Inflation calculatorBy yearPricesThen vs. now

$10,000 in 1933 is worth how much today?

$260,520.62 in Sep 2026 dollars

$10,000 in 1933 had the same purchasing power as $260,520.62 in Sep 2026. Prices are 26.05× higher, so a dollar from 1933 buys what about $26.05 buys today. Put the other way, $10,000 held as cash since 1933 has lost about 96% of its buying power. Inflation in 1933 was -5.2%. 1933 is remembered for the depth of the Great Depression, when prices had fallen sharply. Over the following decade, prices rose 26%.

BLS average item prices start around 1980, so item-by-item comparisons aren't available for 1933. Browse item price histories for later years.

$0$65,343$130,686$196,028$261,37119331945195719691981199320052017

To earn the same today

Someone earning $10,000 a month in 1933 would need about $260,520.62 a month in Sep 2026 to keep the same standard of living, based on CPI-U.

Other amounts: $100 · $1,000 · full 1933 inflation table
Nearby years: 1925 · 1929 · 1930 · 1935 · 1940

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index (series CUUR0000SA0), via the BLS Public Data API. Data retrieved 2026-10-21. BLS.gov cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from BLS.gov.