Food away from home priced at $20 in 1981 $80.74 in 2024

Food Away From Home Inflation Calculator

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Prices for Food Away From Home, 1981-2024 ($20)

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for food away from home are 303.72% higher in 2024 versus 1981 (a $60.74 difference in value).

Between 1981 and 2024: Food away from home experienced an average inflation rate of 3.30% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, food away from home costing $20 in the year 1981 would cost $80.74 in 2024 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 2.92% during this same period, inflation for food away from home was higher.

In the year 1981: Pricing changed by 8.99%, which is significantly above the average yearly change for food away from home during the 1981-2024 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1981 (10.33%), inflation for food away from home was lower.

Price Inflation for Food away from home since 1953

Consumer Price Index, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Years with the largest changes in pricing: 1974 (12.76%), 1979 (11.16%), and 1980 (9.93%).

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Buying power of $20.00 since 1981

Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Food away from home, over time, for $20 beginning in 1981. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:

YearUSD ValueInflation Rate
1981$20.008.99%
1982$21.075.35%
1983$21.994.37%
1984$22.924.22%
1985$23.823.95%
1986$24.753.91%
1987$25.743.98%
1988$26.784.05%
1989$28.024.62%
1990$29.344.72%
1991$30.333.38%
1992$30.942.02%
1993$31.501.79%
1994$32.031.70%
1995$32.762.27%
1996$33.572.48%
1997$34.532.85%
1998$35.422.59%
1999$36.312.50%
2000$37.162.35%
2001$38.242.88%
2002$39.212.55%
2003$40.052.14%
2004$41.242.97%
2005$42.543.15%
2006$43.853.09%
2007$45.453.65%
2008$47.454.41%
2009$49.103.48%
2010$49.731.27%
2011$50.892.34%
2012$52.342.85%
2013$53.462.14%
2014$54.762.43%
2015$56.322.86%
2016$57.772.58%
2017$59.122.33%
2018$60.682.63%
2019$62.553.09%
2020$64.653.35%
2021$67.584.54%
2022$72.767.66%
2023$77.917.08%
2024$80.743.64%*

* 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 Food away from home:

Year195319541955195619571958195919601961196219631964196519661967196819691970197119721973197419751976197719781979198019811982198319841985198619871988198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024
CPI21.53121.90022.13122.56223.43124.10824.79225.44626.00026.71527.30827.77728.40029.70031.23132.86234.87737.47739.40840.98544.18549.82354.48558.16962.57768.27775.90083.43890.93895.80099.985104.208108.323112.554117.031121.769127.392133.408137.915140.700143.223145.654148.962152.662157.008161.069165.100168.985173.854178.292182.100187.508193.415199.385206.659215.769223.272226.114231.401237.986243.068248.981256.101262.695268.826275.893284.410293.944307.296330.822354.256367.139

Adjust food away from home prices for inflation

Start with the inflation rate formula:

CPI in 2024 / CPI in 1981 * 1981 USD value = 2024 USD value

Then plug in historical CPI values from above. The CPI for Food away from home was 90.938 in the year 1981 and 367.139 in 2024:

367.139 / 90.938 * $20 = $80.74

Therefore, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, $20 in 1981 has the same "purchasing power" as $80.74 in 2024 (in the CPI category of Food away from home).


Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics began tracking the Consumer Price Index for Food away from home in 1953. In addition to food away from home, the index produces monthly data on changes in prices paid by urban consumers for a variety of goods and services.

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