Then vs Now Money Machine: Inflation Calculator
See what past money is worth with CPI inflation data for INR and USD, from 1990–2025. Compare purchasing power, download a PNG, or share a result link.
Runs in your browser. Nothing is uploaded.
How it works
- Step 1: Paste your inputPaste directly into the editor, drop a file onto it, or use "Open file" to pick one from your device. Nothing is sent anywhere when you do.
- Step 2: ConvertAdjust the options if you need to, then run it. Results appear beside your input so you can compare the two.
- Step 3: Copy or download the outputCopy the result to your clipboard in one click, or save it as a file. You can also keep editing and re-run as many times as you like.
About this tool
- Runs in your browser. All processing happens locally in this tab using JavaScript.
- No uploads. Your data is never sent to a server. There is no server to send it to.
- Works offline. Once the page has loaded you can disconnect and keep working.
- Unlimited & free. No usage caps, no paywall, no file size tiers.
Start with your own data. Open a file
What happens to your data
The same questions a security review would ask, answered plainly.
- Read via
- Typed or pasted into the page
- Held in
- Your browser tab's memory for as long as it is open
- Stored
- Nothing. No cookies, no database, no server-side copy
- Transmitted
- Nothing leaves your device
- Retained after you close the tab
- Nothing
- Works offline
- Yes, once the page has loaded
Why use this tool
What you get here that a server-side alternative cannot offer.
Your data never leaves the tab
There is no upload step and no server to receive one. The page loads once, then all work on your data happens in local JavaScript.
No caps or paywalls
No daily limits, no per-file ceilings imposed by a server tier, no watermarks, and no account. The practical limit is your own device's memory.
Frequently asked questions
How is the inflation equivalent calculated?
The amount is multiplied by the latest CPI divided by the selected year's annual CPI. The multiplier compares general consumer price levels; it does not estimate the price of any individual product.
Why is the USD result an estimate?
The supplied USD endpoint is the January–September 2026 CPI-U average from BLS. This is a 2026 YTD estimate, not final annual data. The result will differ from a calculation using a complete 2026 annual average.
Why are rupee results expressed in 2025 rupees?
The bundled India series ends with official 2025 annual CPI from World Bank FP.CPI.TOTL. Results are in 2025 rupees, latest official; no 2026 Indian CPI is extrapolated.
What does average annual inflation mean here?
It is the compound annual growth rate of CPI between the selected year and the dataset endpoint: (latest CPI / starting CPI) raised to 1 / elapsed years, minus one. For INR starting in 2025, no years have elapsed, so the annual rate is not applicable.
What does a shared money result link contain?
Copy link puts the amount, currency code, and selected year in the URL so another browser can reproduce the calculation. Anyone with that link can read those values. Calculations and PNG creation run locally without an account or backend.
Which starting years can I compare?
Choose any year from 1990 through 2025. Only the CPI indexes in the bundled dataset are used. Enter a finite, nonnegative amount; the currency toggle compares inflation within each currency rather than converting between currencies.
Does it work offline?
Yes, once the page has loaded. The code that does the work is already in your browser at that point, so you can disconnect and keep using it. Reloading the page while offline needs the browser cache to still hold it.
Do I need to create an account?
No. There is no sign-up, no email, and no usage tracking tied to an identity. The tool works the first time you open it.