Inflation Calculator
Understand how inflation changes the value of money. Choose whether you want the future cost of something you can buy today, or today’s value of an amount you will receive later. Enter the amount, an average inflation rate and the number of years; the calculator shows the adjusted amount, the cumulative inflation, how much purchasing power is left and how long it takes prices to double at that rate.
- Runs in your browser
- No sign-up
- Free to use
Uses the average rate you enter, not official price-index data.
How to use Inflation Calculator
- Choose the direction.
- Enter the amount and the years.
- Enter an average inflation rate.
- Read the adjusted value.
Inflation Calculator features
Both directions
Future cost or present value.
Purchasing power
Share that remains.
Doubling time
Years until prices double.
Any rate
Including deflation.
Formula shown
Every result explains how it was calculated.
Any currency
Choose from 30+ currencies; amounts are formatted for it.
When to use Inflation Calculator
- Planning long-term costs such as education.
- Checking whether a raise beats inflation.
- Retirement and savings planning.
- Explaining inflation to students.
Inflation Calculator FAQ
Does it use official inflation data?
No. It uses the average rate you enter; historical index data differs by country and year.
What rate should I use?
Many central banks target about 2% a year; recent years have been higher in many countries.
Can I enter negative inflation?
Yes, to model deflation.
How is doubling time calculated?
log 2 ÷ log(1 + rate); roughly 72 divided by the rate in percent.
Why does 5% a year become more than 50% over ten years?
Inflation compounds: each year’s increase applies to the already higher price, so 1.05 to the power of 10 is about 1.63.
Inflation over time
Even modest inflation adds up: at 3% a year, prices rise by about a third in ten years, and money kept in cash loses that much buying power.
Compare the inflation rate with the interest your savings earn and with salary increases to see whether you are getting ahead in real terms.
Example: something costing 100 today costs about 162.89 in ten years at 5% average inflation. In the other direction, 1,000 received in ten years is worth about 613.91 in today’s money at the same rate.
Inflation is rarely steady; using an average rate gives a useful estimate, not a forecast. Your personal inflation can differ from the official rate depending on what you spend money on. For historical figures, use the official price index of your country.