Here’s a rule-of-thumb guide to the buying power of the U.S. dollar by year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ CPI Inflation Calculator. For example, something costing US $14.00 in 2024 would be priced at about 52 cents in the year 1928 (a common setting year for Call of Cthulhu games). This rule tends to break down into the 19th century; refer to a good “Old West” RPG for better comparisons.
| YEAR | VALUE | MULTIPLIER |
| 2024 | $1.00 | 1 |
| 2023 | 0.97 | 0.966183575 |
| 2022 | 0.93 | 0.9335107 |
| 2021 | 0.90 | 0.901942706 |
| 2020 | 0.87 | 0.871442228 |
| 2019 | 0.84 | 0.841973167 |
| 2018 | 0.81 | 0.813500644 |
| 2017 | 0.79 | 0.785990961 |
| 2016 | 0.76 | 0.759411556 |
| 2015 | 0.73 | 0.733730972 |
| 2014 | 0.71 | 0.708918814 |
| 2013 | 0.68 | 0.684945714 |
| 2012 | 0.66 | 0.661783298 |
| 2011 | 0.64 | 0.639404153 |
| 2010 | 0.62 | 0.61778179 |
| 2009 | 0.60 | 0.596890619 |
| 2008 | 0.58 | 0.576705912 |
| 2007 | 0.56 | 0.557203779 |
| 2006 | 0.54 | 0.53836114 |
| 2005 | 0.52 | 0.52015569 |
| 2004 | 0.50 | 0.502565884 |
| 2003 | 0.49 | 0.485570903 |
| 2002 | 0.47 | 0.469150631 |
| 2001 | 0.45 | 0.453285634 |
| 2000 | 0.44 | 0.437957134 |
| 1999 | 0.42 | 0.423146989 |
| 1998 | 0.41 | 0.408837671 |
| 1997 | 0.40 | 0.395012242 |
| 1996 | 0.38 | 0.38165434 |
| 1995 | 0.37 | 0.368748155 |
| 1994 | 0.36 | 0.356278411 |
| 1993 | 0.34 | 0.344230348 |
| 1992 | 0.33 | 0.332589709 |
| 1991 | 0.32 | 0.321342714 |
| 1990 | 0.31 | 0.310476052 |
| 1989 | 0.30 | 0.299976862 |
| 1988 | 0.29 | 0.289832717 |
| 1987 | 0.28 | 0.28003161 |
| 1986 | 0.27 | 0.270561942 |
| 1985 | 0.26 | 0.261412505 |
| 1984 | 0.25 | 0.252572468 |
| 1983 | 0.24 | 0.24403137 |
| 1982 | 0.24 | 0.235779102 |
| 1981 | 0.23 | 0.227805895 |
| 1980 | 0.22 | 0.220102314 |
| 1979 | 0.21 | 0.212659241 |
| 1978 | 0.21 | 0.205467866 |
| 1977 | 0.20 | 0.198519677 |
| 1976 | 0.19 | 0.191806451 |
| 1975 | 0.19 | 0.185320243 |
| 1974 | 0.18 | 0.179053375 |
| 1973 | 0.17 | 0.172998429 |
| 1972 | 0.17 | 0.167148241 |
| 1971 | 0.16 | 0.161495885 |
| 1970 | 0.16 | 0.156034672 |
| 1969 | 0.15 | 0.150758137 |
| 1968 | 0.15 | 0.145660036 |
| 1967 | 0.14 | 0.140734334 |
| 1966 | 0.14 | 0.135975202 |
| 1965 | 0.13 | 0.131377007 |
| 1964 | 0.13 | 0.126934306 |
| 1963 | 0.12 | 0.122641841 |
| 1962 | 0.12 | 0.118494533 |
| 1961 | 0.11 | 0.114487471 |
| 1960 | 0.11 | 0.110615914 |
| 1959 | 0.11 | 0.106875279 |
| 1958 | 0.10 | 0.10326114 |
| 1957 | 0.10 | 0.099769217 |
| 1956 | 0.10 | 0.096395379 |
| 1955 | 0.09 | 0.093135632 |
