What was CAD$250 worth in 1930?
Canada Inflation & Purchasing Power Calculator
In 1930, CAD$250 represented approximately 10.8 weeks of average wages — a significant sum.
Deflation, Unemployment, and the Collapse of Purchasing Power
The Great Depression (1929–1939) created a paradox: the purchasing power of money technically increased (deflation made dollars worth more), but 25% of Americans had no income at all. Prices fell 25% between 1929 and 1933. Banks collapsed, wiping out savings. President Roosevelt took the US off the domestic gold standard in 1933 and devalued the dollar. A family surviving on $500/year in 1935 was considered lower-middle class — that sum had the purchasing power of roughly $11,000 today, representing extreme poverty.
During the Depression, some American cities issued their own local currency ("scrip") because federal dollars were so scarce. Hundreds of these local currencies circulated simultaneously.
What CAD$250 could buy in 1930 vs today
Life in Canada in 1930
The average annual wage in Canada in 1930 was approximately CAD$1,200. This means CAD$250 represented roughly 10.8 weeks of average earnings — a significant sum. A loaf of bread cost approximately CAD$0.11 and monthly rent averaged around CAD$22.
How CAD$250 Lost Its Value Over Time
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CAD$250 from 1930 worth in 2026?+
CAD$250 in 1930 is equivalent to approximately CAD$1,993 in 2026. This represents a 697% increase due to cumulative inflation in Canada between 1930 and 2026.
How much has the CAD$ lost in value since 1930?+
Since 1930, the Canada currency has lost approximately 87% of its purchasing power. In other words, what cost CAD$250 in 1930 would cost CAD$1,993 today — you need 8.0× more money to buy the same goods.
What was the average salary in Canada in 1930?+
Based on historical wage data, CAD$250 in 1930 represented approximately 10.8 weeks of average wages in Canada. This helps illustrate not just the nominal price change, but what money actually meant in human terms — how long people had to work to earn it.
How accurate is this inflation calculation for 1930?+
This calculation uses official Consumer Price Index (CPI) data for Canada. For years before 1913 (USA) or equivalent periods for other countries, the calculation uses reconstructed price indices from academic sources including MeasuringWorth.com and the Bank of England's Millennium Dataset. Pre-industrial calculations carry a wider margin of uncertainty.
Why does purchasing power matter more than just inflation percentage?+
A simple inflation percentage tells you how prices changed, but purchasing power shows you what money could actually buy in human terms. CAD$250 in 1930 bought a specific number of loaves of bread, weeks of rent, or months of wages — context that makes the number real and tangible, not just an abstract percentage.
Related Calculations
Other amounts in 1930
Try Another Calculation
Explore more purchasing power comparisons below
1800–2025
up to 2026
Quick examples
Rich-O-Meter
Enter your salary — see where you would rank in history
These calculations are estimates based on Canada's CPI data from Statistics Canada CPI series; Bank of Canada historical data; Dominion Bureau of Statistics (pre-1971). See our Methodology and Data Sources for full details. Not financial advice.