$5 in 1994 is worth $11.30 today

$5 in 1994 has the same buying power as

$11.30 in August 2026

That is 126% more, an average inflation rate of 2.57% a year over 32 years.

Put the other way, $5 today buys what $2.21 bought in 1994. Cash kept under the mattress since 1994 has lost 56% of its value.

$5 from nearby years

$5 inWorth in August 2026Inflation that year
1989$13.514.8%
1990$12.815.4%
1991$12.304.2%
1992$11.943.0%
1993$11.593.0%
1994$11.302.6%
1995$10.992.8%
1996$10.673.0%
1997$10.442.3%
1998$10.281.6%
1999$10.052.2%

How $5 from 1994 grew

$0.00$2.00$4.00$6.00$8.00$10$1219952000200520102015202020252026.625: $11
$5 from 1994 in each later year's dollars

$5 of 1994 spending, by category

Not everything rose at the same pace. What $5 spent on each of these in 1994 costs today:

CategoryCost in August 2026
Food$12.14
Rent$14.58
Gasoline$18.32
Medical care$14.05
New cars$6.53
College tuition$19.77
Electricity$12.24
Clothing$5.13

Try a different amount or date

$5.00 in 1994 has the same buying power as

$11.30 in August 2026

Prices rose 126.0% in total, an average of 2.57% a year.

Questions

How much is $5 in 1994 worth today?
$5 in 1994 is worth $11.30 in August 2026 dollars, according to the U.S. Consumer Price Index.
How much would I need today to match $5 in 1994?
You would need $11.30 to buy what $5 bought in 1994. That is 2.26 times as much.
How much buying power has $5 lost since 1994?
Kept as cash, $5 from 1994 buys only what $2.21 of 1994 money bought. It has lost 56% of its buying power.
What was inflation in 1994?
Prices rose 2.6% in 1994. Since then the average has been 2.57% a year.

Other amounts from 1994

$5 in other decades

Everything about inflation in 1994