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 Sep 2026

$1,415

Buying power left

$707

Cumulative inflation

41.5%

Average per year

3.31%

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

CPI Jan 2016: 237.652 · CPI Sep 2026: 336.298

In BTC: $1,000 in January 2016 bought 2.56410256 BTC, worth $214,405 at the October 2026 close, or $151,514 in January 2016 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 Oct 13, 2026 (Kraken OHLC API docs). Coverage September 2013 to October 2026, 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.