Calculator

Inflation & purchasing-power calculator

How much buying power has the dollar lost? Uses the official US Consumer Price Index (CPI-U, seasonally adjusted) from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, via FRED.

Amount (USD)

Starting month

Compare with buying BTC

Needed in 2026-09

$1,415

Buying power left

$707

Cumulative inflation

41.5%

Average per year

3.31%

$1,000 in 2016-01 had the same buying power as $1,415 in 2026-09. Cash held since then buys about $707 worth of 2016-01 goods.

CPI 2016-01: 237.652 · CPI 2026-09: 336.298

In BTC: $1,000 in 2016-01 bought 2.56410256 BTC, worth $214,405 at the 2026-10 close, or $151,514 in 2016-01 dollars. Bitcoin is volatile; hindsight is not a forecast.

Want the whole curve? Try the interactive inflation tracker with a year-range slider and chart.

BTC price data: Kraken public OHLC API (XBT/USD, 15-day candles; last close observed in each month), fetched 2026-10-13 (Kraken OHLC API docs). Coverage 2013-09 to 2026-10, bundled so it works offline. Monthly closes are approximate. CPI data: BLS CPIAUCSL via FRED, fetched Oct 15, 2026. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Not financial advice.