"What is $100 worth today?" is a question with a precise answer, once you have the right data — actual price index values, not a flat 2-3%/year approximation.
Cpi inflation calculator, the data behind the number
The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, tracks average price changes across a broad basket of goods and services every year. This calculator uses the actual annual index values from 2000 through 2026, not a smoothed estimate.
What is $100 worth today calculator, a real example
$100 in 2000 (CPI-U index 172.2) converts to $193.91 in 2026 (index 333.918) — a 93.91% cumulative increase in prices over 26 years. That's the real, data-backed answer, not a rounded "inflation roughly doubled prices" guess.
Historical inflation calculator, why CPI-U isn't your personal inflation rate
CPI-U is a national average across a standard basket of goods — housing, food, transportation, medical care, and more, weighted by typical spending patterns. Your own cost of living may have risen faster or slower depending on what you actually buy and where you live, so treat this as the broad economic benchmark it is, not a personal budget tracker.
