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Inflation calculator

Find out what something will cost years from now, or what a future amount would buy today, at any inflation rate.

Use the calculator Read the guide first

Example Cost of $1,000 in 10 years $1,343.92

StockEducation Editorial Team · Updated · 15 min read · How we check our tools

The calculator

Calculate the effect of inflation

Output Calculated from your inputs

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↓ Inflation Calculator ↓

Your Inflation Details

Enter an amount, rate, timeframe and direction to calculate future cost or past value.

The dollar amount you want to adjust for inflation.
$
The estimated average annual inflation rate. Enter 3 for 3%.
%
Use 0 to 100 whole years for a rate-based scenario. This is not a historical CPI lookup.
Yrs
Future Cost inflates the amount forward. Past Value deflates it backward.
Projected Amount After Years

$—

Rate-based illustration, not live or historical CPI data. Future Cost multiplies the amount by (1 + annual rate) raised to the whole years; Past Value divides by that factor. The rate is constant and does not model your household costs or investment returns. Use 0–100 whole years and rates from 0% to 100%. Full method · Official CPI.

Cumulative Inflation: —
Starting amount$—
Inflation rate—
Direction—
Price Path Over Time
Amount Over TimeStarting Amount

Inflation Summary

InputValueNotes
Amount Today$—Starting price or value
Cumulative Inflation—Total change over the period
Projected Amount$—Result after applying inflation

Year-by-Year Breakdown

YearAmountCumulative Inflation
Educational estimate: assumptions and limitations

This calculator applies your constant annual rate to an amount. It does not retrieve official CPI history, predict inflation, estimate your household cost mix or model investment returns, fees or tax.

Changing the assumed rate or duration changes the result. Compare hypothetical scenarios and consult official dated CPI releases for historical inflation. A modeled result is not a personal financial recommendation.

DisclaimerTerms of Use

Educational content only. Projections use a constant annual inflation rate and are estimates only. Actual inflation varies year to year and differs across spending categories such as housing, food and healthcare.

How to use it (three steps)

Enter an amount, an inflation rate and a number of years. Choose Future Cost to see what prices could grow to, or Past Value to see what an amount is worth in today’s dollars. Not sure what to try? Load an example.

  1. 1Enter an amount, an inflation rate and a number of years
  2. 2Press Calculate and read what the money buys later
  3. 3Try 3% and 5% to see how much the rate matters

Your result in words

Future cost

Your result will appear here once the calculator runs.

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    Quick answer

    How much will $1,000 be worth in 10 years with inflation?

    At 3% a year, something that costs $1,000 today would cost about $1,343.92 in 10 years, because prices rise 34.39% in total. Turned around, $1,000 received in 10 years would buy only what $744.09 buys today. Historical example: U.S. CPI-U rose 2.4% in the 12 months to September 2024, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is a dated example, not the current rate.1 The Federal Reserve aims for 2% PCE inflation over the longer run; PCE is a different price index from CPI.2

    Cost of $1,000 in 10 years$1,343.92
    Total inflation34.39%
    $1,000 in 10 years, in today’s money$744.09
    Years for prices to double at 3%About 24

    Checked against Federal Reserve · BLS · U.S. Treasury · see sources

    Key takeaways
    • Prices compound. At 3% a year, $1,000 becomes $1,343.92 in 10 years.
    • Two directions. Future Cost grows today’s price; Past Value shrinks a future amount into today’s dollars.
    • Rule of 72. 72 ÷ inflation rate = years for prices to double. About 24 at 3%.
    • Time first. Over 30 years, 3% inflation raises prices 142.73%.
    • Real return. What you earn minus inflation is what really grows.
    • Cash loses. $100,000 held for 25 years at 3% buys what $47,760 buys today.

    Future cost or past valueRate and timeProtecting your moneyTest yourself

    Part 1 of 3 · How it works

    How does inflation change what money buys?

    Inflation is the general rise in prices over time. When prices rise, each dollar buys a little less, so the same amount of money is worth less in the future.

    1

    How does the calculator work it out?

    It compounds the rate once a year, the same way interest compounds. For a future cost it multiplies your amount by (1 + rate) once for every year. For a past value it divides by the same number.

