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 2015 worth today?
$100 from 2015 has the same buying power as $139.73 in 2026, based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U. Consumer prices rose 39.7% over those 11 years, an average of 3.09% a year, so a dollar today buys what 72 cents bought in 2015.
2015 dollars vs 2026
| Amount | 2015 money in 2026 dollars | 2026 money in 2015 dollars |
|---|---|---|
| $1.00 | $1.40 | $0.72 |
| $20.00 | $27.95 | $14.31 |
| $100 | $139.73 | $71.57 |
| $1,000 | $1,397.27 | $715.68 |
| $10,000 | $13,972.66 | $7,156.83 |
Read the middle column to update an old figure: a $20 bill from 2015 stretches as far as $27.95 does now. Read the right-hand column to go backwards: $1,000 spent in 2026 buys roughly what $715.68 bought in 2015.
Inflation since 2015 in numbers
- Cumulative inflation, 2015 to 2026: 39.7% (CPI-U 237.02 to 331.18).
- Average annual inflation over those 11 years: 3.09%.
- Buying power a 2015 dollar has lost: 28.4%.
- Prices have not doubled since 2015; they would need to rise another 43.1% from the 2026 level.
- Inflation during 2015 itself: 0.12%, after 1.62% in 2014.
- Share of the price rise since 2015 that came in 2020-2026: 76.9%.
Year-by-year CPI around 2015
| Year | CPI-U (annual average) | Inflation that year |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 229.59 | 2.07% |
| 2013 | 232.96 | 1.47% |
| 2014 | 236.74 | 1.62% |
| 2015 | 237.02 | 0.12% |
| 2016 | 240.01 | 1.26% |
| 2017 | 245.12 | 2.13% |
| 2018 | 251.11 | 2.44% |
2015 compared with the years around it
Over 2005-2015, prices rose an average of 1.95% a year; in the decade after 2015 (2015-2025) that pace quickened to 3.12%. 2015's own rate of 0.12% sat below both averages. Between 2010 and 2020, 2015 had the lowest rate of any year, while 2011 was the highest at 3.16%.
What happened to 2015 dollars
2015 recorded the lowest positive inflation in the dataset, just 0.12%, as falling oil prices offset rises elsewhere; only 2009 was lower. A 2015 dollar then lost value slowly for five years, with annual rates between 1.23% and 2.44% from 2016 to 2020, before the post-pandemic surge. That late burst is why the average since 2015 (3.09%) is higher than the average since 2005 or 2010, despite the shorter span: 76.9% of the rise since 2015 came after 2020.
Frequently asked questions
$139.73 in 2026 - prices have risen 40% since 2015, an average of 3.09% a year. Going the other way, $100 today would have bought what $71.57 bought in 2015.
0.12%. The CPI-U annual average rose from 236.74 in 2014 to 237.02 in 2015. The following year, 2016, inflation was 1.26%.
Not yet. Prices are 39.7% above their 2015 level; doubling would mean the CPI-U reaching 474.0, twice the 2015 average of 237.02, and the 2026 figure is 331.18.
Multiply the 2015 amount by the 2026 CPI-U divided by the 2015 CPI-U: 331.18 ÷ 237.02 = 1.3973. 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