Inflation calculatorBy yearPricesThen vs. now

$100 in 1955 is worth how much today?

$1,258.41 in Sep 2026 dollars

$100 in 1955 had the same purchasing power as $1,258.41 in Sep 2026. Prices are 12.58× higher, so a dollar from 1955 buys what about $12.58 buys today. Put the other way, $100 held as cash since 1955 has lost about 92% of its buying power. Inflation in 1955 was -0.3%. Over the following decade, prices rose 16%.

BLS average item prices start around 1980, so item-by-item comparisons aren't available for 1955. Browse item price histories for later years.

$0$316$631$947$1,26319551964197319821991200020092018

To earn the same today

Someone earning $100 a month in 1955 would need about $1,258.41 a month in Sep 2026 to keep the same standard of living, based on CPI-U.

Other amounts: $1,000 · $10,000 · full 1955 inflation table
Nearby years: 1945 · 1950 · 1960 · 1965

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index (series CUUR0000SA0), via the BLS Public Data API. Data retrieved 2026-10-21. BLS.gov cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from BLS.gov.