Brenador
Warlord
Although inflation is no longer listed as an expense in your economic overview like it was in Civ4, no doubt you have noticed that a single point of food, gold, or science is worth a lot less late in the game than it was at the dawn of time. Nearly all numerical outputs in Civ5 decline in value over time, as civilizations gain the ability to produce more. Here is a summary of what causes their value to decline:
Science
The cost of technology goes up tremendously in later eras. Some ancient techs cost less than 100
, and at the end of the game, technology can cost over 10,000.
(BNW) Having a larger empire increases technology costs, and your empire usually becomes larger over time.
Gold
Late-game buildings tend to have higher maintenance costs.
Railroads cost twice as much to maintain as regular roads.
Unit maintenance costs go up when you have more units.
The cost of purchasing tiles goes up if you purchase more tiles, and a single tile may be less valuable to you late in the game.
Because advanced units and buildings are more expensive to produce, they also cost more to purchase with gold.
Gold gifts to City-States are less valuable late in the game, and Influence decays more rapidly in the latter parts of the game.
Research Agreements are more expensive in the late game.
Food
It costs more food to grow a city if it has a large population, and cities tend to be bigger late in the game.
Production
Advanced units always cost more to produce.
High-level also cost more, so production experiences inflation in older cities.
Late-game Wonders cost more than ancient Wonders.
Happiness
Although a single point of happiness does the same thing late in the game as it does early on, one unit of happiness tends to be less significant compared to the whole of your happiness later on.
Each Golden Age costs more Golden Age Points than the last.
Great Person Points
Each Great Person is more expensive than the last.
Culture
The cost of Social Policies goes up with each new city or Policy you get.
Every new tile acquired by a City costs more than the last one.
(BNW) A single Culture point has less effect relative to foreign civs Tourism value.
Faith![[GandK]](/images/icons/gandk.gif "Gods and Kings [GandK]")
The cost of Missionaries, Inquisitors, and religious buildings increases by era.
Each Great Person acquired by Faith costs more than the last.
Holy Warriors cost more Faith if they are more advanced technologically.
Tourism (BNW)
Rival Civilizations have more culture accumulated late in the game, so a single point of Tourism is smaller relative to the amount needed to gain influence over them.
Science
The cost of technology goes up tremendously in later eras. Some ancient techs cost less than 100
, and at the end of the game, technology can cost over 10,000.(BNW) Having a larger empire increases technology costs, and your empire usually becomes larger over time.
Gold
Late-game buildings tend to have higher maintenance costs.
Railroads cost twice as much to maintain as regular roads.
Unit maintenance costs go up when you have more units.
The cost of purchasing tiles goes up if you purchase more tiles, and a single tile may be less valuable to you late in the game.
Because advanced units and buildings are more expensive to produce, they also cost more to purchase with gold.
Gold gifts to City-States are less valuable late in the game, and Influence decays more rapidly in the latter parts of the game.
Research Agreements are more expensive in the late game.
Food
It costs more food to grow a city if it has a large population, and cities tend to be bigger late in the game.
Production
Advanced units always cost more to produce.
High-level also cost more, so production experiences inflation in older cities.
Late-game Wonders cost more than ancient Wonders.
Happiness
Although a single point of happiness does the same thing late in the game as it does early on, one unit of happiness tends to be less significant compared to the whole of your happiness later on.
Each Golden Age costs more Golden Age Points than the last.
Great Person Points
Each Great Person is more expensive than the last.
Culture
The cost of Social Policies goes up with each new city or Policy you get.
Every new tile acquired by a City costs more than the last one.
(BNW) A single Culture point has less effect relative to foreign civs Tourism value.
Faith
The cost of Missionaries, Inquisitors, and religious buildings increases by era.
Each Great Person acquired by Faith costs more than the last.
Holy Warriors cost more Faith if they are more advanced technologically.
Tourism (BNW)
Rival Civilizations have more culture accumulated late in the game, so a single point of Tourism is smaller relative to the amount needed to gain influence over them.
while in the late game in the same 10 turns you'd acquire 500 
