Prices are now 18.6x higher than in 1945
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, something that cost $100 in 1945 costs about $1,861.00 today. The inflation rate in 1945 was 2.3%, and total inflation from 1945 to August 2026 was 1,761%.
The federal minimum wage was $0.40 an hour at the end of 1945, or about $7.44 an hour in today's dollars.
The S&P 500 index started 1945 at 13.49. With dividends reinvested, $100 invested in the S&P 500 in 1945 would have grown to about $746,535.83 by 2026, before adjusting for inflation.
Some costs rose much faster than others. Compared with overall inflation, heating oil rose the most since 1945 (246% more than inflation), and clothing rose the least (77% less).
| All prices, on average | $1,861.00 |
| Food | $2,018.13 |
| Eggs | $473.55 |
| Milk | $1,075.60 |
| Bread | $3,095.58 |
| Meat | $2,562.50 |
| Sugar and sweets | $2,287.75 |
| Rent | $1,794.79 |
| Electricity | $1,088.18 |
Cost of living in 1945 by category
The Bureau of Labor Statistics began publishing average prices for individual items in 1980. For 1945, these comparisons use the consumer price index for each spending category: each row shows what something that cost $100 in 1945 costs in August 2026, and how that compares with overall inflation of 1,761%.
Food & drink
| Category | $100 in 1945 today | Compared with inflation |
|---|---|---|
| Food | $100 in 1945 today$2,018.13 | Compared with inflation8% more than inflation |
| Eggs | $100 in 1945 today$473.55 | Compared with inflation75% less than inflation |
| Milk | $100 in 1945 today$1,075.60 | Compared with inflation42% less than inflation |
| Bread | $100 in 1945 today$3,095.58 | Compared with inflation66% more than inflation |
| Meat | $100 in 1945 today$2,562.50 | Compared with inflation38% more than inflation |
| Sugar and sweets | $100 in 1945 today$2,287.75 | Compared with inflation23% more than inflation |
Housing & energy
| Category | $100 in 1945 today | Compared with inflation |
|---|---|---|
| Rent | $100 in 1945 today$1,794.79 | Compared with inflation4% less than inflation |
| Electricity | $100 in 1945 today$1,088.18 | Compared with inflation42% less than inflation |
| Natural gas | $100 in 1945 today$2,185.34 | Compared with inflation17% more than inflation |
| Heating oil | $100 in 1945 today$6,434.90 | Compared with inflation246% more than inflation |
Transportation
| Category | $100 in 1945 today | Compared with inflation |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $100 in 1945 today$2,349.64 | Compared with inflation26% more than inflation |
| Public transportation | $100 in 1945 today$3,148.00 | Compared with inflation69% more than inflation |
Other costs
| Category | $100 in 1945 today | Compared with inflation |
|---|---|---|
| Clothing | $100 in 1945 today$433.86 | Compared with inflation77% less than inflation |
| Medical care | $100 in 1945 today$4,999.45 | Compared with inflation169% more than inflation |
Frequently asked questions
How much is $1 from 1945 worth today?
$1 in 1945 has about the same buying power as $18.61 today, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics consumer price index.
What was the inflation rate in 1945?
The U.S. inflation rate in 1945 was 2.3%, measured as the change in the consumer price index from 1944 to 1945.
What was the minimum wage in 1945?
The federal minimum wage at the end of 1945 was $0.40 an hour, or about $7.44 an hour in today's dollars.
Which costs rose the most since 1945?
Of the spending categories tracked since 1945, heating oil rose the most relative to overall inflation: something that cost $100 in 1945 costs about $6434.90 today. Clothing rose the least, to about $433.86.
Where these numbers come from
Category comparisons use the Bureau of Labor Statistics consumer price index for each category, from the 1945 annual average to August 2026. Overall inflation uses the same consumer price index as our 1945 inflation calculator. The federal minimum wage is from the U.S. Department of Labor, via the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. S&P 500 values are from Robert Shiller's historical stock market data.
Prices in other years
- 1914
- 1915
- 1916
- 1917
- 1918
- 1919
- 1920
- 1921
- 1922
- 1923
- 1924
- 1925
- 1926
- 1927
- 1928
- 1929
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- 1931
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- 1937
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- 1939
- 1940
- 1941
- 1942
- 1943
- 1944
- 1945
- 1946
- 1947
- 1948
- 1949
- 1950
- 1951
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- 1953
- 1954
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- 1960
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- 1966
- 1967
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- 1969
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- 1973
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- 1977
- 1978
- 1979
- 1980
- 1981
- 1982
- 1983
- 1984
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- 1987
- 1988
- 1989
- 1990
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- 1992
- 1993
- 1994
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- 1996
- 1997
- 1998
- 1999
- 2000
- 2001
- 2002
- 2003
- 2004
- 2005
- 2006
- 2007
- 2008
- 2009
- 2010
- 2011
- 2012
- 2013
- 2014
- 2015
- 2016
- 2017
- 2018
- 2019
- 2020
- 2021
- 2022
- 2023
- 2024
- 2025
| All prices, on average | $1,861.00 |
| Food | $2,018.13 |
| Eggs | $473.55 |
| Milk | $1,075.60 |
| Bread | $3,095.58 |
| Meat | $2,562.50 |
| Sugar and sweets | $2,287.75 |
| Rent | $1,794.79 |
| Electricity | $1,088.18 |