Inflation Calculator
Convert any dollar amount between two years using the US Consumer Price Index (CPI). Useful for comparing salaries, prices and historical figures in today's purchasing power.
How to use the Inflation Calculator
- Enter your inputs into the Inflation Calculator above.
- Results update instantly as you type — no submit button needed.
- Adjust any value to see how the result changes in real time.
The inflation adjustment
Adjusted = Original × (CPI_target / CPI_base)
Multiply the original amount by the ratio of the target year's CPI to the base year's CPI. The CPI measures the average price level of a basket of consumer goods.
Worked example
$1,000 in 1990 dollars is equivalent to about $2,470 in 2025 dollars, using CPI values of roughly 130.7 (1990) and 322.1 (2025). The same $1,000 bought roughly 2.47× more in 1990 than today.
Frequently asked questions
Which CPI series does this use?
The most common is CPI-U (Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers), published monthly by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Alternative measures (PCE, chained CPI) give slightly different results.
Why is CPI controversial?
CPI uses a fixed basket that may not match any individual's spending. Critics argue it under-counts housing and healthcare; defenders argue it captures substitution effects most people make.
How accurate is inflation across long periods?
Within a decade or two, CPI captures real-world price changes well. Across a century, basket and quality changes (the iPhone did not exist in 1925) make exact comparison philosophically tricky.