| 1954 | 0.09 | 0.089986118 |
| 1953 | 0.09 | 0.086943109 |
| 1952 | 0.08 | 0.084003004 |
| 1951 | 0.08 | 0.081162322 |
| 1950 | 0.08 | 0.078417703 |
| 1949 | 0.08 | 0.075765896 |
| 1948 | 0.07 | 0.073203765 |
| 1947 | 0.07 | 0.070728275 |
| 1946 | 0.07 | 0.068336498 |
| 1945 | 0.07 | 0.066025601 |
| 1944 | 0.06 | 0.063792852 |
| 1943 | 0.06 | 0.061635605 |
| 1942 | 0.06 | 0.05955131 |
| 1941 | 0.06 | 0.057537497 |
| 1940 | 0.06 | 0.055591785 |
| 1939 | 0.05 | 0.053711869 |
| 1938 | 0.05 | 0.051895526 |
| 1937 | 0.05 | 0.050140605 |
| 1936 | 0.05 | 0.048445029 |
| 1935 | 0.05 | 0.046806791 |
| 1934 | 0.05 | 0.045223953 |
| 1933 | 0.04 | 0.04369464 |
| 1932 | 0.04 | 0.042217044 |
| 1931 | 0.04 | 0.040789414 |
| 1930 | 0.04 | 0.039410062 |
| 1929 | 0.04 | 0.038077355 |
| 1928 | 0.04 | 0.036789715 |
| 1927 | 0.04 | 0.035545618 |
| 1926 | 0.03 | 0.034343592 |
| 1925 | 0.03 | 0.033182215 |
| 1924 | 0.03 | 0.032060111 |
| 1923 | 0.03 | 0.030975953 |
| 1922 | 0.03 | 0.029928457 |
| 1921 | 0.03 | 0.028916383 |
| 1920 | 0.03 | 0.027938534 |
| 1919 | 0.03 | 0.026993753 |
| 1918 | 0.03 | 0.026080921 |
| 1917 | 0.03 | 0.025198957 |
| 1916 | 0.02 | 0.024346819 |
| 1915 | 0.02 | 0.023523496 |
| 1914 | 0.02 | 0.022728016 |
| 1913 | 0.02 | 0.021959436 |
| 1912 | 0.02 | 0.021216846 |
| 1911 | 0.02 | 0.020499368 |
| 1910 | 0.02 | 0.019806153 |
| 1909 | 0.02 | 0.019136379 |
| 1908 | 0.02 | 0.018489256 |
| 1907 | 0.02 | 0.017864015 |
| 1906 | 0.02 | 0.017259918 |
| 1905 | 0.02 | 0.016676249 |
| 1904 | 0.02 | 0.016112318 |
| 1903 | 0.02 | 0.015567457 |
| 1902 | 0.02 | 0.015041021 |
| 1901 | 0.01 | 0.014532388 |
| 1900 | 0.01 | 0.014040954 |
| 1899 | 0.01 | 0.013566139 |
| 1898 | 0.01 | 0.013107381 |
| 1897 | 0.01 | 0.012664136 |
| 1896 | 0.01 | 0.01223588 |
| 1895 | 0.01 | 0.011822107 |
| 1894 | 0.01 | 0.011422325 |
| 1893 | 0.01 | 0.011036063 |
| 1892 | 0.01 | 0.010662863 |
| 1891 | 0.01 | 0.010302283 |
| 1890 | 0.01 | 0.009953897 |
| 1889 | 0.01 | 0.009617291 |
| 1888 | 0.01 | 0.009292069 |
| 1887 | 0.01 | 0.008977844 |
| 1886 | 0.01 | 0.008674246 |
| 1885 | 0.01 | 0.008380914 |
| 1884 | 0.01 | 0.008097501 |
| 1883 | 0.01 | 0.007823673 |
| 1882 | 0.01 | 0.007559104 |
| 1881 | 0.01 | 0.007303482 |
| 1880 | 0.01 | 0.007056505 |
| 1879 | 0.01 | 0.006817879 |
| 1878 | 0.01 | 0.006587323 |
| 1877 | 0.01 | 0.006364563 |
| 1876 | 0.01 | 0.006149336 |
| 1875 | 0.01 | 0.005941388 |
| 1874 | 0.01 | 0.005740471 |
| 1873 | 0.01 | 0.005546349 |
| 1872 | 0.01 | 0.005358791 |
| 1871 | 0.01 | 0.005177576 |
| 1870 | 0.01 | 0.005002489 |