If inflation was the only factor that changed prices, here's how the amount you spend on popular items would change

Prices of goods rise and fall over time due to numerous factors, but we wondered if some of our regular purchases have increased in line with inflation over history, or whether we are paying far more than previous generations for our pleasures.

In 1981, the last time a royal wedding obsessed the nation, inflation was 11.9%, and it has never been as high since (the most recent monthly figure is 4.4%). Using the calculations of Phil Gooding, senior statistician at the Office for National Statistics, that inflation based on the retail price index has risen 209% between December 1981 and the end of last month, we looked at how much 10 items would cost today, if inflation was the only factor that changed prices.

The results are surprising – stay in, watch TV and drink nothing but Coke and you'll pay less than you would have done in 1981. Go out in search of entertainment though and you'll pay more – tickets to Glastonbury and the cinema are dramatically higher.