    The default, year by year

    $1,000 × 1.03 = $1,030 after one year. × 1.03 again = $1,060.90. Keep going for 10 years and you reach $1,343.92. The extra each year grows because 3% is applied to a bigger price every time.

    2

    Future Cost or Past Value: which should I pick?

    • Future Cost answers: what will this cost later? Use it for a price, a salary or a spending target. $1,000 today becomes $1,343.92 in 10 years at 3%.
    • Past Value answers: what is this amount worth in today’s money? Use it for a future amount, such as a pension or a savings goal. $1,000 in 10 years is worth $744.09 today at 3%.

    The calculator uses one steady rate you choose. For real price changes between two past years, use the BLS CPI inflation calculator, which uses official data.3

    3

    How long does it take prices to double?

    Use the rule of 72: divide 72 by the inflation rate. At 3%, 72 ÷ 3 = 24 years. The calculator agrees: $1,000 grows to $2,032.79 after 24 years. At 2% prices double in about 36 years; at 4%, about 18.

    4

    If prices rise 3%, does my money lose exactly 3% of its value?

    Almost, but not quite, and the gap grows over time. If prices rise 3% in a year, $100 buys what $97.09 bought before, because 100 ÷ 1.03 = 97.09. That is a loss of 2.91% in buying power, slightly less than 3%.

    The two directions are not mirror images. Over 10 years at 3%, a $1,000 price climbs 34.39% to $1,343.92, but $1,000 of cash loses only 25.59% of its buying power, falling to $744.09. Both describe the same inflation; one measures how much prices grew, the other how much a dollar shrank.

    Inflation also means a broad rise in prices across the economy, not one item getting more expensive.5 A jump in egg prices alone is not inflation. That is why the calculator asks for one general rate, rather than the price change of any single thing you buy.

    The rule

    A dollar later buys less than a dollar now. Always ask which dollars a number is in.

    Marks Part 1 done

    Part 2 of 3 · Rate and time

    How much do the rate and the years change the result?

    Small rates add up. Over long periods even ordinary inflation more than doubles prices.

    5

    What difference does the rate make?

    What $1,000 costs in 10 years at four inflation rates

    Today’s priceAdded by inflation
    Each bar is $1,000 compounded for 10 years at the rate shown.
    6

    What difference does time make?

    In 10 years$1,343.92
    In 20 years$1,806.11
    In 30 years$2,427.26

    Over 30 years, prices rise 142.73% at 3% a year. That is why retirement plans ask for spending in today’s dollars and convert it: $4,000 a month today becomes $8,390.27 in 30 years at 2.5%.

    One change at a time from the $1,343.92 default
    ChangeNew resultEffect
    10 to 30 years$2,427.26Large
    10 to 20 years$1,806.11Large
    3% to 4% a year$1,480.24Medium
    3% to 2% a year$1,218.99Medium
    Future Cost to Past Value$744.09Flips the question

    All figures from this calculator on October 15, 2026.

    7

    Which inflation rate should I put in, and does the choice matter much?

    For a long plan, test a range of assumptions rather than treating one rate as a forecast. The 3% default is a teaching assumption. The Fed measures its goal with a price index called PCE, while the more familiar Consumer Price Index from the BLS often runs a little higher, so two official figures can differ for the same year.5

    Your own rate may differ again. The CPI tracks an average basket for urban consumers and is not a full cost of living measure, so a renter or someone with large medical bills can feel higher inflation than the headline.6

    The choice matters more the longer you look ahead. Over 10 years, $1,000 grows to $1,218.99 at 2% and $1,343.92 at 3%, a gap of about $125. Over 30 years the gap grows to $616, because $1,000 becomes $1,811.36 at 2% and $2,427.26 at 3%. Run both to see the sensitivity; neither assumption guarantees what your own expenses will do.

    The rule

    Over decades, time matters more than the exact rate. Both compound.

    Marks Part 2 done

    Part 3 of 3 · Your money

    How do you protect your money from inflation?

    Cash loses buying power whenever it earns less than inflation. Investing is how most people try to stay ahead.

    8

    What is a real return?

    A real return is what you earn after inflation. If your savings earn 4% and prices rise 3%, your buying power grows by only about 1%. If your money earns 1% while prices rise 3%, you are losing about 2% a year even though the balance goes up.

