Inflation Record$100 in 1998 → Today
Official data verified · U.S. CPI-U · Annual average · NSA · Data through September 2026 (fetched 2026-11-02) · Series CUUR0000SA0
+103.8% cumulative inflation · 1998–2026
Your $100 in 1998 would have the purchasing power of $203.82 today.
What this means
- Purchasing power: $100 in 1998 had the same average buying power as $203.82 in 2026.
- Price level change: the overall consumer price level rose by 103.8% across this 28-year span; the purchasing power of a dollar fell by 50.9%.
- This measures the broad basket of consumer goods and services (CPI-U). Individual expenses — housing, medical care, tuition — moved at different rates.
What this means in other amounts
| In 1998 | Worth in 2026 |
|---|---|
| $1 | $2.04 |
| $5 | $10.19 |
| $10 | $20.38 |
| $20 | $40.76 |
| $50 | $101.91 |
| $100 | $203.82 |
| $500 | $1,019.10 |
| $1,000 | $2,038.19 |
| $10,000 | $20,381.94 |
| $100,000 | $203,819.37 |
Key facts about 1998
- Consumer prices rose 1.6% in 1998 — the 79th-largest annual increase in the 1913–2026 record.
- Among the major categories tracked since 1998, Rent of primary residence rose the most: 131.7% cumulatively to 2025.
- A gallon of regular gasoline averaged $1.06 in 1998 — about $2.16 in 2026 dollars.
- A dozen large eggs averaged $1.04 in 1998 — about $2.11 in 2026 dollars.
$100 in 1998, decade by decade
| Year | Worth | Cumulative price change |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | $132.08 | +32.1% |
| 2018 | $154.05 | +54.0% |
| 2026 | $203.82 | +103.8% |
Monthly CPI in 1998
| Month | CPI-U index | Change vs same month, prior year |
|---|---|---|
| January | 161.600 | 1.6% |
| February | 161.900 | 1.4% |
| March | 162.200 | 1.4% |
| April | 162.500 | 1.4% |
| May | 162.800 | 1.7% |
| June | 163.000 | 1.7% |
| July | 163.200 | 1.7% |
| August | 163.400 | 1.6% |
| September | 163.600 | 1.5% |
| October | 164.000 | 1.5% |
| November | 164.000 | 1.5% |
| December | 163.900 | 1.6% |
Annual average CPI-U for 1998: 163.008.
Verify this calculation
Series: CUUR0000SA0 (Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers, All Items, U.S. City Average; Not seasonally adjusted (NSA); base 1982-84=100).
Index (1998 annual average): 163.008 · Index (2026 annual average): 332.243 · Ratio: 2.0382
Formula: amount × (indexend / indexstart). Formula v1.0 — annual-average CPI, NSA (per-country basis on each methodology page). Source: BLS data finder.
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