Inflation Calculator: What Your Money Is Worth Today

How the CPI-U measures prices

The Consumer Price Index tracks the average change in prices that households pay for a fixed “basket” of goods and services. Every month, BLS staff collect prices for food, rent, gasoline, medical care, clothing, car insurance, phone service, and hundreds of other items in cities across the country. Each item is weighted by how much of a typical budget goes to it, so a change in rent counts for far more than a change in the price of eggs.

The CPI-U, for “all urban consumers,” is the broadest version. BLS says it covers over 90 percent of the U.S. population. A narrower index, the CPI-W, covers households of wage earners and clerical workers, about 30 percent of the population. Social Security uses the CPI-W for its yearly raise, but news reports and most inflation calculators, including this one, use the CPI-U.

The index is not a price in dollars. It is set so that the average of 1982 to 1984 equals 100. An index of 172.2 for 2000 means prices were 72.2% higher than in the early 1980s. What matters is the ratio between two index values. When the index goes from 172.2 to 321.943, prices have risen by a factor of about 1.87.

We use the version that is not seasonally adjusted. BLS recommends unadjusted data for raising payments or contracts over time, because seasonally adjusted figures can be revised for years afterward. You can see every value we use in the BLS data table for series CUUR0000SA0.

Using the inflation calculator

The calculator takes three inputs and does one simple piece of math.

1. Amount. Type the dollar figure you want to compare, such as a wage you earned in 1995 or the price of a house in 1980.
2. From year. Choose the year that amount belongs to. The calculator looks up that year’s average CPI-U.
3. To year. Choose the year to compare with. The last option, October 2026, uses the newest monthly index instead of a full-year average.
4. Result. The calculator multiplies your amount by the “to” index and divides by the “from” index. It also shows the total percent change and the average yearly rate.

You can also run the calculator backward. Put the later year in the “from” box and the earlier year in the “to” box. The answer tells you what today’s money would have been worth back then. For example, $100 in 2025 had the buying power of about $53.49 in 2000.

Below the main answer, a small table shows what your amount from several common years is worth at the newest index. It helps you see at a glance how much prices have moved since, say, 1980 or 2020.

Reading your result

You get three numbers. Each answers a slightly different question.

The yearly rate is an average. Actual inflation is uneven. It was 1.2% in 2020 and 8.0% in 2022, for example. The average smooths those swings into one number so you can compare long periods fairly.

A result is about buying power, not about what something specific costs today. If the calculator says $50,000 in 1995 equals about $105,600 in 2025, it means the same general basket of goods costs that much more. It does not mean a particular house or car has risen by the same amount. Housing, health care, and college costs have often risen faster than the overall index, while electronics have often fallen.

When the “to” year is the newest month, the average yearly rate is measured from the middle of the starting year to the middle of that month. That is a close match to how annual averages work, but treat the last decimal place as approximate.

$100 from past years in 2025 dollars

This table uses the BLS annual averages, so it will not change when new monthly data come out. The calculator above shows the same comparison at the newest month.

Prices did not rise every year. The index fell during the early 1920s, much of the Great Depression, and briefly in 1949, 1955, and 2009. Over the full period from 1913 to 2025, prices rose by an average of about 3.2% a year.

One note on 2025: BLS did not collect October 2025 prices because of the 2025 lapse in federal funding, so the 2025 annual average is based on the other 11 months.

Inflation year by year since 2019

The last few years show how quickly inflation can change. These rates compare each year’s annual average with the year before.

From 2020 to 2025, prices rose about 24.4% in total. Someone who needed $1,500 a month for living costs in 2020 would need about $1,866 a month in 2025 for the same things. For 2026 so far, BLS reports a 12-month rise of 3.7% for September. The index reached 337.511 in October 2026. The latest figures and the release calendar are on the BLS Consumer Price Index page.

How inflation affects benefits and taxes

Many government payments and limits are tied to the CPI, so inflation reaches your household in more ways than the grocery bill.

• Social Security and SSI. Benefits rise each year by a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) based on the CPI-W. The raise for 2027 is 3.6%. Our Social Security COLA calculator applies it to your check, and our guide to the Social Security COLA for 2027 covers what else changes.
• VA disability compensation. By law, the yearly raise for veterans matches the Social Security COLA percentage, though Congress passes it each year. See our VA disability calculator for current rates.
• Poverty guidelines. HHS updates the federal poverty guidelines each January, adjusting them for price changes with the CPI-U, according to the HHS poverty guidelines page. Those guidelines set income limits for Medicaid, SNAP, LIHEAP, and many other programs.
• SNAP. Maximum food benefits and SNAP deductions are adjusted each October for cost-of-living changes. Our SNAP calculator uses the current figures.

Not everything keeps up. Many private pensions have no cost-of-living raise at all, and a fixed annuity pays the same dollar amount every year. Over 20 years at 3% inflation, a fixed payment loses about 45% of its buying power. If you receive a fixed payment, the inflation calculator shows how much its real value has slipped since it started.

Wages are another place to check. If your pay rose 10% over a period when prices rose 15%, your real income fell. Run your old salary through the calculator to see whether a raise kept pace.

Limits of an average price index

The CPI is a careful measure, but it describes an average household, not yours. BLS says plainly that the index does not necessarily measure your own experience with price change. Keep these limits in mind.

• Your spending mix is different. Someone who spends a large share on rent, medicine, or car insurance may see higher inflation than the average. Someone who owns a paid-off home may see less.
• Prices vary by place. This calculator uses the U.S. city average. BLS also publishes indexes for regions and some large metro areas, and those can differ noticeably.
• Quality changes. A phone or car today is not the same product as one from 1990. BLS adjusts for some quality changes, but comparisons across many decades are rough.
• Annual averages hide timing. A price from December 2000 and one from January 2000 get the same index here. For month-level precision, compare monthly index values in the BLS data table.
• Old data are less precise. Indexes before 2007 are published to one decimal place, and early 20th-century data come from a smaller sample of cities and items.

For most everyday questions, such as whether a raise kept up with prices or what a parent’s old salary means today, the CPI-U is the standard tool. For legal or contract adjustments, use the exact index and months your contract names.

Coping with rising prices on a fixed income

If the calculator shows your income losing ground, a few steps can help. Start with a simple budget. Our guide to the 50/30/20 rule is an easy way to sort needs from wants. Then check whether you qualify for programs that grow with prices, such as SNAP, the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or a Medicare Savings Program, which can pay your Part B premium. Applying for official programs is free.

When you look at prices, compare the total cost over a year rather than a single bill. Small monthly increases in phone, streaming, or insurance plans add up. Call providers and ask about lower-cost plans, senior discounts, or income-based rates before your next renewal.

Related guides

• Social Security COLA calculator: see your new monthly check
• Social Security COLA for 2027: what changes
• Salary calculator: hourly, weekly, monthly, and yearly pay
• Money basics: budgeting that works

Frequently asked questions

This calculator gives an estimate for general information only. National Relief Program is an independent website, not a government agency. For contracts or legal adjustments, use the exact index and dates your agreement names.