$100 in 1980 vs Today

$100.00 in 1980 has the same buying power as

$406.53

in 2026 · Price level increased by 306.5% (CPI-U 82.4 → 334.98)

Between 1980 and 2026 the Consumer Price Index rose from 82.4 to 334.980, so prices are roughly 4.1 times higher. What cost $100 in 1980 costs about $406.53 today — or, put the other way, $100 today buys what about $24.60 bought in 1980.

The early 1980s marked the end of the high-inflation era: annual inflation peaked above 13% in 1980 before the Federal Reserve's rate hikes brought it down. Most of the price increase since then came from steady 2–3% annual inflation compounding over four decades.