    Cash under the mattress

    $100,000 kept in cash for 25 years at 3% inflation buys only what $47,760.56 buys today. More than half the buying power is gone, 52.24%.

    9

    What options do savers use?

    • Stocks. Over long periods they have usually grown faster than prices, though they can fall sharply in any year.
    • Treasury I bonds and TIPS. U.S. government bonds whose value is linked to inflation.4
    • High yield savings. Useful for short term money, but rates can fall below inflation.

    Our lesson on inflation and real returns goes deeper.

    Your turn

    See inflation inside a real plan. The retirement calculator converts your spending into future dollars and checks whether your savings keep up.

    Open the retirement calculator Free, no signup.
    10

    How do I turn a return into a real return correctly?

    The quick method is to subtract inflation from your return: 7% minus 3% is about 4%. The exact method divides instead. Take 1.07 ÷ 1.03 and you get 1.0388, a real return of about 3.88%. For one year the difference is tiny. Over decades it adds up.

    Here is a 20 year example with round numbers. $10,000 growing 7% a year becomes about $38,697. Divide by 20 years of 3% inflation, a factor of about 1.806, and that balance buys what roughly $21,426 buys today. Your money nearly quadrupled on paper but only a little more than doubled in what it can buy.

    Taxes cut in further. If part of each year’s gain goes to tax, your real return after tax is lower still, which is why tax advantaged accounts and inflation linked bonds draw so much interest from savers.

    The rule

    To grow your buying power, your money has to earn more than inflation after tax.

    Marks Part 3 done

    Mistakes to avoid

    Three mistakes to avoid, and what to do instead

    Planning in today’s dollars

    A $50,000 budget in thirty years buys far less than it does now. Grow your targets with inflation.

    Keeping long term money in cash

    Savings that earn less than inflation lose buying power every year, even though the balance grows.

    Using one rate forever

    Inflation varies by decade and by what you buy. Health care and college have risen faster than the average.

    Quick check

    Three quick questions and one why

    0 of 3 answered

    1. Using the rule of 72, about how long do prices take to double at 4% inflation?

    Answer: C, 18 years.72 ÷ 4 = 18. At 3% it is about 24 years.

    2. At 3% a year, about what will something that costs $1,000 today cost in 20 years?

    Answer: C, $1,806.$1,000 × 1.03 to the power of 20 = $1,806.11. $2,427 is the 30 year figure.

    3. Your savings earn 2% a year and inflation is 3%. What happens to your buying power?

    Answer: D, it shrinks about 1% a year.Your balance rises, but prices rise faster, so each year your money buys a little less.
    Why: why does 3% inflation more than double prices over 30 years, not just add 90%?

    Because it compounds. Each year’s 3% is charged on the previous year’s higher price, not the original one. Adding 3% thirty times would give 90%, but compounding gives 142.73%.

    Common questions

    Inflation Calculator FAQ

    How much will $1,000 be worth in 10 years with inflation?

    At 3% inflation a year, $1,000 received in 10 years will buy only what about $744.09 buys today. Turned the other way, something costing $1,000 now would cost about $1,343.92 in 10 years. The reason is compounding: each year’s price rise is charged on the previous year’s higher price. At 2% inflation the figures are about $820 and $1,219.

    How do you calculate inflation over several years?

    Multiply the amount by one plus the inflation rate once for every year. At 3% for 10 years, that is $1,000 × 1.03 ten times, or $1,000 × 1.3439, which gives $1,343.92. To go the other way and find today’s value of a future amount, divide by the same factor. Adding 3% ten times would give only 30%, which understates the real effect.

    What inflation rate should I use for long term planning?

    No single rate predicts future household costs. The 3% default is an illustrative assumption: try several rates and durations. The Federal Reserve has a longer-run 2% goal measured using PCE prices, which differs from CPI. Test a lower and higher assumption to see how sensitive the result is.

    Does this calculator use real CPI data?

    No. It applies one steady rate that you choose to every year, so it shows what would happen if inflation stayed at that rate. Real inflation changes from year to year. For actual price changes between two past dates, the Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI Inflation Calculator uses official Consumer Price Index data. Use this tool for planning ahead and the BLS tool for looking back.

    What is the rule of 72 for inflation?

