Living costs
Convert dollars between years with official CPI-U annual averages from 1913 to 2025 and the latest May 2026 CPI value.
When to use this
Compare salaries, rents, prices, budgets, allowances, tuition, subscriptions, old receipts, and historical amounts using the same CPI formula.
Default result
$100.00 in 2000 has the same CPI buying-power as $194.61 in May 2026.
Result interpretation
The result only converts buying power. It does not include taxes, investment returns, wage growth, or changes in product quality.
CPI-U tracks a broad urban consumer basket. Your own basket can move faster or slower than the national index.
The annualized rate turns a whole period into one average yearly pace. Individual years can still be much higher or lower.
The BLS annual average CPI-U for 2000 is 172.2. The latest monthly CPI-U used here is May 2026 at 335.123.
Equivalent amount = $100 x 335.123 / 172.2 = $194.61. The cumulative price-level change is (335.123 / 172.2 - 1) x 100 = 94.6%.
Using the annual-average midpoint for 2000 and the May 2026 month midpoint gives about 25.875 years. The annualized inflation rate is (335.123 / 172.2)^(1 / 25.875) - 1 = 2.6% per year.
Divide the target CPI by the start CPI, then multiply the original amount by that ratio. If the ratio is 2.0, prices are roughly double the start-period level.
Cumulative inflation equals target CPI divided by start CPI, minus 1, then multiplied by 100. This calculator uses annual averages for full-year comparisons.
The latest embedded monthly value is May 2026 CPI-U at 335.123 from the BLS Public Data API. The latest full-year annual average is 2025 CPI-U at 321.943.
CPI is a national price index. Cost of living can include local housing, taxes, transportation, lifestyle, income, household size, and benefits, so a city-level comparison needs a different dataset.
Use the copy button to share the amount, years, equivalent value, CPI ratio, and a Useful Atlas link. That lets someone else calculate their own amount without needing your exact scenario.
Reference data
| Topic | Value used | Source | Date | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPI series | CUUR0000SA0, CPI-U, U.S. city average, all items, not seasonally adjusted | BLS Public Data API | As of June 19, 2026 | Annual values use BLS annual average period M13. Verify current data and API terms at the source. |
| Latest monthly CPI used | May 2026 CPI-U = 335.123 | BLS CPI news release | As of June 19, 2026 | The latest month is used only when the target is set to May 2026. Annual comparisons use annual average CPI. |
| Latest annual CPI used | 2025 annual average CPI-U = 321.943 | BLS Public Data API | As of June 19, 2026 | This is the newest full-year annual average in the embedded table. |
It uses BLS series CUUR0000SA0: Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers, U.S. city average, all items, not seasonally adjusted.
Annual average CPI is a stable way to compare calendar years. It avoids choosing one arbitrary month unless the target is explicitly set to the latest available month.
Yes. The latest option uses May 2026 CPI-U at 335.123, while the start year uses that year annual average. The annualized rate therefore uses midpoint timing as an approximation.
No. CPI-U is a broad national price index. Your own inflation can differ because housing, transportation, food, taxes, health care, and local prices may move differently.
The CPI can move down over some periods. If the target CPI is lower than the start CPI, the equivalent amount is lower and the cumulative change is negative.
Yes. The copy button creates a short text result with the amount, years, CPI values, and a Useful Atlas link so another person can calculate their own comparison.
Decision path
Inflation explains time. City salary comparison explains place and regional price levels.
IncomeIf a raise did not feel like a raise, compare pay after commute, unpaid time, costs, and taxes.
PlanningInflation assumptions move long-term independence dates. Check the target before relying on a number.
