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From $20 Groceries to $800K Mansion—What ‘Home Alone’ Says About Inflation

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The movie Home Alone may be a staggering 35 years old, but it’s undoubtedly still a Christmas classic.

Plenty of children grew up wishing they could recreate some of Kevin McCallister’s most iconic moments, while it also unlocked a whole new fear for parents around the world.

The 1990 movie is still the most widely seen Christmas movie according to a poll by YouGov, having been watched by 89 percent of Americans. That being said, it’s also one of the most beloved options too, as 92 percent of Americans like or love Home Alone.

Despite being just eight years old in the first installment, Kevin managed to cope incredibly well while his family flew to Paris without him. But perhaps it helped that he was living in such a vast, multi-storey home with an abundance of entertainment options (tarantula enclosure, anyone?), or the fact that he could simply scrounge a enough dollars from his brother’s money stash to buy supplies.

Regardless of how many times you’ve seen it, viewers are often left with one burning question: how much would the McCallister’s luxurious by modern standards life cost in 2025?

Well, wonder no more, because Newsweek has done the math so you don’t have to.

The ‘Home Alone’ House

The McCallister home, which was built in 1921, is a 9,126 square foot property based in Winnetka, Illinois. The Georgian residence features five bedrooms, six baths, a family room, a gym, movie theater and an indoor sports court.

Shortly before Home Alone was filmed, the house was sold for approximately $800,000 according to Yopa. But in today’s economy, that price tag has increased quite substantially.

As of March 2025, Zillow estimates that the value is around $5,756,500, with an estimated sales range between $5.18 million and $6.45 million. It could also be leased out for $7,339 per month.

If that’s a little out of your price range, fear not because you could buy a LEGO version of the famous house instead for $299.99.

Flights From Chicago to Paris

Before leaving their 8-year-old son at home, the McCallisters had to organize the flights for all 15 members of their party. While Peter McCallister says in the film that his wealthy brother Rob paid for the flights, they won’t have come cheap.

The four adults (Peter and Kate McCallister, Uncle Frank and Aunt Leslie) all fly in first class, while their large gaggle of children were back in coach.

A premium seat on an American Airlines flight from Chicago O’Hare Airport to Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris could set you back around $8,310 nowadays, while an economy seat is around $1,972.

To cover the cost of all 15 passengers in 2025, the flights could set you back an astounding $62,820 in total ($33,240 for the four adults in premium, $29,580 for the children). If you’re spending that much on the flight, it would be great if Kevin could remember to actually wake up on time.  

Taxi Fare

In order to get to Chicago O’Hare Airport, the McCallisters hire not one but two taxis to get everyone (well, almost everyone) there.

To replicate that 27-kilometer journey today, hiring two minivans to go from the iconic house to the airport will cost around $371.59.

Grocery Supplies

After realizing that his family won’t be back anytime soon, Kevin heads to the local store to buy some necessities (green toy soldiers “for the kids,” obviously).  

TikTok user @themistressmelt spoke to Newsweek to calculate the cost last year, but she’s revised those costs to acknowledge the rising prices in 2025.

Indeed, she recreated Kevin’s grocery list which cost him less than $20 in 1990, and she was staggered by how much it has risen. The same items cost the TikTok user $60.24 in 2025, although she wasn’t able to get every single item that Kevin bought.

She shared this update on December 5 on TikTok, and the video has gone viral with over 1.2 million views and more than 99,800 likes at the time of writing.

The success of the first film led to an entire franchise. Just two years after the first installment, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York was released, documenting Kevin’s adventure as he fought off the Sticky Bandits in the Big Apple.

The sequel also sees Kevin enjoy an overnight stay at the renowned Plaza Hotel where he enjoys room service, a limousine ride, and a cheese pizza.

Fans of the movie can recreate this by making the most of the hotel’s Home Alone experience which includes a four-hour limousine ride, a hotel room with an extra large bed, a mini fridge filled with Kevin’s favorite snacks, and an “over-the-top ice cream sundae” with 16 scoops.

While the cost varies depending on the room type that guests select, it can vary between $2,219 and $34,000.

As for the room service bill that Kevin accumulates, his dad famously exclaims that he managed to spend $967 at the end of the film. But after adjusting that for inflation in 2025, guests would more likely have to spend around $2,233 to indulge in the same luxuries.



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