$500 in 2000 is worth $989 today (CPI)
$989
Updated June 1, 2026 · BLS / FRED (CPIAUCSL)
$500 in 2000 is worth $989.19 in today's dollars, adjusted by the official U.S. Consumer Price Index (CPI-U), which rose 98% since then. BLS/FRED data through June 1, 2026.
Five hundred dollars in 2000 was a meaningful sum — on the order of a sizable monthly bill, not spare cash. Carrying it to today's dollars captures the modest inflation of the 2000s, bracketed by an oil spike and a near-deflation scare. The change is purchasing power only, never investment growth. It shows how much more it now takes to match what $500 commanded at the turn of the century.
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Year by year
| Year | Equivalent value |
|---|---|
| 2000 | $515 |
| 2010 | $649 |
| 2020 | $772 |
| 2026 | $989 |
Selected milestones; the math uses every month of the official series.
Put differently: what cost $500 in 2000 costs $989.19 today. A dollar from 2000 buys only 51% of what it bought then — prices rose 98% over the period.
The 2000s averaged modest inflation despite an oil spike to $147 in 2008, ending in the deflationary scare of the financial crisis.
Frequently asked questions
How is the value of $500 from 2000 calculated?
We divide today's CPI-U index level by the 2000 level, as published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The cumulative change is 98% — a factor of 1.98.
Which inflation measure is used?
CPI-U, the broadest official U.S. consumer price index (all urban consumers), the same series used by the BLS inflation calculator.
Does this include investment returns?
No. This is pure purchasing-power adjustment. Money invested in stocks or bonds over the same period would have grown far more than inflation.
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Descriptive, educational content computed from official public data. Not investment advice. Past performance does not guarantee future results.