Based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U (Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers), covering 1970–2026. The 2026 value is a partial-year running average and will be revised as the year completes. Reflects average price changes across a general basket of goods - your personal cost of living may differ.
What is $100 from 2005 worth today?
$100 from 2005 has the same buying power as $169.58 in 2026, based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U. Consumer prices rose 69.6% over those 21 years, an average of 2.55% a year, so a dollar today buys what 59 cents bought in 2005.
2005 dollars vs 2026
| Amount | 2005 money in 2026 dollars | 2026 money in 2005 dollars |
|---|---|---|
| $1.00 | $1.70 | $0.59 |
| $20.00 | $33.92 | $11.79 |
| $100 | $169.58 | $58.97 |
| $1,000 | $1,695.75 | $589.71 |
| $10,000 | $16,957.5 | $5,897.1 |
Read the middle column to update an old figure: a $20 bill from 2005 stretches as far as $33.92 does now. Read the right-hand column to go backwards: $1,000 spent in 2026 buys roughly what $589.71 bought in 2005.
Inflation since 2005 in numbers
- Cumulative inflation, 2005 to 2026: 69.6% (CPI-U 195.3 to 331.18).
- Average annual inflation over those 21 years: 2.55%.
- Buying power a 2005 dollar has lost: 41.0%.
- Prices have not doubled since 2005; they would need to rise another 17.9% from the 2026 level.
- Inflation during 2005 itself: 3.39%, after 2.66% in 2004.
- Share of the price rise since 2005 that came in 2020-2026: 53.3%.
Year-by-year CPI around 2005
| Year | CPI-U (annual average) | Inflation that year |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 179.9 | 1.58% |
| 2003 | 184.0 | 2.28% |
| 2004 | 188.9 | 2.66% |
| 2005 | 195.3 | 3.39% |
| 2006 | 201.6 | 3.23% |
| 2007 | 207.3 | 2.83% |
| 2008 | 215.3 | 3.86% |
2005 compared with the years around it
Over 1995-2005, prices rose an average of 2.51% a year; in the decade after 2005 (2005-2015) that pace slowed to 1.95%. 2005's own rate of 3.39% sat above both averages. Between 2000 and 2010, the highest annual rate was 3.86% in 2008 and the lowest was -0.35% in 2009.
What happened to 2005 dollars
Inflation of 3.39% in 2005 was the highest annual rate from 1992 to 2007. Within four years the picture flipped: after 3.86% in 2008, the CPI-U fell 0.35% in 2009, the only year of falling prices anywhere in the 1970-2025 data, during the recession that followed the 2008 financial crisis. Since 2005 prices have climbed 69.6%, and more than half of that rise (53.3%) has come since 2020.
Frequently asked questions
$169.58 in 2026 - prices have risen 70% since 2005, an average of 2.55% a year. Going the other way, $100 today would have bought what $58.97 bought in 2005.
3.39%. The CPI-U annual average rose from 188.9 in 2004 to 195.3 in 2005. The following year, 2006, inflation was 3.23%.
Not yet. Prices are 69.6% above their 2005 level; doubling would mean the CPI-U reaching 390.6, twice the 2005 average of 195.3, and the 2026 figure is 331.18.
Multiply the 2005 amount by the 2026 CPI-U divided by the 2005 CPI-U: 331.18 ÷ 195.3 = 1.6958. The 2026 index is a partial-year average through the latest published month, so 2026 values can shift slightly once the full year is in.
Other years
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Reviewed by Raja Jahangir · Last reviewed: October 2026