Cell service priced at $50 in 1998 $24.68 in 2025

Cell Service Inflation Calculator

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Prices for Cell Service, 1998-2025 ($50)

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices for wireless telephone services are 50.64% lower in 2025 versus 1998 (a $25.32 difference in value).

Between 1998 and 2025: Cell service experienced an average inflation rate of -2.58% per year. This rate of change indicates significant deflation. In other words, cell service costing $50 in the year 1998 would cost $24.68 in 2025 for an equivalent purchase. Compared to the overall inflation rate of 2.52% during this same period, inflation for cell service was significantly lower.

In the year 1998: Pricing changed by -4.88%, which is below the average yearly change for cell service during the 1998-2025 time period. Compared to inflation for all items in 1998 (1.55%), inflation for cell service was much lower.

Price Inflation for Wireless telephone services since 1997

Consumer Price Index, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Years with the largest changes in pricing: 1999 (-10.71%), 2017 (-10.68%), and 2000 (-10.54%).

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Buying power of $50.00 since 1998

Below are calculations of equivalent buying power for Cell service, over time, for $50 beginning in 1998. Each of the amounts below is equivalent in terms of what it could buy at the time:

YearUSD ValueInflation Rate
1998$50.00-4.88%
1999$44.65-10.71%
2000$39.94-10.54%
2001$35.81-10.34%
2002$35.42-1.11%
2003$35.12-0.82%
2004$34.81-0.91%
2005$34.15-1.87%
2006$33.93-0.65%
2007$33.84-0.26%
2008$33.77-0.22%
2009$33.780.03%
2010$32.80-2.90%
2011$31.62-3.60%
2012$31.37-0.78%
2013$30.81-1.78%
2014$30.16-2.11%
2015$29.02-3.77%
2016$28.74-0.97%
2017$25.67-10.68%
2018$25.02-2.55%
2019$24.39-2.53%
2020$24.882.02%
2021$25.311.75%
2022$25.20-0.45%
2023$25.12-0.32%
2024$24.74-1.49%
2025$24.68-0.27%*

* 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 Wireless telephone services:

Year19971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025
CPI100.00095.12384.93875.98568.13167.37766.82366.21564.97764.55464.38364.24064.25762.39560.14759.67858.61757.37855.21654.67948.84047.59646.39347.32948.15647.93747.78547.07546.950

Adjust cell service prices for inflation

Start with the inflation rate formula:

CPI in 2025 / CPI in 1998 * 1998 USD value = 2025 USD value

Then plug in historical CPI values from above. The CPI for Wireless telephone services was 95.123 in the year 1998 and 46.950 in 2025:

46.950 / 95.123 * $50 = $24.68

Therefore, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, $50 in 1998 has the same "purchasing power" as $24.68 in 2025 (in the CPI category of Wireless telephone services).


Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics began tracking the Consumer Price Index for Wireless telephone services in 1997. In addition to cell service, the index produces monthly data on changes in prices paid by urban consumers for a variety of goods and services.

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