    Divide 72 by the inflation rate to estimate how many years it takes prices to double. At 3%, 72 ÷ 3 = 24 years, and the calculator confirms $1,000 grows to $2,032.79 after 24 years. At 2% prices double in about 36 years; at 4%, about 18. The rule is an estimate that works best for rates between about 2% and 10%.

    Why does my cost of living feel higher than the official inflation rate?

    Because the Consumer Price Index measures an average basket of goods and services, and your spending is not average. If rent, insurance or child care take a large share of your budget and those prices rose faster, your personal inflation is higher than the headline. The BLS itself notes that the CPI is not a complete cost of living measure for any one household.

    Is inflation good or bad for investors?

    Moderate, steady inflation is normal, but it lowers the real value of every return. A 7% return with 3% inflation is about a 3.88% real return. Cash and fixed payments lose the most, because their dollar amount does not rise. Stocks have often outpaced inflation over long periods, though not every year, and Treasury I bonds and TIPS are designed to adjust with it.

    Can I save or share my inflation calculation?

    Yes. Save my numbers keeps your inputs on this device so they are there when you return. Copy link to these numbers creates a link that opens the calculator with the same amount, rate, years and direction, and nothing else. No personal information is included in the link, so it is safe to send to a partner or adviser.

    Next steps

    You know what inflation does. Now learn how investors stay ahead of it.

    A free account saves your course progress and opens the $1,000,000 practice simulator, where you can watch real U.S. stocks rise and fall with virtual money before any of your own is at stake.

    Create your free account Next lesson: Inflation and real returns

    Free, no card. Lessons and tools stay free to use without an account.

    Inflation on one card, and where to go next
    1. Step 1 · DoneHow inflation works
      See it on one card
      1. Prices compound. At 3% a year, $1,000 becomes $1,343.92 in 10 years.
      2. Two directions. Future Cost grows today’s price; Past Value shrinks a future amount into today’s dollars.
      3. Rule of 72. 72 ÷ inflation rate = years for prices to double. About 24 at 3%.
      4. Time first. Over 30 years, 3% inflation raises prices 142.73%.
      5. Real return. What you earn minus inflation is what really grows.
      6. Cash loses. $100,000 held for 25 years at 3% buys what $47,760 buys today.
    2. 2
      Step 2 · NowPut it in a plan

      See how inflation changes the spending your retirement savings must cover.

      Open the retirement calculator Free, no signup.
    3. 3
      Step 3Follow the learning path
      The learning pathFree

      Learn the rest in the right order

      Lessons, videos, tools and quizzes, ordered so each step builds on the last, from market basics to building a portfolio.

      Start the learning path

    Want the full sequence? See the course outline →

    Sources and assumptions

    1. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: September 2024 Consumer Price Index. Historical example: the all-items CPI-U rose 2.4% over the 12 months to September 2024, before seasonal adjustment. Released 10 October 2024; checked 20 October 2026.
    2. Federal Reserve: Why does the Federal Reserve aim for inflation of 2 percent over the longer run?. Explains the 2% goal.
    3. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: CPI Inflation Calculator. Uses official CPI data to compare prices between past dates.
    4. TreasuryDirect: I bonds. U.S. savings bonds whose rate includes an inflation component.
    5. Federal Reserve: What is inflation, and how does the Federal Reserve evaluate changes in the rate of inflation?. Defines inflation and explains why the Fed focuses on the PCE price index while also tracking CPI.
    6. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Frequently asked questions. Explains that the CPI tracks average prices paid by urban consumers and differs from a complete cost of living measure.

    Method: Future Cost multiplies the amount by (1 + annual rate) raised to the number of whole years. Past Value divides the amount by the same factor. The rate is held constant every year. The default example is $1,000, 3% a year and 10 years, Future Cost. Worked calculator examples were checked at publication; the official CPI example is separately dated. The real-return example is separate arithmetic, since this tool does not model investment returns. Results do not model your own spending or any investment return. All amounts are in U.S. dollars.

    Page history. October 23, 2026: V11 design and guide integrated with the checked calculator, validation and sharing controls. The earlier dated CPI correction is retained.

    StockEducation provides general education, not personal financial, tax or legal advice. Results are illustrations based on the assumptions you enter, not forecasts or promises of any return. Investing involves risk, including the loss of money you invest.

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