Inflation calculator
See what something will cost in the future, or what it cost in the past, at a steady inflation rate.
Results
Future cost
$1,343.92
What the same things cost in 10 years
At 3% inflation a year, this is what the same things will cost in 10 years.
- Future buying power of this amount
- $744.09What it will buy then, in today's money
- Total price change
- 34.39%
- Change in buying power
- -25.59%
Cost over the years ahead
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How it works
Inflation compounds: each year's price rise applies to prices that already went up the year before. To look ahead, we grow today's amount by the rate for each year. To look back, we shrink it by the same factor to find what the same things cost then.
Formula
- i = yearly inflation rate ÷ 100
- Future cost = amount × (1 + i)^years
- Past cost = amount ÷ (1 + i)^years
- Total price change = ((1 + i)^years − 1) × 100
Frequently asked questions
What inflation rate should I use?
For the past, use the average consumer price inflation published by your country's statistics office for those years. For the future, many people use a long-run average or their central bank's target. Your own costs may rise faster or slower depending on what you buy.
What is buying power?
It is how much a fixed sum of money can buy. When prices rise, the same amount buys less, so its buying power falls even though the number on the note stays the same.
Why does a small rate add up to so much over time?
Because it compounds. At 3% a year, prices rise about 34% in 10 years and roughly double in 24 years. Over a working life, that is a big difference to plan for.
Does this work for any country or currency?
Yes. The maths is the same everywhere; only the rate changes. The currency symbol is for display only, and no exchange rates are applied.
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Results are estimates only, not financial advice. Read the disclaimer.