Inflation calculator
See how inflation changes prices and the value of money over time, using a yearly rate you choose. It helps with planning for future costs like tuition, rent or retirement spending.
- Runs in your browser
- Free, no account needed
- Copy or download the result
Result
Example
Amount: 1000 Annual inflation rate: 3 Years: 10
Future cost of the same goods: $1,343.92 Future purchasing power of the amount: $744.09 Total price change: 34.39% Purchasing power change: -25.59% Future cost = amount x (1 + rate)^years. Purchasing power = amount / (1 + rate)^years. The rate is the one you enter and is applied evenly every year; this tool does not include official CPI data, so results are estimates.
How to use the inflation calculator
- Enter the Amount in today's dollars.
- Enter the Annual inflation rate and the number of Years.
- Press Run to see the future cost and purchasing power.
- Press Copy result to keep the numbers.
How it works
Future cost = amount x (1 + rate)^years. Purchasing power = amount / (1 + rate)^years.
The rate you enter is applied evenly every year. The tool does not include official CPI history, so it cannot look up past inflation.
Rates from -10% to 50% are accepted, so you can model deflation, and years can be 0 to 100 with decimals.
Results are estimates because real inflation changes from year to year.
Everything runs in your browser. Your input is not uploaded or stored.
Questions and answers
How do I calculate the future cost of something?
Multiply today's price by (1 + inflation rate) for each year. At 3% a year, $100 of goods costs about $134.39 in 10 years.
What is purchasing power?
It is how much your money can buy. At 3% inflation, $100 held for 10 years buys what about $74.41 buys today.
Can I use real CPI data?
This tool uses the rate you enter. You can type an average rate from official sources, but it does not include CPI tables.