$5 in 1991 is worth $12.30 today

$5 in 1991 has the same buying power as

$12.30 in August 2026

That is 146% more, an average inflation rate of 2.60% a year over 35 years.

Put the other way, $5 today buys what $2.03 bought in 1991. Cash kept under the mattress since 1991 has lost 59% of its value.

$5 from nearby years

$5 inWorth in August 2026Inflation that year
1986$15.281.9%
1987$14.743.6%
1988$14.164.1%
1989$13.514.8%
1990$12.815.4%
1991$12.304.2%
1992$11.943.0%
1993$11.593.0%
1994$11.302.6%
1995$10.992.8%
1996$10.673.0%

How $5 from 1991 grew

$0.00$2.00$4.00$6.00$8.00$10$12$1419952000200520102015202020252026.625: $12
$5 from 1991 in each later year's dollars

$5 of 1991 spending, by category

Not everything rose at the same pace. What $5 spent on each of these in 1991 costs today:

CategoryCost in August 2026
Food$12.85
Rent$15.67
Gasoline$18.13
Medical care$16.75
New cars$7.13
College tuition$25.61
Electricity$12.73
Clothing$5.31

Try a different amount or date

$5.00 in 1991 has the same buying power as

$12.30 in August 2026

Prices rose 145.9% in total, an average of 2.60% a year.

Questions

How much is $5 in 1991 worth today?
$5 in 1991 is worth $12.30 in August 2026 dollars, according to the U.S. Consumer Price Index.
How much would I need today to match $5 in 1991?
You would need $12.30 to buy what $5 bought in 1991. That is 2.46 times as much.
How much buying power has $5 lost since 1991?
Kept as cash, $5 from 1991 buys only what $2.03 of 1991 money bought. It has lost 59% of its buying power.
What was inflation in 1991?
Prices rose 4.2% in 1991. Since then the average has been 2.60% a year.

Other amounts from 1991

$5 in other decades

Everything about inflation in 1991