Canadian inflation calculator with tangible anchors. Enter a year and an amount, and see how much it’s worth in today’s money — plus how many loaves of bread, litres of gas, or months of rent it used to buy.
$100 in 1995 buys what costs today:
$187.31
Prices rose ×1.87× — an average of 2.1% per year over 30 years.
A green label means the item got cheaper than inflation. Red means it outpaced inflation — you need more real money to buy it today.
⛽
Litre of gas
1995 price
$0.54
2025 price
$1.46
$100 in 1995 bought 185 litres. Today the same $100 buys only 68.
🍞
Loaf of bread
1995 price
$1.42
2025 price
$3.60
$100 in 1995 bought 70 loafs. Today the same $100 buys only 28.
🥛
4 L of milk
1995 price
$3.40
2025 price
$6.50
$100 in 1995 bought 29 4 Ls. Today the same $100 buys only 15.
☕
Tim Hortons coffee
1995 price
$0.90
2025 price
$2.17
$100 in 1995 bought 111 small coffees. Today the same $100 buys only 46.
🎬
Movie ticket
1995 price
$7.50
2025 price
$16
$100 in 1995 bought 13 tickets. Today the same $100 buys only 6.
🏠
Avg. 1-BR rent
1995 price
$555
2025 price
$1,950
$100 in 1995 bought 0 month. Today the same $100 buys only 0.
🏡
Avg. home price
1995 price
$150,000
2025 price
$717,000
$100 in 1995 bought 0 home. Today the same $100 buys only 0.
🪙
Ounce of gold (CAD)
1995 price
$437
2025 price
$4,050
$100 in 1995 bought 0 oz. Today the same $100 buys only 0.
💼
Avg. hourly wage
1995 price
$15
2025 price
$36
$100 in 1995 bought 7 hours. Today the same $100 buys only 3.
About this data
Inflation is calculated from Statistics Canada’s All-Items Consumer Price Index (annual averages, linked series to 2002 = 100). Anchor prices are rough national averages assembled from StatCan retail series, Kent Group fuel data, CREA’s MLS reports, and CMHC rental market reports. Regional prices — especially rent and housing — vary enormously, so treat the anchors as a national illustration, not a local quote.
A headline inflation rate of 3% sounds small. Compounded over thirty years, it’s a different story — a dollar in 1995 buys barely half of what it did then. But inflation averages hide the real story: housing has raced far ahead of the official index for a generation, while electronics have fallen through the floor. Wages, the one number most Canadians actually earn, have tracked inflation closely at the national average — but badly once you factor in housing costs.
Each anchor compares two things: the fair price today — what the item should cost if it had only risen at the same rate as overall inflation — and the actualprice today. When the actual price is higher, that item has outpaced inflation. When it’s lower, it’s gotten cheaper in real terms, even if the sticker price is larger than it used to be.
The inflation series is the all-items Consumer Price Index from Statistics Canada, linked back to 1914 (annual averages, 2002 = 100). Anchor prices are assembled from StatCan retail price series, Kent Group fuel averages, CREA MLS reports, and CMHC rental market reports — national averages only. Your neighbourhood will differ.