Prices are now 19.0x higher than in 1944
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, something that cost $100 in 1944 costs about $1,903.30 today. The inflation rate in 1944 was 1.7%, and total inflation from 1944 to August 2026 was 1,803%.
The federal minimum wage was $0.30 an hour at the end of 1944, or about $5.71 an hour in today's dollars.
The S&P 500 index started 1944 at 11.85. With dividends reinvested, $100 invested in the S&P 500 in 1944 would have grown to about $893,365.01 by 2026, before adjusting for inflation.
Some costs rose much faster than others. Compared with overall inflation, heating oil rose the most since 1944 (222% more than inflation), and clothing rose the least (76% less).
| All prices, on average | $1,903.30 |
| Food | $2,063.98 |
| Eggs | $505.91 |
| Milk | $1,077.08 |
| Bread | $3,099.16 |
| Meat | $2,562.50 |
| Sugar and sweets | $2,287.75 |
| Rent | $1,799.02 |
| Electricity | $1,082.39 |
Cost of living in 1944 by category
The Bureau of Labor Statistics began publishing average prices for individual items in 1980. For 1944, these comparisons use the consumer price index for each spending category: each row shows what something that cost $100 in 1944 costs in August 2026, and how that compares with overall inflation of 1,803%.
Food & drink
| Category | $100 in 1944 today | Compared with inflation |
|---|---|---|
| Food | $100 in 1944 today$2,063.98 | Compared with inflation8% more than inflation |
| Eggs | $100 in 1944 today$505.91 | Compared with inflation73% less than inflation |
| Milk | $100 in 1944 today$1,077.08 | Compared with inflation43% less than inflation |
| Bread | $100 in 1944 today$3,099.16 | Compared with inflation63% more than inflation |
| Meat | $100 in 1944 today$2,562.50 | Compared with inflation35% more than inflation |
| Sugar and sweets | $100 in 1944 today$2,287.75 | Compared with inflation20% more than inflation |
Housing & energy
| Category | $100 in 1944 today | Compared with inflation |
|---|---|---|
| Rent | $100 in 1944 today$1,799.02 | Compared with inflation5% less than inflation |
| Electricity | $100 in 1944 today$1,082.39 | Compared with inflation43% less than inflation |
| Natural gas | $100 in 1944 today$2,157.53 | Compared with inflation13% more than inflation |
| Heating oil | $100 in 1944 today$6,127.18 | Compared with inflation222% more than inflation |
Transportation
| Category | $100 in 1944 today | Compared with inflation |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $100 in 1944 today$2,341.43 | Compared with inflation23% more than inflation |
| Public transportation | $100 in 1944 today$3,148.00 | Compared with inflation65% more than inflation |
Other costs
| Category | $100 in 1944 today | Compared with inflation |
|---|---|---|
| Clothing | $100 in 1944 today$456.18 | Compared with inflation76% less than inflation |
| Medical care | $100 in 1944 today$5,140.44 | Compared with inflation170% more than inflation |
Frequently asked questions
How much is $1 from 1944 worth today?
$1 in 1944 has about the same buying power as $19.03 today, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics consumer price index.
What was the inflation rate in 1944?
The U.S. inflation rate in 1944 was 1.7%, measured as the change in the consumer price index from 1943 to 1944.
What was the minimum wage in 1944?
The federal minimum wage at the end of 1944 was $0.30 an hour, or about $5.71 an hour in today's dollars.
Which costs rose the most since 1944?
Of the spending categories tracked since 1944, heating oil rose the most relative to overall inflation: something that cost $100 in 1944 costs about $6127.18 today. Clothing rose the least, to about $456.18.
Where these numbers come from
Category comparisons use the Bureau of Labor Statistics consumer price index for each category, from the 1944 annual average to August 2026. Overall inflation uses the same consumer price index as our 1944 inflation calculator. The federal minimum wage is from the U.S. Department of Labor, via the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. S&P 500 values are from Robert Shiller's historical stock market data.
Prices in other years
- 1914
- 1915
- 1916
- 1917
- 1918
- 1919
- 1920
- 1921
- 1922
- 1923
- 1924
- 1925
- 1926
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- 1928
- 1929
- 1930
- 1931
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- 1939
- 1940
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- 1942
- 1943
- 1944
- 1945
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- 1949
- 1950
- 1951
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- 1953
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- 1979
- 1980
- 1981
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- 1983
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- 1989
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- 1993
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- 1997
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- 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
| All prices, on average | $1,903.30 |
| Food | $2,063.98 |
| Eggs | $505.91 |
| Milk | $1,077.08 |
| Bread | $3,099.16 |
| Meat | $2,562.50 |
| Sugar and sweets | $2,287.75 |
| Rent | $1,799.02 |
| Electricity | $1,082.39 |