Skip to content
toolwise

Inflation Calculator

See how inflation changes the value of money over time.

Calculate with
$

Equivalent value

$182.17

$100.00 in 2000 has the same buying power as $182.17 in 2024.

Total price change
+82.2%
Average per year
2.53%
What $100 in 2024 would have cost in 2000
$54.90

Data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), U.S. city average, all items, annual average (series CUUR0000SA0, 1982-84=100). Annual averages up to 2024, last updated 2025. Source: bls.gov/cpi.

Results are estimates for general information only and are not financial advice. Check important figures with a qualified professional or your lender. Read our disclaimer.

When to use it

Use this calculator to see how prices have changed over time, or to estimate what something will cost in the future. It is handy for understanding an old salary or price in today’s money, checking whether a pay rise kept up with prices, or planning how much a goal will cost years from now.

How to use it

The tool has two modes under Calculate with.

Historical US inflation

  1. Enter the Amount (US dollars).
  2. Choose the year in In year.
  3. Choose the year to compare with in Is worth in.
  4. Read the Equivalent value, the Total price change and the Average per year. A fourth figure shows the same comparison the other way round.

You can pick any year from 1913 to the latest year in the data, and the second year can be earlier than the first.

My own rate

  1. Choose your Currency.
  2. Enter the Amount today, the Inflation per year and the Years from now.
  3. Read what the same things are likely to cost in the future.

Worked example

You want to know what $100 in 2000 means in 2024 money. Choose 2000 and 2024 and enter 100. The equivalent value is $182.17, so you would need about $182 in 2024 to buy what $100 bought in 2000. Prices rose 82.2% in total, about 2.53% a year on average. Turned the other way, something that cost $100 in 2024 would have cost about $54.90 in 2000.

For the future, choose My own rate, enter $1,000, 3% a year and 10 years. The same basket would cost about $1,343.92.

Tips

  • Compare a pay rise. Put your old salary in and see what it is worth today. If your current pay is lower than the result, your buying power has fallen.
  • Plan savings goals. A goal that costs $20,000 today will cost more in ten years. Use the future value as your target.
  • Try several rates. For future estimates, try 2%, 3% and 5% to see a hopeful, a middle and a cautious case.

Common mistakes

  • Using the US data for another currency. Use My own rate instead.
  • Treating the average as your own cost of living. Housing and childcare often rise faster than the overall index.
  • Forgetting that small rates add up. At 3% a year, prices roughly double in 24 years.

Frequently asked questions

Where does the historical data come from?

From the US Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), using yearly averages from 1913 onwards. The source and the last year covered are shown under the calculator.

Can I use it for money in other countries?

The historical mode uses US prices only, so it is accurate for US dollars. For other currencies, choose My own rate and enter your country's inflation rate, which you can find from its national statistics office.

Why is the result different from another calculator?

Some calculators use monthly figures or a different price index. This one uses yearly averages, so comparing January of one year with December of another will give a slightly different answer elsewhere.

Does the result mean my own costs went up by the same amount?

Not exactly. The index tracks an average basket of goods and services. Your own costs depend on what you buy. Rent, food or fuel can rise faster or slower than the average.

Can I work out future prices?

Yes. Choose My own rate, enter today's amount, an expected yearly rate such as 3%, and the number of years. Nobody knows future inflation, so try a few rates to see a range.

Related tools