According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices in Boston, Massachusetts are 2,309.29% higher in 2026 versus 1918 (a $11,546,443,804,034,582,528 difference in value).
Between 1918 and 2026:Boston experienced an average inflation rate of 2.99% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, $500,000,000,000,000,000 in Boston in the year 1918 would cost $12,046,443,804,034,584,576 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 2.89% during this same period, inflation in Boston was higher.
In the year 1918: Pricing changed by 17.79%, which is significantly above the average yearly change in Boston during the 1918-2026 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1918 (17.28%), inflation in Boston was higher.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power in Boston, over time, for $500,000,000,000,000,000 beginning in 1918. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:
| Year | USD Value | Inflation Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1918 | $500,000,000,000,000,000.00 | 17.79% |
| 1919 | $606,340,057,636,887,552.00 | 21.27% |
| 1920 | $710,951,008,645,533,056.00 | 17.25% |
| 1921 | $647,262,247,838,616,576.00 | -8.96% |
| 1922 | $589,913,544,668,587,904.00 | -8.86% |
| 1923 | $598,847,262,247,838,592.00 | 1.51% |
| 1924 | $602,881,844,380,403,456.00 | 0.67% |
| 1925 | $609,510,086,455,331,328.00 | 1.10% |
| 1926 | $631,988,472,622,478,592.00 | 3.69% |
| 1927 | $625,360,230,547,550,336.00 | -1.05% |
| 1928 | $613,256,484,149,855,872.00 | -1.94% |
| 1929 | $610,374,639,769,452,416.00 | -0.47% |
| 1930 | $606,051,873,198,847,104.00 | -0.71% |
| 1931 | $559,077,809,798,270,912.00 | -7.75% |
| 1932 | $504,034,582,132,564,864.00 | -9.85% |
| 1933 | $470,605,187,319,884,736.00 | -6.63% |
| 1934 | $485,302,593,659,942,336.00 | 3.12% |
| 1935 | $495,389,048,991,354,496.00 | 2.08% |
| 1936 | $498,270,893,371,757,952.00 | 0.58% |
| 1937 | $509,510,086,455,331,392.00 | 2.26% |
| 1938 | $496,541,786,743,515,904.00 | -2.55% |
| 1939 | $489,048,991,354,466,816.00 | -1.51% |
| 1940 | $493,659,942,363,112,384.00 | 0.94% |
| 1941 | $515,561,959,654,178,752.00 | 4.44% |
| 1942 | $570,605,187,319,884,672.00 | 10.68% |
| 1943 | $600,576,368,876,080,768.00 | 5.25% |
| 1944 | $607,204,610,951,008,640.00 | 1.10% |
| 1945 | $619,596,541,786,743,552.00 | 2.04% |
| 1946 | $670,317,002,881,844,480.00 | 8.19% |
| 1947 | $763,112,391,930,835,712.00 | 13.84% |
| 1948 | $825,936,599,423,631,232.00 | 8.23% |
| 1949 | $815,850,144,092,219,008.00 | -1.22% |
| 1950 | $826,512,968,299,711,872.00 | 1.31% |
| 1951 | $881,844,380,403,458,176.00 | 6.69% |
| 1952 | $901,152,737,752,161,280.00 | 2.19% |
| 1953 | $903,458,213,256,484,096.00 | 0.26% |
| 1954 | $906,916,426,512,968,064.00 | 0.38% |
| 1955 | $911,239,193,083,573,248.00 | 0.48% |
| 1956 | $936,311,239,193,083,520.00 | 2.75% |
| 1957 | $969,164,265,129,683,072.00 | 3.51% |
| 1958 | $1,000,288,184,438,040,320.00 | 3.21% |
| 1959 | $1,008,069,164,265,129,728.00 | 0.78% |
| 1960 | $1,027,089,337,175,792,512.00 | 1.89% |
| 1961 | $1,042,651,296,829,971,328.00 | 1.52% |
| 1962 | $1,065,129,682,997,118,080.00 | 2.16% |
| 1963 | $1,086,743,515,850,144,000.00 | 2.03% |
| 1964 | $1,101,440,922,190,201,600.00 | 1.35% |
| 1965 | $1,122,190,201,729,106,688.00 | 1.88% |
| 1966 | $1,156,772,334,293,948,160.00 | 3.08% |
| 1967 | $1,187,031,700,288,184,576.00 | 2.62% |
| 1968 | $1,233,717,579,250,720,256.00 | 3.93% |
| 1969 | $1,302,017,291,066,282,240.00 | 5.54% |
| 1970 | $1,381,556,195,965,417,728.00 | 6.11% |
| 1971 | $1,455,043,227,665,705,728.00 | 5.32% |
| 1972 | $1,506,916,426,512,967,936.00 | 3.57% |
| 1973 | $1,590,778,097,982,708,992.00 | 5.57% |
| 1974 | $1,755,043,227,665,705,984.00 | 10.33% |
| 1975 | $1,913,256,484,149,855,488.00 | 9.01% |
| 1976 | $2,068,876,080,691,642,368.00 | 8.13% |
| 1977 | $2,174,351,585,014,409,216.00 | 5.10% |
| 1978 | $2,290,489,913,544,668,672.00 | 5.34% |
| 1979 | $2,521,037,463,976,944,640.00 | 10.07% |
| 1980 | $2,840,922,190,201,728,512.00 | 12.69% |
| 1981 | $3,163,688,760,806,916,096.00 | 11.36% |
