United States · 1940
$5 in 1940
= $116.86today
×23.37+2237.1% inflation1940 → 2026
Life in 1940
In 1940, United States's average annual wage was approximately $1,296. This means $5 represented roughly 0.2 weeks of average earnings — a modest expense. A loaf of bread cost approximately $0.08 and monthly rent was around $28.
What you could buy
$5 in 1940
Loaf of bread
62×Milk (gallon)
14×Monthly rent
0×Gasoline (gal)
27×$116.86 in 2026
Loaf of bread
26×Milk (gallon)
28×Monthly rent
0×Gasoline (gal)
33×Try Another Calculation
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These calculations are estimates based on United States's Consumer Price Index (CPI) data from US Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U; Warren & Pearson (pre-1913); Federal Reserve. Pre-1913 values reconstructed from commodity price indices. Civil War inflation 1861–1865 reflected. Results may differ from other inflation calculators. See our Methodology and Sources for full details.