According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices in Chicago, Illinois are 2,108.91% higher in 2026 versus 1918 (a $10,544,532,766,990,288,896 difference in value).
Between 1918 and 2026:Chicago experienced an average inflation rate of 2.91% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, $500,000,000,000,000,000 in Chicago in the year 1918 would cost $11,044,532,766,990,288,896 in 2026 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 2.89% during this same period, inflation in Chicago was higher.
In the year 1918: Pricing changed by 16.80%, which is significantly above the average yearly change in Chicago during the 1918-2026 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1918 (17.28%), inflation in Chicago was lower.
Below are calculations of equivalent buying power in Chicago, 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 | 16.80% |
| 1919 | $606,796,116,504,854,400.00 | 21.36% |
| 1920 | $722,694,174,757,281,408.00 | 19.10% |
| 1921 | $661,711,165,048,543,616.00 | -8.44% |
| 1922 | $625,000,000,000,000,000.00 | -5.55% |
| 1923 | $632,584,951,456,310,784.00 | 1.21% |
| 1924 | $645,024,271,844,660,096.00 | 1.97% |
| 1925 | $659,283,980,582,524,160.00 | 2.21% |
| 1926 | $670,813,106,796,116,480.00 | 1.75% |
| 1927 | $664,745,145,631,068,032.00 | -0.90% |
| 1928 | $644,114,077,669,902,848.00 | -3.10% |
| 1929 | $642,597,087,378,640,768.00 | -0.24% |
| 1930 | $635,618,932,038,834,816.00 | -1.09% |
| 1931 | $581,007,281,553,398,016.00 | -8.59% |
| 1932 | $512,742,718,446,601,920.00 | -11.75% |
| 1933 | $459,951,456,310,679,552.00 | -10.30% |
| 1934 | $462,985,436,893,203,840.00 | 0.66% |
| 1935 | $483,009,708,737,864,064.00 | 4.33% |
| 1936 | $492,718,446,601,941,760.00 | 2.01% |
| 1937 | $513,046,116,504,854,336.00 | 4.13% |
| 1938 | $509,405,339,805,825,280.00 | -0.71% |
| 1939 | $499,393,203,883,495,104.00 | -1.97% |
| 1940 | $502,123,786,407,766,912.00 | 0.55% |
| 1941 | $528,519,417,475,728,128.00 | 5.26% |
| 1942 | $581,007,281,553,398,016.00 | 9.93% |
| 1943 | $613,470,873,786,407,680.00 | 5.59% |
| 1944 | $622,876,213,592,232,960.00 | 1.53% |
| 1945 | $636,225,728,155,339,776.00 | 2.14% |
| 1946 | $692,961,165,048,543,744.00 | 8.92% |
| 1947 | $804,915,048,543,689,216.00 | 16.16% |
| 1948 | $874,999,999,999,999,872.00 | 8.71% |
| 1949 | $874,089,805,825,242,752.00 | -0.10% |
| 1950 | $882,888,349,514,563,072.00 | 1.01% |
| 1951 | $952,366,504,854,368,768.00 | 7.87% |
| 1952 | $972,997,572,815,533,824.00 | 2.17% |
| 1953 | $981,492,718,446,601,856.00 | 0.87% |
| 1954 | $996,055,825,242,718,592.00 | 1.48% |
| 1955 | $1,002,730,582,524,271,872.00 | 0.67% |
| 1956 | $1,016,686,893,203,883,520.00 | 1.39% |
| 1957 | $1,049,757,281,553,397,888.00 | 3.25% |
| 1958 | $1,081,614,077,669,902,720.00 | 3.03% |
| 1959 | $1,090,412,621,359,223,296.00 | 0.81% |
| 1960 | $1,105,582,524,271,844,608.00 | 1.39% |
| 1961 | $1,111,043,689,320,388,224.00 | 0.49% |
| 1962 | $1,122,572,815,533,980,416.00 | 1.04% |
| 1963 | $1,133,798,543,689,320,192.00 | 1.00% |
| 1964 | $1,138,349,514,563,106,560.00 | 0.40% |
| 1965 | $1,153,519,417,475,728,128.00 | 1.33% |
| 1966 | $1,188,106,796,116,504,832.00 | 3.00% |
| 1967 | $1,219,053,398,058,252,544.00 | 2.60% |
| 1968 | $1,270,631,067,961,164,800.00 | 4.23% |
| 1969 | $1,340,109,223,300,970,752.00 | 5.47% |
| 1970 | $1,416,868,932,038,834,688.00 | 5.73% |
| 1971 | $1,472,694,174,757,281,280.00 | 3.94% |
| 1972 | $1,514,563,106,796,116,480.00 | 2.84% |
| 1973 | $1,609,526,699,029,126,144.00 | 6.27% |
| 1974 | $1,779,733,009,708,737,792.00 | 10.57% |
| 1975 | $1,920,206,310,679,611,392.00 | 7.89% |
| 1976 | $2,012,135,922,330,097,152.00 | 4.79% |
