Private transportation priced at $20 in 1983 $54.66 in 2025

Private Transportation Inflation Calculator

$

Prices for Private Transportation, 1983-2025 ($20)

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for private transportation are 173.32% higher in 2025 versus 1983 (a $34.66 difference in value).

Between 1983 and 2025: Private transportation experienced an average inflation rate of 2.42% per year. This rate of change indicates significant inflation. In other words, private transportation costing $20 in the year 1983 would cost $54.66 in 2025 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 2.82% during this same period, inflation for private transportation was lower.

In the year 1983: Pricing changed by 2.21%, which is below the average yearly change for private transportation during the 1983-2025 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1983 (3.21%), inflation for private transportation was lower.

Price Inflation for Private transportation since 1935

Consumer Price Index, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Years with the largest changes in pricing: 1980 (17.34%), 2021 (15.63%), and 2022 (15.47%).

View price changes for other categories
Parking fees and tolls · Bananas · Phoenix, Arizona · St Louis, Missouri · More

Buying power of $20.00 since 1983

Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Private transportation, over time, for $20 beginning in 1983. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:

YearUSD ValueInflation Rate
1983$20.002.21%
1984$20.864.32%
1985$21.382.48%
1986$20.38-4.67%
1987$21.003.00%
1988$21.673.19%
1989$22.744.98%
1990$23.935.23%
1991$24.562.60%
1992$25.102.22%
1993$25.682.33%
1994$26.473.04%
1995$27.453.71%
1996$28.202.75%
1997$28.390.68%
1998$27.78-2.18%
1999$28.301.87%
2000$30.046.15%
2001$30.220.61%
2002$29.97-0.85%
2003$30.943.24%
2004$32.103.76%
2005$34.286.80%
2006$35.643.97%
2007$36.412.16%
2008$38.485.68%
2009$35.20-8.52%
2010$38.028.00%
2011$41.8210.01%
2012$42.852.46%
2013$42.78-0.17%
2014$42.50-0.66%
2015$39.02-8.20%
2016$38.17-2.17%
2017$39.613.76%
2018$41.584.99%
2019$41.45-0.32%
2020$40.02-3.46%
2021$46.2715.63%
2022$53.4315.47%
2023$53.650.42%
2024$54.451.48%
2025$54.660.40%*

* 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 Private transportation:

Year1935193619371938193919401941194219431944194519461947194819491950195119521953195419551956195719581959196019611962196319641965196619671968196919701971197219731974197519761977197819791980198119821983198419851986198719881989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025
CPI14.62514.88315.40015.44014.90014.74015.62017.74017.36017.40017.30018.52020.81523.03824.43824.49225.58527.31527.80027.13826.67727.05428.62329.50830.78530.60830.85431.43831.56932.00032.52332.91533.80034.80035.98537.52339.39239.68541.03846.13850.59255.60859.65462.48571.73884.17793.74697.14699.292103.585106.154101.200104.238107.562112.915118.815121.908124.615127.515131.392136.269140.023140.969137.900140.477149.123150.038148.769153.585159.362170.192176.954180.778191.039174.762188.747207.641212.752212.399210.994193.698189.502196.635206.442205.774198.661229.703265.249266.372270.308271.389

Adjust private transportation prices for inflation

Start with the inflation rate formula:

CPI in 2025 / CPI in 1983 * 1983 USD value = 2025 USD value

Then plug in historical CPI values from above. The CPI for Private transportation was 99.292 in the year 1983 and 271.389 in 2025:

271.389 / 99.292 * $20 = $54.66

Therefore, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, $20 in 1983 has the same "purchasing power" as $54.66 in 2025 (in the CPI category of Private transportation).


Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics began tracking the Consumer Price Index for Private transportation in 1935. In addition to private transportation, the index produces monthly data on changes in prices paid by urban consumers for a variety of goods and services.

» Read more about inflation and investment.