September 28, 2026
Home computing got cheaper: Commodore 64 works out to $4,000
In 1982, a Commodore 64 bundle with a monitor and disk drive cost about $1,200, or roughly $4,000 in 2026 money. The C64 itself had a $595 list price at the time, while the 1541 disk drive cost $399.
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A Commodore 64 with a monitor and disk drive cost about $1,200 in 1982. In today’s money, that is roughly four thousand dollars. You have no idea how good you have it, with token prices or without them!
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Commodore sold the C64 for $595 in 1982, then cut the price to $250 by May 1983. The 1541 disk drive cost $399 in 1982.
Converted to 2026 dollars. On Jan 6, 2026, Tom’s Hardware valued the C64 at $1,950 and the 1541 disk drive at $1,300. US CPI-U reached 334.980 in August 2026, up 3.4% over 12 months. A token bill looks like a work expense here, not the price of a home computer.
BLS adjusts past years using annual-average CPI and 2026 using the latest available month.
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