Inflation Record$100 in 2003 → Today
Official data verified · U.S. CPI-U · Annual average · NSA · Data through September 2026 (fetched 2026-11-02) · Series CUUR0000SA0
+80.6% cumulative inflation · 2003–2026
Your $100 in 2003 would have the purchasing power of $180.61 today.
What this means
- Purchasing power: $100 in 2003 had the same average buying power as $180.61 in 2026.
- Price level change: the overall consumer price level rose by 80.6% across this 23-year span; the purchasing power of a dollar fell by 44.6%.
- 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 2003 | Worth in 2026 |
|---|---|
| $1 | $1.81 |
| $5 | $9.03 |
| $10 | $18.06 |
| $20 | $36.12 |
| $50 | $90.30 |
| $100 | $180.61 |
| $500 | $903.04 |
| $1,000 | $1,806.08 |
| $10,000 | $18,060.75 |
| $100,000 | $180,607.50 |
Key facts about 2003
- Consumer prices rose 2.3% in 2003 — the 67th-largest annual increase in the 1913–2026 record.
- Among the major categories tracked since 2003, Rent of primary residence rose the most: 94.0% cumulatively to 2025.
- A gallon of regular gasoline averaged $1.59 in 2003 — about $2.87 in 2026 dollars.
- A dozen large eggs averaged $1.24 in 2003 — about $2.25 in 2026 dollars.
$100 in 2003, decade by decade
| Year | Worth | Cumulative price change |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | $126.64 | +26.6% |
| 2023 | $165.64 | +65.6% |
| 2026 | $180.61 | +80.6% |
Monthly CPI in 2003
| Month | CPI-U index | Change vs same month, prior year |
|---|---|---|
| January | 181.700 | 2.6% |
| February | 183.100 | 3.0% |
| March | 184.200 | 3.0% |
| April | 183.800 | 2.2% |
| May | 183.500 | 2.1% |
| June | 183.700 | 2.1% |
| July | 183.900 | 2.1% |
| August | 184.600 | 2.2% |
| September | 185.200 | 2.3% |
| October | 185.000 | 2.0% |
| November | 184.500 | 1.8% |
| December | 184.300 | 1.9% |
Annual average CPI-U for 2003: 183.958.
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 (2003 annual average): 183.958 · Index (2026 annual average): 332.243 · Ratio: 1.8061
Formula: amount × (indexend / indexstart). Formula v1.0 — annual-average CPI, NSA (per-country basis on each methodology page). Source: BLS data finder.
Cite this page
← $100 in 2002 · All years · $100 in 2004 →
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