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Inflation Calculator

Inflation makes the same goods cost more each year and the same dollars buy less. Enter an amount, an average yearly inflation rate and a number of years to see the future price of today’s goods and the future buying power of today’s money.

Quick examples
$
%
years
Your numbers stay in your browser. Nothing is uploaded.
Future price of the same goods$134.39
Buying power of the amount later
$74.41
Total price increase
34.39%
Buying power lost
25.59%

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    Results you calculate here are kept on this device so you can come back to them.

      Formula

      Future price = amount × (1 + inflation)^years
      Future buying power = amount ÷ (1 + inflation)^years
      Total price increase = (1 + inflation)^years − 1

      How to use it

      1. Enter an amount in today’s money.
      2. Enter the inflation rate you want to assume.
      3. Enter the number of years and compare the future price with the buying power.

      Worked examples

      $100 after 10 years of 3% inflation

      Future price of the same goods
      $134.39
      Buying power of the amount later
      $74.41
      Total price increase
      34.39%
      Buying power lost
      25.59%

      A $50,000 salary after 20 years of 2.5% inflation

      Future price of the same goods
      $81,930.82
      Buying power of the amount later
      $30,513.55
      Total price increase
      63.86%
      Buying power lost
      38.97%

      What rate to use

      The Federal Reserve aims for 2% inflation a year, and US consumer prices have risen by roughly 3% a year on average over the long run, with wide swings in individual years. For long-range planning 2.5–3% is a common assumption.

      This calculator projects forward from a rate you choose. It does not look up historical CPI figures for specific years.

      The cost of holding cash

      At 3% inflation prices double in about 24 years. $100 kept under the mattress for 20 years still says $100 but buys what $55.37 buys today, and goods that cost $100 now would cost $180.61. Savings need to earn at least the inflation rate just to stand still.

      Questions people ask

      What will $100 be worth in 10 years?

      At 3% inflation, $100 will buy what $74.41 buys today, and something that costs $100 now will cost $134.39.

      How much do I need to earn in 20 years to match a $50,000 salary today?

      At 2.5% inflation, $81,930.82. A salary that stayed at $50,000 would have the buying power of $30,513.55.

      How do I calculate inflation over several years?

      Multiply (1 + rate) by itself once per year. Ten years at 3% is 1.03^10 = 1.3439, a 34.39% total increase.

      Related calculators

      Present Value CalculatorWhat a future sum or stream of payments is worth today.Future Value CalculatorFuture value of a lump sum and regular deposits at a given rate.Pay Raise CalculatorNew pay after a raise, by percent or by amount.Retirement CalculatorYour nest egg at retirement and the yearly income it could support.Rule of 72 CalculatorHow many years it takes money to double at a given rate.Percent Change CalculatorPercentage change from an old value to a new one, up or down.