Inflation Calculator
Free inflation calculator to see what money from any year is worth today, how prices changed between two years, and what future inflation does to your savings and income.
Purchasing Power Over Time
How This Is Calculated
Historical mode uses the CPI ratio: amount multiplied by end-year CPI divided by start-year CPI. Future mode projects at your rate both ways: amount times (1 + rate) to the power of years, and amount divided by the same factor.
Everything behind the Inflation Calculator
Formulas, reference charts, and detailed answers — expand any section you need.
Inflation Calculator by Year: 1970 to Today
| $1,000 In This Year | Equals Roughly (today) |
|---|---|
| 1970 | $8,200 |
| 1980 | $3,900 |
| 1990 | $2,400 |
| 2000 | $1,850 |
| 2010 | $1,450 |
| 2020 | $1,240 |
Figures shift as CPI updates; the calculator's data year is labeled on the page.
Inflation Calculator: What Is My Money Worth Over Time?
This inflation calculator converts dollar amounts between any two years using historical CPI data, and projects forward at any rate you choose. Enter an amount and two years, and the inflation calculator shows the equivalent value, the cumulative inflation between them, and the average annual rate across the span. Enter a future rate instead, and it shows both what your money must grow to and what it will actually buy.
Example: $10,000 in 1990 has the same purchasing power as roughly $24,000 today, a cumulative inflation of about 140%.
Future Inflation Calculator: What Will My Money Buy?
The future inflation calculator runs both directions of the same projection. At 3% inflation, money must grow 3% a year just to stand still: $50,000 today needs to become $67,196 in 10 years to hold its purchasing power, and a $50,000 balance left in cash buys only $37,205 worth of goods by then. This pairing is the core argument for keeping long-term savings in assets that outrun inflation rather than cash.
Salary Inflation Calculator: Did Your Raises Keep Up?
The salary inflation calculator converts a past salary into today's dollars for a direct comparison. A $55,000 salary in 2015 equals roughly $73,000 today, so a current salary below that figure represents a real pay cut despite nominal raises. It's the single most clarifying number in any compensation discussion, and it takes one input to get.
How Is Inflation Calculated? CPI Explained
Inflation between two years is calculated from the Consumer Price Index: the end-year CPI divided by the start-year CPI gives the price ratio, and multiplying any amount by that ratio converts it across time. CPI tracks a weighted basket of consumer goods and services, which is why it reflects lived price changes better than any single price does. The inflation calculator applies the ratio automatically and shows the formula with your numbers in the trust section.