# "X dollars in the year Y" = how much today?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/x-dollars-in-the-year-y-how-much-today/210656>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [October 31, 2003, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/x-dollars-in-the-year-y-how-much-today/210656 "2003-10-31T15:46:20Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![1kBR\_Kid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/dc4da7/32.png) [@1kBR\_Kid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/1kBR_Kid)\
**Post date:** [October 31, 2003, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/x-dollars-in-the-year-y-how-much-today/210656/1 "2003-10-31T15:46:20Z")

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Is there a site where I can just plug in a dollar amount and a year?

If not, the 2 figures I’m looking for are 250 dollars in 1888 and 32,000 dollars in 1932. Those are for a machine tool accessory and a Bugatti Royale. I’m really curious to find out what the equivalent cost would be in today’s dollars.

Thanks, Lee

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**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\
**Post date:** [October 31, 2003, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/x-dollars-in-the-year-y-how-much-today/210656/2 "2003-10-31T16:15:13Z")

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[Here’s a sample of an inflation calculator](http://www.westegg.com/inflation/)

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**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\
**Post date:** [October 31, 2003, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/x-dollars-in-the-year-y-how-much-today/210656/3 "2003-10-31T19:10:47Z")

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Kid:

Assuming we’re talking American dollars, go to [www.bls.gov](http://www.bls.gov). That’s the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics site. They’re the folks who created and maintain the CPI statistics.

Near the top of the page is a link to the an inflation calculator that will do exactly what you’re looking for. They’ve also got a lot of background info on what the CPI is and is’t. There’s more to it than at first meets the eye.

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**Author:** ![1kBR\_Kid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/dc4da7/32.png) [@1kBR\_Kid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/1kBR_Kid)\
**Post date:** [November 1, 2003, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/x-dollars-in-the-year-y-how-much-today/210656/4 "2003-11-01T00:13:11Z")

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Wow. That is really cool. The Bugatti Royale would have been US $432k and change. I had expected it to be a lot more…not that 32k was chump change in 1932.

The machine tool accessory was a dividing attachment. It was used for making gears and other items that needed 360 divided by an odd number, such as a gear with 29 teeth. It came out to $4800 in 2002 dollars.

Thanks!