How much is $100 from 1978 worth today?

About $512.88 in 2026 dollars, based on the annual-average U.S. Consumer Price Index (CPI-U). 2026 is an estimate until the full-year CPI is published.

What was the inflation rate from 1978 to 2026?

Cumulative inflation was 412.9%, an average of 3.46% per year over 48 years.

What would $100 today have bought in 1978?

Today’s $100 buys what about $19.50 bought in 1978.

What was the highest one-year inflation since 1978?

1980, when the CPI rose 13.5% over the year before.

$100 in 1978 is worth $512.88 in 2026

$100 in 1978 has the same buying power as $512.88 in 2026. Prices rose 412.9% — about 3.46% a year. See $1 to $100,000 from 1978 in today’s dollars, using U.S. CPI-U.

Cumulative inflation

412.9%

1978 → 2026

Average per year

3.46%

over 48 years

$100 today in 1978

$19.50

same buying power

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2026 uses the Minneapolis Fed’s estimate of the annual-average CPI until the full year is published.

What $100 from 1978 is worth, year by year

Year	$100 from 1978 equals
1978	$100.00
1983	$152.76
1988	$181.44
1993	$221.63
1998	$250.00
2003	$282.21
2008	$330.21
2013	$357.36
2018	$385.12
2023	$467.33
2026	$512.88

1978 dollars in 2026 dollars

In 1978	In 2026
$1.00	$5.13
$5.00	$25.64
$10.00	$51.29
$20.00	$102.58
$50.00	$256.44
$100.00	$512.88
$500.00	$2,564.42
$1,000.00	$5,128.83
$5,000.00	$25,644.17
$10,000.00	$51,288.34
$50,000.00	$256,441.72
$100,000.00	$512,883.44

How this is calculated

Value today = amount × (CPI in 2026 ÷ CPI in 1978). The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U, annual average) tracks what a typical basket of goods and services costs. Between 1978 and 2026the index rose by a factor of 5.129, so every 1978 dollar needs about $5.13 today to buy the same things. The biggest single-year jump in that span was 13.5% in 1980.

Frequently asked questions

How much is $100 from 1978 worth today?: About $512.88 in 2026 dollars, based on the annual-average U.S. Consumer Price Index (CPI-U). 2026 is an estimate until the full-year CPI is published.
What was the inflation rate from 1978 to 2026?: Cumulative inflation was 412.9%, an average of 3.46% per year over 48 years.
What would $100 today have bought in 1978?: Today’s $100 buys what about $19.50 bought in 1978.
What was the highest one-year inflation since 1978?: 1980, when the CPI rose 13.5% over the year before.

$100 in other years

Any amount, any two years — open the inflation calculator