$500 in 2001 is worth $945.74 today

$500 in 2001 has the same buying power as

$945.74 in August 2026

That is 89% more, an average inflation rate of 2.57% a year over 25 years.

Put the other way, $500 today buys what $264.34 bought in 2001. Cash kept under the mattress since 2001 has lost 47% of its value.

$500 from nearby years

$500 inWorth in August 2026Inflation that year
1996$1,067.503.0%
1997$1,043.552.3%
1998$1,027.551.6%
1999$1,005.342.2%
2000$972.653.4%
2001$945.742.8%
2002$931.021.6%
2003$910.272.3%
2004$886.662.7%
2005$857.603.4%
2006$830.803.2%

How $500 from 2001 grew

$0.00$200$400$600$800$1000200520102015202020252026.625: $946
$500 from 2001 in each later year's dollars

$500 of 2001 spending, by category

Not everything rose at the same pace. What $500 spent on each of these in 2001 costs today:

CategoryCost in August 2026
Food$1,012.18
Rent$1,168.65
Gasoline$1,450.56
Medical care$1,086.88
New cars$632.35
College tuition$1,415.62
Electricity$1,125.03
Clothing$537.12

Try a different amount or date

$500.00 in 2001 has the same buying power as

$945.74 in August 2026

Prices rose 89.1% in total, an average of 2.57% a year.

Questions

How much is $500 in 2001 worth today?
$500 in 2001 is worth $945.74 in August 2026 dollars, according to the U.S. Consumer Price Index.
How much would I need today to match $500 in 2001?
You would need $945.74 to buy what $500 bought in 2001. That is 1.89 times as much.
How much buying power has $500 lost since 2001?
Kept as cash, $500 from 2001 buys only what $264.34 of 2001 money bought. It has lost 47% of its buying power.
What was inflation in 2001?
Prices rose 2.8% in 2001. Since then the average has been 2.57% a year.

Other amounts from 2001

$500 in other decades

Everything about inflation in 2001