The ranking
CPI-U index change, September 2026 vs January 2020, not seasonally adjusted, BLS. The gold bar is the average: overall prices are up 30.6%. Bars above it outran inflation; bars below it lagged.
What $100 became
$100 of January-2020 spending, re-priced at September 2026 indexes: gasoline $169, car maintenance and repairs $156, electricity $146, used cars $135, shelter $134, groceries $132. The average $100 purchase now costs $131. Our arithmetic from the index changes, rounded.
What actually got cheaper
Two major categories beat the average by a wide margin the other way. Information technology hardware and services (computers, phones, TVs) is down 8.9% since January 2020 - the only major category below its 2020 level. Medical care commodities (prescription and over-the-counter drugs) is up just 4.3% over nearly seven years.
Read the volatile ones carefully
Gasoline swings: it is up 69% since January 2020 but that includes a 34% jump in the last year alone. Airline fares are up 24% since January 2020 and 22% in the last year, and they are seasonal. The shelter and rent lines barely flinch month to month - they moved in one direction for six years.
Common questions
What has gone up the most since 2020?
Of the major CPI categories, gasoline: up 69% from January 2020 to September 2026. Outside energy, motor vehicle maintenance and repair leads, up 56%, followed by electricity at 46%.
Is anything cheaper than in 2020?
Yes. Information technology hardware and services is down 9% over the period. It is the exception, not the rule.
Why does my experience feel worse than 30.6%?
The 30.6% is an average across all items and all households. If more of your budget goes to rent, food and power - all up 32-46% - your personal number is higher. Our why your prices rose more than the average page walks through the math.
Related tools
Inflation, your basket weights the change by what you actually spend on. Price vs Inflation checks any price against what average inflation alone would have done.
Sources
BLS CPI-U, US city average, not seasonally adjusted, January 2020 and September 2026 readings retrieved October 18, 2026: all items CUUR0000SA0, gasoline CUUR0000SETB01, vehicle maintenance CUUR0000SETD, electricity CUUR0000SEHF01, used cars CUUR0000SETA02, shelter CUUR0000SAH1, rent CUUR0000SEHA, food at home CUUR0000SAF11, airline fares CUUR0000SETG01, new vehicles CUUR0000SETA01, education CUUR0000SAE1, medical commodities CUUR0000SAM1, IT hardware CUUR0000SEEE. Percentages are our arithmetic, rounded.
Limits
Educational explanation, not tax, legal or investment advice. Examples are labelled. Nothing here promises a result.