| 1977 | $2,138,652,912,621,358,848.00 | 6.29% |
| 1978 | $2,324,635,922,330,097,152.00 | 8.70% |
| 1979 | $2,614,684,466,019,417,088.00 | 12.48% |
| 1980 | $2,991,808,252,427,183,616.00 | 14.42% |
| 1981 | $3,278,216,019,417,475,072.00 | 9.57% |
| 1982 | $3,501,820,388,349,514,752.00 | 6.82% |
| 1983 | $3,641,383,495,145,631,232.00 | 3.99% |
| 1984 | $3,778,822,815,533,980,672.00 | 3.77% |
| 1985 | $3,921,419,902,912,620,544.00 | 3.77% |
| 1986 | $4,003,337,378,640,775,680.00 | 2.09% |
| 1987 | $4,168,385,922,330,097,152.00 | 4.12% |
| 1988 | $4,331,310,679,611,649,536.00 | 3.91% |
| 1989 | $4,550,364,077,669,902,336.00 | 5.06% |
| 1990 | $4,794,902,912,621,359,104.00 | 5.37% |
| 1991 | $4,989,381,067,961,164,800.00 | 4.06% |
| 1992 | $5,135,618,932,038,835,200.00 | 2.93% |
| 1993 | $5,293,992,718,446,601,216.00 | 3.08% |
| 1994 | $5,409,890,776,699,028,480.00 | 2.19% |
| 1995 | $5,581,917,475,728,154,624.00 | 3.18% |
| 1996 | $5,731,189,320,388,348,928.00 | 2.67% |
| 1997 | $5,888,046,116,504,854,528.00 | 2.74% |
| 1998 | $6,006,674,757,281,551,360.00 | 2.01% |
| 1999 | $6,131,067,961,165,047,808.00 | 2.07% |
| 2000 | $6,327,973,300,970,872,832.00 | 3.21% |
| 2001 | $6,492,718,446,601,942,016.00 | 2.60% |
| 2002 | $6,596,177,184,466,016,256.00 | 1.59% |
| 2003 | $6,717,536,407,766,989,824.00 | 1.84% |
| 2004 | $6,867,718,446,601,940,992.00 | 2.24% |
| 2005 | $7,075,546,116,504,854,528.00 | 3.03% |
| 2006 | $7,220,570,388,349,514,752.00 | 2.05% |
| 2007 | $7,456,950,849,514,563,584.00 | 3.27% |
| 2008 | $7,737,945,995,145,631,744.00 | 3.77% |
| 2009 | $7,645,452,063,106,796,544.00 | -1.20% |
| 2010 | $7,750,136,529,126,213,632.00 | 1.37% |
| 2011 | $7,961,802,184,466,019,328.00 | 2.73% |
| 2012 | $8,082,697,208,737,862,656.00 | 1.52% |
| 2013 | $8,175,188,106,796,115,968.00 | 1.14% |
| 2014 | $8,318,000,606,796,115,968.00 | 1.75% |
| 2015 | $8,293,410,194,174,755,840.00 | -0.30% |
| 2016 | $8,348,364,684,466,019,328.00 | 0.66% |
| 2017 | $8,505,266,990,291,263,488.00 | 1.88% |
| 2018 | $8,654,353,762,135,922,688.00 | 1.75% |
| 2019 | $8,780,849,514,563,105,792.00 | 1.46% |
| 2020 | $8,878,862,257,281,552,384.00 | 1.12% |
| 2021 | $9,253,364,684,466,020,352.00 | 4.22% |
| 2022 | $9,952,284,587,378,640,896.00 | 7.55% |
| 2023 | $10,283,355,582,524,272,640.00 | 3.33% |
| 2024 | $10,639,259,708,737,861,632.00 | 3.46% |
| 2025 | $10,977,017,597,087,379,456.00 | 3.17% |
| 2026 | $11,044,532,766,990,288,896.00 | 0.62%* |
* 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 Chicago, Illinois:
| 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 | 10.000 | 10.017 | 10.317 | 11.758 | 13.733 | 16.667 | 19.850 | 18.175 | 17.167 | 17.375 | 17.717 | 18.108 | 18.425 | 18.258 | 17.692 | 17.650 | 17.458 | 15.958 | 14.083 | 12.633 | 12.717 | 13.267 | 13.533 | 14.092 | 13.992 | 13.717 | 13.792 | 14.517 | 15.958 | 16.850 | 17.108 | 17.475 | 19.033 | 22.108 | 24.033 | 24.008 | 24.250 | 26.158 | 26.725 | 26.958 | 27.358 | 27.542 | 27.925 | 28.833 | 29.708 | 29.950 | 30.367 | 30.517 | 30.833 | 31.142 | 31.267 | 31.683 | 32.633 | 33.483 | 34.900 | 36.808 | 38.917 | 40.450 | 41.600 | 44.208 | 48.883 | 52.742 | 55.267 | 58.742 | 63.850 | 71.817 | 82.175 | 90.042 | 96.183 | 100.017 | 103.792 | 107.708 | 109.958 | 114.492 | 118.967 | 124.983 | 131.700 | 137.042 | 141.058 | 145.408 | 148.592 | 153.317 | 157.417 | 161.725 | 164.983 | 168.400 | 173.808 | 178.333 | 181.175 | 184.508 | 188.633 | 194.342 | 198.325 | 204.818 | 212.536 | 209.995 | 212.870 | 218.684 | 222.005 | 224.545 | 228.468 | 227.792 | 229.302 | 233.611 | 237.706 | 241.181 | 243.873 | 254.159 | 273.356 | 282.450 | 292.225 | 301.502 | 303.356 |