Q. How can I find inflation rates for the U.S. (historical and recent )?

Go to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics for their

• CPI Detailed Report for Consumer Price Index   

• PPI Detailed Report for Producer Price Indexes 

• Overview of BLS Statistics on Inflation and Consumer Spending

Also see 

•  City Mayors for cost of living index rankings of cities wordwide.

• Minneapolis Federal Reserve Board's What is a Dollar Worth? for inflation rates back to 1800

• InflationData.com