Visual Inflation Calculator

Enter values or use the orange knobs to see how the dollar cost has changed over time.

Examples:
• Gasoline cost 20 cents per gallon in 1930.
• Roundtrip flights between New York and L.A. cost $310 in 1974.

All calculations are based on historical January Consumer Price Index data compiled by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), as reported here. You can confirm these results by using the official BLS inflation calculator.
The calculator itself does not contain any product-specific data, but it is useful for comparing the real prices of products over time. For example, consumers in 1930 paid 20¢ for a gallon of gas, which the inflation calculator shows is equivalent to $2.36 in 2004. It turns out that the true price of gas in 2004 was $1.85. This implies that the real price of gas went down relative to other consumer products (since $1.85 is less than $2.36).
Note that as the dollar cost goes up (due to inflation), the buying power of a dollar goes down (because you need more dollars to purchase the same set of goods).
If you'd like this calculator to support inflation data for other countries, let us know.