-12-12T09:43:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![blueslipper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b5a626/32.png) [@blueslipper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blueslipper)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 9:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-a-pizza-cost-12/707011/1 "2014-12-12T09:43:54Z")
In the film Home Alone the pizzas cost $12. This was 25 years ago. How much do pizzas cost in the USA now? How much is $12 in 1990 compared to now? ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-a-pizza-cost-12/707011/2 "2014-12-12T09:55:15Z")
With delivery, around me a medium 14" cheese and sausage averages around $16 (without tipping the driver). Put more toppings on it and it can easily hit $22. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 10:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-a-pizza-cost-12/707011/3 "2014-12-12T10:03:06Z")
Most chain pizzas cost about 12 bucks for a large one topping. Sometimes they’ll put them on special for $9.99. So, pizza prices haven’t changed all that much. ---
**Author:** ![boytyperanma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@boytyperanma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boytyperanma)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-a-pizza-cost-12/707011/4 "2014-12-12T10:51:02Z")
> [@blueslipper](#): > > In the film Home Alone the pizzas cost $12. This was 25 years ago. > How much do pizzas cost in the USA now? > How much is $12 in 1990 compared to now? Keep in mind whoever wrote the $12 price tag for the movie probably lived in an area with expensive pizza. That same person might be paying 20-25 today. In 1990 I remember being able to get pizza’s for 5-7 bucks. Domino’s had like a 3 pizza for 5 dollars each deal. You had to spend the 7 bucks a pie at better place to get something that actually resembled pizza. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-a-pizza-cost-12/707011/5 "2014-12-12T11:02:23Z")
Actually, Little Caesar’s has a deal on large pizzas for $5 each after 4 PM. ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 11:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-a-pizza-cost-12/707011/6 "2014-12-12T11:06:46Z")
> [@boytyperanma](#): > > Keep in mind whoever wrote the $12 price tag for the movie probably lived in an area with expensive pizza. And the characters in the film were fairly upscale too (evidenced by the size of the house, not to mention their vacation). ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-a-pizza-cost-12/707011/7 "2014-12-12T11:10:33Z")
> [@blueslipper](#): > > How much is $12 in 1990 compared to now? It’s $21.80 in 2014 dollars. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-a-pizza-cost-12/707011/8 "2014-12-12T11:11:05Z")
Out of curiosity I checked Domino’s website. A large 10 slice pizza delivered, costs around £17.00 ($27). The delivery guy would not be expecting much of a tip and many people would not tip at all. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-a-pizza-cost-12/707011/9 "2014-12-12T11:27:48Z")
> [@bob\_2](#): > > Out of curiosity I checked Domino’s website. A large 10 slice pizza delivered, costs around £17.00 ($27). The delivery guy would not be expecting much of a tip and many people would not tip at all. Wow. You’re in England, aren’t you? I was just on the Dominos website and for me, an extra-large 16" pizza would be $11.99. With tax and delivery, it would come to $15.89. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-a-pizza-cost-12/707011/10 "2014-12-12T11:30:46Z")
> [@Keeve](#): > > And the characters in the film were fairly upscale too (evidenced by the size of the house, not to mention their vacation). The house sold for almost $1.6m a couple of years ago. It had been listed for $2.4m almost a year earlier. [http://www.chicagotribune.com/classified/realestate/ct-biz-home-alone-house-may5-photogallery.html](http://www.chicagotribune.com/classified/realestate/ct-biz-home-alone-house-may5-photogallery.html) ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-a-pizza-cost-12/707011/11 "2014-12-12T12:20:14Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > Actually, Little Caesar’s has a deal on large pizzas for $5 each after 4 PM. Sorry - this thread is about PIZZA. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-a-pizza-cost-12/707011/12 "2014-12-12T12:26:58Z")
My mistake. I thought it was about PIZZA, PIZZA! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-a-pizza-cost-12/707011/13 "2014-12-12T12:42:18Z")
And the kid might also not have known where to get the best deals. There are always more expensive pizza places around. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-a-pizza-cost-12/707011/14 "2014-12-12T13:25:46Z")
> [@blueslipper](#): > > In the film Home Alone the pizzas cost $12. This was 25 years ago. > How much do pizzas cost in the USA now? > How much is $12 in 1990 compared to now? It’s a huge range in the US. Anywhere from $5-$30 today for a large 14" pizza with one ingredient plus cheese. If we eliminate Little Caesars from the discussion, $12-$20 would be a more normal range. I would say the average in my neighborhood for that pizza is somewhere around $15 or so. But, there’s a couple bigger chains (Beggar’s and Home Run Inn), where it’ll easily be over $20 (for example, Home Run Inn’s large cheese starts at $19. and the Beggar’s one starts at $18. Add an ingredient, and you’re over $20.) ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-a-pizza-cost-12/707011/15 "2014-12-12T13:31:18Z")
As for the OP, I’m unsure whether $12 is supposed to be a lot or a little (as there seems to be some degree of surprise in the tone of the title.) ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-a-pizza-cost-12/707011/16 "2014-12-12T13:56:11Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > > [@blueslipper](#): > > > > How much is $12 in 1990 compared to now? > > It’s $21.80 in 2014 dollars. That seems about right for a pizza from a good independent local pizzeria. Not Dominos. Not Little Caesar’s. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-a-pizza-cost-12/707011/17 "2014-12-12T14:14:36Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > But, there’s a couple bigger chains (Beggar’s and Home Run Inn) Whoops. I meant “local chains.” Looking at my local menus again (and I don’t live in an expensive part of town), looks like the average for a 14" sausage and cheese pizza is closer to $17, not including delivery, tax, or tip. ---
**Author:** ![Flywheel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Flywheel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flywheel)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-a-pizza-cost-12/707011/18 "2014-12-12T15:26:36Z")
It’s a comedy film, and “twelve dollars” sounds funnier than “eleven” or “thirteen.” ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-a-pizza-cost-12/707011/19 "2014-12-12T15:42:50Z")
It would have been even funnier if it had been [two dollars](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iayLBI7nsE0). 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2014, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-a-pizza-cost-12/707011/20 "2014-12-12T15:49:42Z")
Around here local chains charge about $20 for a large. Delivery charges are extra. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-a-pizza-cost-12/707011.md?page=2)