The average wage in the US was 22 cents an hour.
Sugar cost four cents a pound. Eggs were fourteen cents a dozen. Coffee cost fifteen cents a pound.
So an 8 hour day would have paid around $1.76. Stopping by the grocery store to pick up a pound of sugar, a dozen eggs, and a pound of coffee would have set you back $.33, or about an hour and a half of work.
Now days, an 8 hour day pays around $100 on average ($26,000 a year). Stopping by the grocery store to pick up a pound of sugar ($.50 a lb), a dozen eggs ($1.09 a dozen), and a pound of coffee ($2.39 a lb) would set you back $3.98, or about 15 minutes of work.
In terms of "Real Living Costs" when it comes to food, we have it much, much better than we did a hundred years ago. Most of the world, including the wealthy nations of Europe, have it about the same as the turn of the century.
What does this say about us? It says we know how to feed ourselves and keep costs down. That ability is one of the myriad reason why most of the world dislikes us. They view our hard work and ingenuity as being lucky.
Indeed, America has gone from being a wealthy nation in 1902 to having even our very poor be insanely wealthy compared to most of the world.
Indeed, you make a very good point
I, myself, had my first "real job" back in 1958. I was paid $0.25 per hour (and Glad to get it)
I paid $0.10 for Gasoline. I could go to the "old A&W drive in" and eat & drink (soft drinks) all I wanted to for $0.15 to $0.40 (depending if I wanted to be a Real "Big Spender)
Times have surely changed
(Within my short time span on this old earth)
If it weren't for government subsidies, the relative cost for food would be even less.