Over the past decade, the most popular Valentine’s Day gifts have traded a bottle of champagne, then costing $51.54, for a greeting card now averaging $7.19.
A decade ago, the classic Valentine’s Day bundle of chocolates, diamond earrings, roses, dinner for two and champagne tallied just $512.
Today, swapping champagne for a greeting card drives the total to $774 – a $262 spike rivaling a week’s groceries for the average American family.
That’s a 51% overall increase, outpacing the cumulative inflation rate over the same period and representing real erosion in purchasing power for anyone trying to recreate the romance of years past.
InvestorsObserver analysts uncovered the jump by matching National Retail Federation’s 2026 gift rankings to Bankrate’s 2016 index, revealing inflation’s toll on timeless romance.
“People may be recreating 2016 aesthetics, but not 2016 prices. Nostalgia might be trending online, but from a finance perspective, it’s clear romance has gotten a lot more expensive,” said Sam Bourgi, senior analyst at InvestorsObserver.
Among classic Valentine’s gifts popular in both 2016 and 2026, chocolates claim the top inflation spot: from $15.11 to $50.70 – a 236% jump.
Dinner for two (before tax and gratuity) ranks second, more than doubling from $80.46 to $209.00 – a 160% increase.
Even champagne, which fell off 2026’s top list, had its price increase from $51.54 to $117.10 – a 127% rise that makes it third overall.
A dozen roses followed with an increase from $41.66 to $69.13 (66%), with diamond earrings from $323.26 to $438.37 (a more modest 36% increase).
While in 2016 greeting cards didn’t make it to the top 5 list, this year it’s the second most popular gift people plan to give. At $7.19 in 2026 versus $5.50 in 2016, the handwritten note remains the most inflation-resistant expression of love (31% price increase).
For many couples, such a price increase means recalibrating expectations. “Opt for home-cooked meals or local florists over prix-fixe specials. Nostalgia may call 2026 the new 2016, but your bank account knows better: romance endures, but so does inflation. Plan accordingly,” said Bourgi.