Inflation Calculator
See what any amount of money is worth in another year, using official US CPI data
100% free. Runs entirely in your browser - your files and data never leave your device and nothing is uploaded to any server.
$1,821.66
$1,000 in 2000 has the same buying power as $1,821.66 in 2024.
Based on US Bureau of Labor Statistics, CPI-U, US city average, all items (index 1982-84 = 100), covering 1913–2024. Figures verified 2026-08-15. View the BLS source.
About this tool
Money from a different year is not comparable to money today, and the gap is usually bigger than people expect. This inflation calculator converts any amount between any two years using the official US Consumer Price Index (CPI-U) published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, covering 1913 to the present. It works in both directions: what a 1995 salary would need to be today to feel the same, or what a current price would have been back then. Alongside the converted figure it shows the total change across the whole span and the average annual rate, which is the number that makes long periods comparable. The CPI figures are a fixed, checkable dataset rather than a live feed, and the whole calculation runs in your browser.
How to use this tool
- Enter an amountAny sum of money - a salary, a price, a savings balance.
- Pick the year it belongs toThe year that amount was actually earned, paid or quoted.
- Pick the year to compare withUsually the most recent year, but any year in the dataset works.
- Swap the direction if you need toThe swap button flips the two years, turning "what is this worth today" into "what was this worth then".
- Read the annual rateThe average per year figure is the fair way to compare spans of different lengths.
Key features
- Covers 1913 to the present, so historical comparisons are possible, not just recent ones.
- Works in both directions - forward to today or backward into the past.
- Shows the compound annual rate, not just the total change, so long and short spans can be compared fairly.
- Uses official BLS CPI-U figures, with the source and the date they were checked stated on the page.
- The dataset is fixed and inspectable rather than pulled from an unnamed live API.
- Free, no sign-up, and calculated entirely in your browser.
Common uses
- Checking whether a pay rise actually beat inflation or only matched it.
- Comparing a historical salary, price or budget with money today.
- Putting an old film budget, house price or wage into terms readers understand.
- Setting a realistic long-term savings target that accounts for rising prices.
- Schoolwork and research that needs a defensible, cited inflation figure.
Tips for better results
- Compare the annual rate, not the total change, when the two periods are different lengths.
- CPI is a national average basket. Your own inflation rate depends heavily on rent and fuel, which vary by region.
- For salary negotiations, the year-on-year figure is more persuasive than a long historical span.
- Remember that 2009 is the one recent year where US prices actually fell - a negative result there is correct.
Mistakes to avoid
- Averaging yearly inflation rates arithmetically. Inflation compounds, so 3% then 3% is more than 6%.
- Assuming CPI matches your personal costs. Housing and healthcare have risen much faster than the average.
- Comparing across countries with a US index - CPI-U only measures US urban prices.
- Treating an inflation-adjusted salary as a fair market rate. It tells you about buying power, not what a role pays now.
Frequently asked questions
The US Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, all items, annual average, published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The index base is 1982-84 = 100. The exact source and the date the figures were last verified are shown on the page.
To 1913, which is the first year of the official CPI series. Any two years in that range can be compared in either direction.
CPI measures an average basket across the whole country. If your rent or health insurance rose faster than average - and for many people they have - your personal inflation rate is genuinely higher than the headline figure.
Total change is the whole move across the entire span. Average per year is the compound annual rate that would produce that move. Use the annual figure when comparing periods of different lengths, since a 50% rise over 5 years is very different from 50% over 30.
Yes, and the calculator will show a negative result when they did. In the US the clearest recent example is 2009, when the annual average CPI fell slightly against 2008.
No. This compares money across time in the US as a whole. It does not tell you how far a salary stretches in one city versus another, which is a different measure entirely.
No. The CPI table ships with the page and the arithmetic happens in your browser, so the amounts you type never leave your device.