$5 in 1998 is worth $10.28 today

$5 in 1998 has the same buying power as

$10.28 in August 2026

That is 106% more, an average inflation rate of 2.59% a year over 28 years.

Put the other way, $5 today buys what $2.43 bought in 1998. Cash kept under the mattress since 1998 has lost 51% of its value.

$5 from nearby years

$5 inWorth in August 2026Inflation that year
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%
2000$9.733.4%
2001$9.462.8%
2002$9.311.6%
2003$9.102.3%

How $5 from 1998 grew

$0.00$2.00$4.00$6.00$8.00$10$122000200520102015202020252026.625: $10
$5 from 1998 in each later year's dollars

$5 of 1998 spending, by category

Not everything rose at the same pace. What $5 spent on each of these in 1998 costs today:

CategoryCost in August 2026
Food$10.90
Rent$13.04
Gasoline$19.64
Medical care$12.25
New cars$6.27
College tuition$16.11
Electricity$12.17
Clothing$5.14

Try a different amount or date

$5.00 in 1998 has the same buying power as

$10.28 in August 2026

Prices rose 105.5% in total, an average of 2.59% a year.

Questions

How much is $5 in 1998 worth today?
$5 in 1998 is worth $10.28 in August 2026 dollars, according to the U.S. Consumer Price Index.
How much would I need today to match $5 in 1998?
You would need $10.28 to buy what $5 bought in 1998. That is 2.06 times as much.
How much buying power has $5 lost since 1998?
Kept as cash, $5 from 1998 buys only what $2.43 of 1998 money bought. It has lost 51% of its buying power.
What was inflation in 1998?
Prices rose 1.6% in 1998. Since then the average has been 2.59% a year.

Other amounts from 1998

$5 in other decades

Everything about inflation in 1998