$5 in 1959 is worth $57.56 today

$5 in 1959 has the same buying power as

$57.56 in August 2026

That is 1,051% more, an average inflation rate of 3.71% a year over 67 years.

Put the other way, $5 today buys what $0.43 bought in 1959. Cash kept under the mattress since 1959 has lost 91% of its value.

$5 from nearby years

$5 inWorth in August 2026Inflation that year
1954$62.260.7%
1955$62.50-0.4%
1956$61.581.5%
1957$59.603.3%
1958$57.962.8%
1959$57.560.7%
1960$56.581.7%
1961$56.021.0%
1962$55.461.0%
1963$54.741.3%
1964$54.031.3%

How $5 from 1959 grew

$0.00$10$20$30$40$50$6019601970198019902000201020202026.625: $58
$5 from 1959 in each later year's dollars

$5 of 1959 spending, by category

Not everything rose at the same pace. What $5 spent on each of these in 1959 costs today:

CategoryCost in August 2026
Food$58.99
Rent$58.77
Gasoline$75.89
Medical care$137.91
New cars$17.18
Electricity$52.55
Clothing$15.19

Try a different amount or date

$5.00 in 1959 has the same buying power as

$57.56 in August 2026

Prices rose 1,051.1% in total, an average of 3.71% a year.

Questions

How much is $5 in 1959 worth today?
$5 in 1959 is worth $57.56 in August 2026 dollars, according to the U.S. Consumer Price Index.
How much would I need today to match $5 in 1959?
You would need $57.56 to buy what $5 bought in 1959. That is 11.51 times as much.
How much buying power has $5 lost since 1959?
Kept as cash, $5 from 1959 buys only what $0.43 of 1959 money bought. It has lost 91% of its buying power.
What was inflation in 1959?
Prices rose 0.7% in 1959. Since then the average has been 3.71% a year.

Other amounts from 1959

$5 in other decades

Everything about inflation in 1959