How Inflation Has Eroded $100 Since 2019, by Country
Key Takeaways
- The U.S. dollar has lost nearly 23% of its purchasing power since the end of 2019.
- Switzerland has preserved the most purchasing power, losing less than 7% since 2019.
- Türkiye has seen the steepest decline, losing nearly 90% of its purchasing power over the same period.
A $100 budget doesn’t stretch nearly as far as it did before the pandemic.
This chart compares the impact of inflation across 35 countries, based on data from the OECD.
The figures show how much value $100 has lost since 2019 based on cumulative inflation in each country.
Where $100 Has Held Its Value Best
Eight countries in the ranking have lost less than 17% of their purchasing power since the end of 2019. They include Switzerland, Costa Rica, Japan, France, Denmark, Israel, Korea, and Finland.
Purchasing power has fallen by 23% in the U.S. and by more than 30% in nine countries, including Latvia, Chile, Lithuania, Estonia, Colombia, and Hungary.
| Country | Value of $100 Today | Value Lost Since 2019 |
|---|---|---|
 Switzerland |
$93.28 | -$6.72 |
 Costa Rica |
$91.74 | -$8.26 |
 Japan |
$88.97 | -$11.03 |
 France |
$84.89 | -$15.11 |
 Denmark |
$84.39 | -$15.61 |
 Israel |
$84.03 | -$15.97 |
 Korea |
$83.54 | -$16.46 |
 Finland |
$83.13 | -$16.87 |
 Luxembourg |
$82.37 | -$17.63 |
 Italy |
$81.63 | -$18.37 |
 Canada |
$81.17 | -$18.83 |
 Portugal |
$81.17 | -$18.83 |
 Sweden |
$81.17 | -$18.83 |
 Greece |
$80.58 | -$19.42 |
 Spain |
$80.52 | -$19.48 |
 Germany |
$80.19 | -$19.81 |
 Ireland |
$79.43 | -$20.57 |
 Australia |
$79.05 | -$20.95 |
 Norway |
$78.62 | -$21.38 |
 Slovenia |
$78.55 | -$21.45 |
 Belgium |
$78.00 | -$22.00 |
 New Zealand |
$77.40 | -$22.60 |
 Netherlands |
$77.16 | -$22.84 |
 U.S. |
$77.16 | -$22.84 |
 UK |
$76.51 | -$23.49 |
 Mexico |
$72.62 | -$27.38 |
 Latvia |
$69.74 | -$30.26 |
 Chile |
$69.59 | -$30.41 |
 Czechia |
$69.20 | -$30.80 |
 Iceland |
$69.20 | -$30.80 |
 Lithuania |
$66.27 | -$33.73 |
 Estonia |
$66.14 | -$33.86 |
 Colombia |
$65.62 | -$34.38 |
 Hungary |
$63.09 | -$36.91 |
 Türkiye |
$10.93 | -$89.07 |
Consumer prices in Türkiye increased by more than 814% from December 2019 to April 2026, leaving $100 of purchasing power from 2019 worth less than $11 today.
What Losing 23% of Purchasing Power Means for Americans
For Americans, this decline helps explain why the cost of living remains high even as inflation has cooled. Wage gains have offset some of the impact, but slower inflation doesn’t reverse past price increases.
Energy and housing show how those increases add up. Since December 2019, U.S. electricity prices have risen roughly 45%, while rents have increased 32%. If they tracked the national indexes, a $100 electricity bill would now be about $145, while $1,500 in monthly rent would be roughly $1,980.
Learn More on the Voronoi App
To learn more about this topic, check out this graphic on the annual cost of retirement by state.
