Inflation Calculator
See what an amount will cost in the future at an inflation rate you assume, and what it will buy in today’s money. No historical or CPI data: you set the rate. How it works
Use the Inflation Calculator
About the Inflation Calculator
At 3% inflation, something that costs $100 today costs $134.39 in 10 years and $180.61 in 20, and $100 in cash buys only what $74.41 buys today after 10 years. The rule is future cost = amount × (1 + rate)^years. This inflation calculator works forward from a rate you assume and has no historical or CPI data.
What $100 of goods will cost
| After | 2% inflation | 3% inflation | 4% inflation | 5% inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 years | $110.41 | $115.93 | $121.67 | $127.63 |
| 10 years | $121.90 | $134.39 | $148.02 | $162.89 |
| 20 years | $148.59 | $180.61 | $219.11 | $265.33 |
| 30 years | $181.14 | $242.73 | $324.34 | $432.19 |
Amount × (1 + rate)^years, the Future cost figure in the calculator.
What $100 in cash will buy, in today’s money
| After | 2% inflation | 3% inflation | 4% inflation | 5% inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 years | $90.57 | $86.26 | $82.19 | $78.35 |
| 10 years | $82.03 | $74.41 | $67.56 | $61.39 |
| 20 years | $67.30 | $55.37 | $45.64 | $37.69 |
| 30 years | $55.21 | $41.20 | $30.83 | $23.14 |
Amount ÷ (1 + rate)^years, the In today’s money figure in the calculator.
Frequently asked questions
- What will $1 million be worth in 30 years?
- At 3% inflation, $1,000,000 will buy what $411,986.76 buys today. At 2% it will buy what $552,070.89 buys today.
- How much will $100 be worth in 10 years?
- In buying power: $82.03 at 2% inflation, $74.41 at 3% and $61.39 at 5%. Put the other way, goods that cost $100 now will cost $121.90, $134.39 or $162.89.
- How long until prices double?
- About 72 divided by the inflation rate. At 3% that is 24 years, and the calculator shows $100 becoming $203.28. At 2% it takes about 36 years, and at 4% about 18.
- What salary will I need to keep up with inflation?
- Enter your salary as the amount. At 3% a year, $50,000 today has to become $67,195.82 in 10 years to buy the same things.
- Can it tell me what a dollar from 1990 is worth today?
- Not this one: it compounds one constant rate that you enter and holds no Consumer Price Index data. The link beside its result opens the inflation-adjusted salary calculator, which uses bundled US CPI-U figures and turns an amount from 1970 or later into today’s money.
- What inflation rate should I use?
- That is your assumption to make. The Federal Reserve’s stated goal is 2% a year over the longer run, measured by the price index for personal consumption expenditures. Running the numbers at two or three rates shows how much the answer depends on the choice.
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