What is used to determine inflation? The government calculates a variety of prices, such as milk, bread, a new car, an apartment, etc, and creates the Consumer Price Index (CPI). This is a number to calculate how the cost of living in the United States has changed every year. To find how much 10 cents is worth today, find the CPI in the current year and divide it by the CPI in the starting year. Then multiply it by 10 cents.

Browse the year below to calculate the value of 10 cents between two years. In general, inflation goes up every year. Some things, like education and health care, have increased by a lot. Others, like technology, have gone down.