How much is $100 from 1988 worth today?

About $282.67 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 1988 to 2026?

Cumulative inflation was 182.7%, an average of 2.77% per year over 38 years.

What would $100 today have bought in 1988?

Today’s $100 buys what about $35.38 bought in 1988.

What was the highest one-year inflation since 1988?

2022, when the CPI rose 8.0% over the year before.

$100 in 1988 is worth $282.67 in 2026

$100 in 1988 has the same buying power as $282.67 in 2026. Prices rose 182.7% — about 2.77% a year. See $1 to $100,000 from 1988 in today’s dollars, using U.S. CPI-U.

Cumulative inflation

182.7%

1988 → 2026

Average per year

2.77%

over 38 years

$100 today in 1988

$35.38

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 1988 is worth, year by year

Year	$100 from 1988 equals
1988	$100.00
1993	$122.15
1998	$137.79
2003	$155.54
2008	$181.99
2013	$196.96
2018	$212.26
2023	$257.57
2026	$282.67

1988 dollars in 2026 dollars

In 1988	In 2026
$1.00	$2.83
$5.00	$14.13
$10.00	$28.27
$20.00	$56.53
$50.00	$141.34
$100.00	$282.67
$500.00	$1,413.36
$1,000.00	$2,826.71
$5,000.00	$14,133.56
$10,000.00	$28,267.12
$50,000.00	$141,335.59
$100,000.00	$282,671.17

How this is calculated

Value today = amount × (CPI in 2026 ÷ CPI in 1988). The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U, annual average) tracks what a typical basket of goods and services costs. Between 1988 and 2026the index rose by a factor of 2.827, so every 1988 dollar needs about $2.83 today to buy the same things. The biggest single-year jump in that span was 8.0% in 2022.

Frequently asked questions

How much is $100 from 1988 worth today?: About $282.67 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 1988 to 2026?: Cumulative inflation was 182.7%, an average of 2.77% per year over 38 years.
What would $100 today have bought in 1988?: Today’s $100 buys what about $35.38 bought in 1988.
What was the highest one-year inflation since 1988?: 2022, when the CPI rose 8.0% over the year before.

$100 in other years

Any amount, any two years — open the inflation calculator