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 $11,000 is worth today, find the CPI in the current year and divide it by the CPI in the starting year. Then multiply it by $11,000.

Browse the year below to calculate the value of $11,000 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.