Inflation Calculator — Compare the Value of Money Across Any Two Years
Money does not hold a constant value over time. A dollar in 1990 bought far more than a dollar does today, because the general price level of goods and services rises year after year — a process economists call inflation. This calculator translates any dollar amount from one year into its equivalent purchasing power in another year, so you can compare prices, salaries, and savings across decades on a level footing.
The results are based on the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), the headline inflation measure published monthly by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The CPI tracks the average price of a representative "basket" of goods and services — housing, food, transport, medical care, apparel, and more — that a typical urban household buys. When the index rises from one year to the next, that percentage increase is the rate of inflation. Our data covers annual averages from 1913, the earliest year the series is available, through the most recent complete calendar year.
The math is simple: the equivalent value equals the original amount multiplied by the ratio of the two years' index values. For example, if the CPI was 130.7 in 1990 and 313.7 in 2024, then $100 in 1990 has the same purchasing power as roughly $240 in 2024. The calculator also reports the cumulative inflation over the whole period and the average annual inflation rate, which is the steady yearly rate that would compound to the same total change.
Everything runs in your browser using a built-in CPI table — no data is sent anywhere, and there are no limits on how many calculations you make. Common uses include understanding how much a historical salary is worth in today's money, checking whether a raise keeps pace with the cost of living, comparing the real cost of a purchase made years ago, adjusting a budget or contract for inflation, and settling arguments about whether things "really were cheaper back then."
A few caveats: the CPI-U is a nationwide U.S. average, so it will not perfectly match your personal experience of prices, which depends on where you live and what you buy. Housing, healthcare, and college tuition have risen faster than the overall index, while electronics have often fallen in price. Use these figures as a solid, official approximation of general purchasing power rather than an exact measure of any single item.
How to use the Inflation Calculator
- Enter the dollar amount you want to convert.
- Type the starting year (the year the money is from).
- Type the target year you want the value expressed in.
- Read the equivalent value, the total inflation over the period, and the average annual rate.
- Try swapping the years to see how much purchasing power has changed in either direction.