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Inflation Calculator

Future prices and the shrinking purchasing power of money.

By CalcHub Editorial · Last reviewed

Quick answer

  • Formula: Future cost = Amount × (1 + i)^n; Purchasing power = Amount ÷ (1 + i)^n
  • Worked example — Cost of the same item in the future: $1,628.89 (full example below).

Inflation Calculator

Worked example result
Cost of the same item in the future$1,628.89
Purchasing power of the amount$613.91
Cumulative inflation62.89%

At 5% inflation, a $1,000 item costs $1,628.89 in 10 years — and $1,000 kept as cash buys only $613.91 worth of goods.

Diagram: how the Inflation Calculator works — you enter Amount today, Annual inflation rate, Years; it applies the formula Future cost = Amount × (1 + i)^n; Purchasing power = Amount ÷ (1 + …; and the worked example gives Cost of the same item in the future: $1,628.89.
How the Inflation Calculator works — the inputs, the formula, and a worked example (Cost of the same item in the future: $1,628.89).

Inflation quietly reprices everything. Enter an amount, an inflation rate and a number of years to see what that item will cost in the future — and what today's amount will actually be worth in purchasing power.

The formula

Future cost = Amount × (1 + i)^n; Purchasing power = Amount ÷ (1 + i)^n

Worked example

At 5% inflation, a $1,000 item costs $1,628.89 in 10 years — and $1,000 kept as cash buys only $613.91 worth of goods.

Worked example for the Inflation Calculator: with Amount today 1000, Annual inflation rate 5, Years 10, the result is Cost of the same item in the future: $1,628.89; Purchasing power of the amount: $613.91.
The worked example, with the example values entered and the results they give.

The example is pre-loaded in the result panel — press Calculate with your own numbers to replace it.

Frequently asked questions

What inflation rate should I use?

US consumer inflation has averaged roughly 3% over long periods, though individual years vary widely. The Federal Reserve targets 2%.

What is the Rule of 72 for inflation?

Divide 72 by the inflation rate to estimate how many years until prices double: at 4%, about 18 years.

Category: Finance calculators

Sources & methodology

This calculator applies the formula shown on this page exactly as written, using the standard definitions for its inputs. Results are computed from the values you enter — no data is stored — and are rounded only for display.

Content last reviewed by CalcHub Editorial.

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