RM100 in 1978 is worth RM369.07 today
RM100 in 1978 is worth RM369.07 in September 2026, based on 1978's average prices. Working back from DOSM's published yearly inflation, 1978's average price level is 37.3 on DOSM's 2010 = 100 index, against 137.6 in September 2026, so prices are 269.1% higher. Put the other way round, what costs RM100 today cost about RM27.10 in 1978.
Source: Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) Consumer Price Index via data.gov.my, compared 1978 average to September 2026. Before 1980 DOSM publishes no monthly index, so 1978 uses DOSM's published yearly inflation.
Try your own amount1978 ringgit in today's money
| In 1978 | Worth in September 2026 |
|---|---|
| RM1 | RM3.69 |
| RM10 | RM36.91 |
| RM50 | RM184.53 |
| RM100 | RM369.07 |
| RM500 | RM1,845.35 |
| RM1,000 | RM3,690.69 |
| RM10,000 | RM36,906.93 |
| RM100,000 | RM369,069.33 |
What RM100 today would have been in 1978
RM100 today (September 2026) buys what RM27.10 bought on average in 1978.
How prices moved from 1978 to September 2026
Between 1978's average prices and September 2026, prices rose 269.1% in total. That is an average of 2.7% a year, compounded.
Prices first reached double 1978's average level in January 1998, 19 years 6 months later.
Left of the dashed line: yearly averages. Right of it: monthly readings, from January 1980.
Inflation in 1978
Prices rose 4.5% in 1978: DOSM's published yearly inflation, the average for 1978 against the average for 1977. That is above the average of 3.3% a year from 1960 to 1979. It ranks 5th highest of 19 years with a published yearly rate before 1980.
Inflation in 1978 was slower than 1977 (4.7%) and faster than 1979 (3.5%).
How 1978 is worked out
DOSM's monthly index starts in January 1980, so 1978 is worked out from DOSM's published yearly inflation instead. Start from 1980's average index (the mean of its 12 months) and take off each year's published rate going back, which gives an average price level for every earlier year. RM100 in 1978 is then RM100 × the latest monthly index ÷ 1978's average level. Because 1978 is a yearly average, the time since is counted from mid-year.
Frequently asked questions
How much is RM100 from 1978 worth today?
RM100 in 1978 is worth RM369.07 in September 2026, going by DOSM's Consumer Price Index with 1978 measured as the year's average, built from DOSM's published yearly inflation.
What was Malaysia's inflation in 1978?
Prices rose 4.5% in 1978: DOSM's published yearly inflation, the average for 1978 against the average for 1977. That is above the average of 3.3% a year from 1960 to 1979. It ranks 5th highest of 19 years with a published yearly rate before 1980.
How much have prices changed since 1978?
Between 1978's average prices and September 2026, prices rose 269.1% in total. That is an average of 2.7% a year, compounded.
Official source, coverage and how this is calculated: see our data methodology →