Inflation & purchasing power
What your money will actually be worth.
- Answers as you type
- Runs entirely in your browser
- Free, no sign-up
% / year
years
Purchasing power
$74,409.39
What today's money buys after inflation
- Value lost to inflation
- $25,590.61
- Loss in percent
- 25.59%
- Equivalent future price
- $134,391.64
How it works
Two views of the same problem: what today's money is worth later, and how much later money you need to live the same way.
Future value = Amount × (1 + rate)^years Real value = Amount ÷ (1 + rate)^years
Example: At 3% inflation, 100,000 today has the purchasing power of about 74,400 in ten years.
Questions people ask
What inflation rate should I use?
Most central banks target around 2%. Using 3% is a slightly conservative planning figure for long horizons.
How do I get a real return?
Roughly, subtract inflation from your nominal return. A 7% return with 3% inflation is about 4% in real terms.
Does inflation hit everyone equally?
No. Your personal rate depends on what you buy — rent, energy and food often move very differently from the headline figure.
Related calculators
Compound interestGrowth with monthly deposits and compounding.
Savings goalHow much to put aside each month.
Percentage increase & decreaseHow much something went up or down, in percent.
More in Saving & investing, or see all 40 calculators.