Could Batman Budget Better?

Crime doesn’t pay, but as far as we know, neither does caped crime-fighting.

Fortunately, Batman’s “superpower” is that he has billions of dollars and a company that can build whatever crazy bat-themed gadgets he wants. Even so, this enterprise has gotten far more expensive over time.

Mashable crunched the numbers and came up with an infographic comparing the costs for Batman in 1939 with Batman’s costs now. In summary:

• In 1939, Wayne Manor cost $3,800 and the Batcave cost $5,600. His garish suit was $10, the Batmobile $600, and a handful of gadgets cost another $243.
• Today, Wayne Manor would run a modest $444,000, but the Batcave is a whopping $54.4 million. His grimmer get-up cost him $303,000.
• Batman’s garage now houses not only an $18 million Batmobile, but also a $60 million Batplane and a $1.5 million Batcycle.
• A much more diverse set of gadgets means Batman now carries $88,100 worth of gear on his utility belt. (More than a quarter of that was apparently spent on a chunk of Kryptonite — just in case.)

The Batman of 1939 was spending a total of $10,253 for his vigilante hobby and living arrangements. Adjusted for inflation, that’s just over $172,000, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

But you know how much he’s spending today? Close to $135 million. I’m sure the guy has made some smart investments over the past several decades — Forbes says Bats (or at least his mundane alter ego) is worth $6.9 billion. Maybe he just doesn’t care about a few million here or there.

But he could save a lot of money if he wanted to. As Dealnews notes, Batman spent $500 on a lock-picking kit, but one could be had for just $12. Maybe he doesn’t have time for comparison shopping with so many villains running around, but isn’t that part of Alfred’s job? It should be.

Take a look at Batman’s spending and let us know where you think he could stand to save over on Facebook.