Brewers World Series costs: How high have prices soared since 1982?

Things have changed since the last time the Milwaukee Brewers played in a World Series.

In 1982, when the Brewers ultimately lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in their first World Series, the cost of a hot dog at County Stadium was $1.10. A 16-ounce beer cost $1.60 – and if you could track down an aisle vendor, a 12-ounce beer would go for $1.40.

Now, a junior hot dog at American Family Field will cost you $4 and a domestic beer could set you back about $13 at most of the draft bars in the stadium. A stadium representative told the Journal Sentinel beer prices vary depending on brand and size, but a standard Miller Lite comes out to $13.24.

But if you're thinking those older prices are outrageously low, take a look at a column by Mike Kupper published in The Milwaukee Journal on July 8, 1982.

"No, I don't think you could really call it a bargain," Kupper wrote. "It's no more expensive than many other family entertainments, but it's not cheap, either, unless you're willing to put up with the no-frills, bare-bones approach. And I ask you: What would baseball be without a beer or a hot dog?"

Here's the concessions prices Kupper reported in 1982 and how they compare to current prices.

Lots of historic baseball staple snacks end up on the stadium's 414 Menu, an updated concession menu that cut many snacks down to $4 in 2023.

The rising concession prices have outpaced inflation over the years. If you only adjusted for inflation, a $1.10 hot dog in July 1982 would cost $3.80 in 2026, while that $1.60 beer would be about $5.53, according to the Consumer Price Index calculator.

But concessions might feel like a steal compared to tickets. Most tickets to the 1982 World Series cost between $8 and $18, according to multiplenews outlets and Brewers fanson social media. Tickets to Game 1 of the 2026 World Series in Milwaukee are selling for $2,700 or more.

But other than tickets, one of the most sizeable increases shows up in the cost of parking.

"It costs $3 these days to park in the stadium lot, which is excessive, considering that normally there still is a healthy walk involved after parking," Kupper reported in 1982.

On a regular game day in 2026, parking at American Family Field costs $44. And, according to StubHub, parking passes for the 2026 World Series start at $119.

More: See where drinks, hot dogs are cheapest at stadiums across league

Other non-stadium costs have gone up since 1982

A gallon of gas in the Midwest was just $1.29 cents on average in July 1982, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. On Oct. 20, 2026, the average gallon of gas in Wisconsin cost $4.18.

Minimum wage in Wisconsin was $3.25 an hour, and $1.95 an hour for tipped employees, in 1982. While a hot dog and peanuts have increased from $1.90 to $8, the tipped employee minimum wage has only gone up to $2.33 per hour in the same time.

Wisconsin's regular minimum wage has since increased to $7.25, matching the federal minimum wage.

A single copy of The Milwaukee Journal cost 25 cents at the newsstand and $100 annually for a daily subscription. A single copy of the Journal Sentinel costs $3.49 in Milwaukee and a yearlong subscription costs $325 (or $149 for the first year in the latest deal).