$5 in 1989 is worth $13.51 today

$5 in 1989 has the same buying power as

$13.51 in August 2026

That is 170% more, an average inflation rate of 2.71% a year over 37 years.

Put the other way, $5 today buys what $1.85 bought in 1989. Cash kept under the mattress since 1989 has lost 63% of its value.

$5 from nearby years

$5 inWorth in August 2026Inflation that year
1984$16.124.3%
1985$15.573.6%
1986$15.281.9%
1987$14.743.6%
1988$14.164.1%
1989$13.514.8%
1990$12.815.4%
1991$12.304.2%
1992$11.943.0%
1993$11.593.0%
1994$11.302.6%

How $5 from 1989 grew

$0.00$2.00$4.00$6.00$8.00$10$12$14199019952000200520102015202020252026.625: $14
$5 from 1989 in each later year's dollars

$5 of 1989 spending, by category

Not everything rose at the same pace. What $5 spent on each of these in 1989 costs today:

CategoryCost in August 2026
Food$14.01
Rent$16.91
Gasoline$20.32
Medical care$19.86
New cars$7.54
College tuition$30.50
Electricity$13.52
Clothing$5.77

Try a different amount or date

$5.00 in 1989 has the same buying power as

$13.51 in August 2026

Prices rose 170.1% in total, an average of 2.71% a year.

Questions

How much is $5 in 1989 worth today?
$5 in 1989 is worth $13.51 in August 2026 dollars, according to the U.S. Consumer Price Index.
How much would I need today to match $5 in 1989?
You would need $13.51 to buy what $5 bought in 1989. That is 2.70 times as much.
How much buying power has $5 lost since 1989?
Kept as cash, $5 from 1989 buys only what $1.85 of 1989 money bought. It has lost 63% of its buying power.
What was inflation in 1989?
Prices rose 4.8% in 1989. Since then the average has been 2.71% a year.

Other amounts from 1989

$5 in other decades

Everything about inflation in 1989