Methodology
How we source data, calculate conversions, and keep everything up to date.
Cryptocurrency Prices
All cryptocurrency prices are sourced from the CoinGecko API, one of the world's largest and most trusted independent cryptocurrency data providers. CoinGecko aggregates prices from hundreds of exchanges and calculates a volume-weighted average price.
Item Prices
Item prices represent national average retail prices in the United States. We use multiple government and retail data sources depending on the item category. These prices are reviewed and updated monthly to reflect current market conditions.
| Category | Source | Update Freq. |
|---|---|---|
| Groceries (bread, milk, eggs, meat) | USDA Economic Research Service | Monthly |
| Food & restaurants | BLS Consumer Price Index | Monthly |
| Fuel (gas, diesel) | EIA Retail Gasoline Prices | Weekly |
| Housing (rent, home prices) | BLS CPI Housing + Zillow Research | Monthly |
| Healthcare | BLS CPI Medical Care | Monthly |
| Cars & vehicles | Kelley Blue Book, Edmunds | Quarterly |
| Tech & electronics | Retail pricing (Amazon, Best Buy) | Quarterly |
| Education | College Board, NCES | Annual |
| Other consumer goods | BLS CPI, retail research | Monthly |
Conversion Calculation
All conversions use simple division:
Items per coin = Coin price (USD) ÷ Item price (USD)
Crypto needed = Item price (USD) ÷ Coin price (USD)
For example, if Bitcoin is $70,000 and a loaf of bread costs $4.00, then 1 BTC buys 17,500 loaves and 1 loaf costs 0.000057 BTC. All prices shown on this site are sourced live from the admin pricing database, not hardcoded.
Crypto Basket Index (CBI)
The Crypto Basket Index measures how many units of a basket of everyday goods 1 coin can buy, normalized to 100 at launch date. A CBI of 120 means the coin buys 20% more goods than it did at baseline; a CBI of 80 means 20% less.
Limitations
- →Item prices are US national averages. Actual prices vary significantly by region, retailer, and market conditions.
- →Cryptocurrency prices are volatile and can change substantially within minutes. Our prices update hourly.
- →Some items (real estate, vehicles) have large price ranges. We use median or average values.
- →Historical price data is sourced from CoinGecko and may have occasional gaps for older or less popular coins.
- →This tool is for informational purposes only and should not be used to make financial decisions.