Inflation
Calculator
See how much purchasing power your money has lost over time using real U.S. CPI data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Inflation Calculator
$1000 in 2010 is worth $1,494.73 in 2026 dollars
From
2010
To
2026
Value in 2026 Dollars
$1,494.73
Purchasing Power Change
+$494.73
Cumulative Inflation
+49.5%
Avg Annual Rate
2.54%/yr
Over 16 years, your $1,000.00 lost 49.5% of its purchasing power.
Based on U.S. CPI-U data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. 2026 is estimated.
How Inflation Is Measured
Consumer Price Index (CPI)
The CPI tracks the average change in prices paid by urban consumers for a basket of goods and services including food, housing, transportation, and medical care. The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes it monthly.
Inflation rate = ((CPInew − CPIold) ÷ CPIold) × 100
Purchasing Power
Purchasing power measures what your money can actually buy. As prices rise, each dollar buys less. To find what past money is worth today, multiply by the ratio of current to past CPI.
Today's value = Amount × (CPItoday ÷ CPIthen)
Example: $1,000 in 2010 → $1,000 × (315 ÷ 218) = $1,467
Why Inflation Matters for Investing
If your investments don't outpace inflation, you're losing purchasing power even if your balance grows. A savings account earning 1% while inflation is 3% means you're losing 2% in real terms every year.
Real return = Nominal return − Inflation rate
S&P 500 avg: ~10% nominal − ~3% inflation = ~7% real
Frequently Asked Questions
See Real Results
See how real investments compare on a nominal vs. inflation-adjusted basis.
AAPL · $1,000 in 2005
$290.7K291x
Inflation-adjusted: $174.1K
View full breakdown →
Bitcoin · $5,000 in 2013
$36.5M7293x
Inflation-adjusted: $26.1M
View full breakdown →
NVDA · $1,000 in 2015
$288.1K288x
Inflation-adjusted: $209.4K
View full breakdown →
TSLA · $1,000 in 2010
$336.3K336x
Inflation-adjusted: $225.0K
View full breakdown →