How is future cost calculated?

Future Cost = Today's Price x (1 + inflation rate)^years. At 3% annual inflation, something costing $100 today costs about $134 in ten years.

What is a typical inflation rate?

The US Federal Reserve targets 2% annually, and the long-run historical average is roughly 3%. Actual rates fluctuate significantly year to year.

How do I protect money from inflation?

Common approaches include stocks/index funds, inflation-protected bonds (TIPS), real estate, and I-bonds - assets whose returns historically exceed the inflation rate over long periods.

Inflation Calculator

See how inflation erodes purchasing power over time. Calculate future prices of goods and what your money will be worth.

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About Inflation Calculator

The inflation calculator shows how the purchasing power of money changes over time, projecting what a current amount will be worth in the future.

Inflation erodes savings and makes future goals harder to plan. This tool converts a present amount to its equivalent future value at an assumed inflation rate, so budgets and targets stay realistic.

When to Use Inflation Calculator

Use it to value a future goal in today's terms, to set an inflation-adjusted retirement target, or to see how a fixed income loses purchasing power.

Pro Tip

Long-term consumer inflation averages around 3% — many people unknowingly model zero and under-plan by a third.

Key Features

Processes Amount Today, Inflation Rate (% per year), Number of Years directly in your browser
Produces future cost, purchasing power instantly
Completely free with no usage limits
No registration or account required

How to Use

Provide the required inputs (Amount Today, Inflation Rate (% per year), Number of Years).
The tool processes everything locally in your browser and instantly produces the following results: Future Cost, Purchasing Power.
Review the result, then copy it to your clipboard or download the output file directly from this page.

Privacy note: Inflation Calculator runs 100% in your browser. Your data is never uploaded to any server, so nothing is stored or shared.

Benefits

Your data never leaves your device when using Inflation Calculator - everything runs locally
Get accurate results in seconds
Works on desktop, tablet, and mobile
No software download or installation needed