| 1982 | $3,299,135,446,685,878,272.00 | 4.28% |
| 1983 | $3,444,956,772,334,294,016.00 | 4.42% |
| 1984 | $3,614,409,221,902,017,536.00 | 4.92% |
| 1985 | $3,774,639,769,452,448,768.00 | 4.43% |
| 1986 | $3,877,809,798,270,892,544.00 | 2.73% |
| 1987 | $4,043,227,665,706,051,584.00 | 4.27% |
| 1988 | $4,280,691,642,651,297,280.00 | 5.87% |
| 1989 | $4,530,259,365,994,235,904.00 | 5.83% |
| 1990 | $4,792,507,204,610,951,168.00 | 5.79% |
| 1991 | $5,009,798,270,893,371,392.00 | 4.53% |
| 1992 | $5,131,988,472,622,478,336.00 | 2.44% |
| 1993 | $5,284,726,224,783,860,736.00 | 2.98% |
| 1994 | $5,351,585,014,409,222,144.00 | 1.27% |
| 1995 | $5,480,115,273,775,215,616.00 | 2.40% |
| 1996 | $5,640,345,821,325,647,872.00 | 2.92% |
| 1997 | $5,802,881,844,380,402,688.00 | 2.88% |
| 1998 | $5,933,717,579,250,720,768.00 | 2.25% |
| 1999 | $6,077,233,429,394,812,928.00 | 2.42% |
| 2000 | $6,337,752,161,383,284,736.00 | 4.29% |
| 2001 | $6,618,443,804,034,582,528.00 | 4.43% |
| 2002 | $6,787,319,884,726,223,872.00 | 2.55% |
| 2003 | $7,038,616,714,697,405,440.00 | 3.70% |
| 2004 | $7,240,345,821,325,649,920.00 | 2.87% |
| 2005 | $7,469,740,634,005,763,072.00 | 3.17% |
| 2006 | $7,708,357,348,703,169,536.00 | 3.19% |
| 2007 | $7,853,452,449,567,723,520.00 | 1.88% |
| 2008 | $8,141,435,158,501,440,512.00 | 3.67% |
| 2009 | $8,075,244,956,772,335,616.00 | -0.81% |
| 2010 | $8,207,746,397,694,521,344.00 | 1.64% |
| 2011 | $8,425,193,083,573,487,616.00 | 2.65% |
| 2012 | $8,561,279,538,904,900,608.00 | 1.62% |
| 2013 | $8,680,363,112,391,930,880.00 | 1.39% |
| 2014 | $8,822,766,570,605,187,072.00 | 1.64% |
| 2015 | $8,878,714,697,406,337,024.00 | 0.63% |
| 2016 | $9,001,106,628,242,074,624.00 | 1.38% |
| 2017 | $9,230,697,406,340,057,088.00 | 2.55% |
| 2018 | $9,528,443,804,034,580,480.00 | 3.23% |
| 2019 | $9,719,757,925,072,046,080.00 | 2.01% |
| 2020 | $9,824,397,694,524,493,824.00 | 1.08% |
| 2021 | $10,128,184,438,040,346,624.00 | 3.09% |
| 2022 | $10,858,017,291,066,281,984.00 | 7.21% |
| 2023 | $11,264,028,818,443,802,624.00 | 3.74% |
| 2024 | $11,624,495,677,233,428,480.00 | 3.20% |
| 2025 | $11,984,864,553,314,119,680.00 | 3.10% |
| 2026 | $12,046,443,804,034,584,576.00 | 0.51%* |
* Not final. See inflation summary for latest details.
** Extended periods of 0% inflation usually indicate incomplete underlying data. This can manifest as a sharp increase in inflation later on.
Raw Consumer Price Index data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics for Boston, Massachusetts:
| Year | 1914 | 1915 | 1916 | 1917 | 1918 | 1919 | 1920 | 1921 | 1922 | 1923 | 1924 | 1925 | 1926 | 1927 | 1928 | 1929 | 1930 | 1931 | 1932 | 1933 | 1934 | 1935 | 1936 | 1937 | 1938 | 1939 | 1940 | 1941 | 1942 | 1943 | 1944 | 1945 | 1946 | 1947 | 1948 | 1949 | 1950 | 1951 | 1952 | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | 1956 | 1957 | 1958 | 1959 | 1960 | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 | 1964 | 1965 | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 | 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
| CPI | 10.500 | 10.517 | 10.817 | 12.275 | 14.458 | 17.533 | 20.558 | 18.717 | 17.058 | 17.317 | 17.433 | 17.625 | 18.275 | 18.083 | 17.733 | 17.650 | 17.525 | 16.167 | 14.575 | 13.608 | 14.033 | 14.325 | 14.408 | 14.733 | 14.358 | 14.142 | 14.275 | 14.908 | 16.500 | 17.367 | 17.558 | 17.917 | 19.383 | 22.067 | 23.883 | 23.592 | 23.900 | 25.500 | 26.058 | 26.125 | 26.225 | 26.350 | 27.075 | 28.025 | 28.925 | 29.150 | 29.700 | 30.150 | 30.800 | 31.425 | 31.850 | 32.450 | 33.450 | 34.325 | 35.675 | 37.650 | 39.950 | 42.075 | 43.575 | 46.000 | 50.750 | 55.325 | 59.825 | 62.875 | 66.233 | 72.900 | 82.150 | 91.483 | 95.400 | 99.617 | 104.517 | 109.150 | 112.133 | 116.917 | 123.783 | 131.000 | 138.583 | 144.867 | 148.400 | 152.817 | 154.750 | 158.467 | 163.100 | 167.800 | 171.583 | 175.733 | 183.267 | 191.383 | 196.267 | 203.533 | 209.367 | 216.000 | 222.900 | 227.096 | 235.423 | 233.509 | 237.341 | 243.629 | 247.564 | 251.007 | 255.125 | 256.743 | 260.282 | 266.921 | 275.531 | 281.063 | 284.089 | 292.873 | 313.978 | 325.718 | 336.142 | 346.562 | 348.343 |