Inflation Calculator
See what rising prices do to your money over time.
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How this calculator works
Inflation is the quiet tax on every dollar you hold: at 3% a year, prices double roughly every 24 years, which means money stuffed under the mattress loses half its buying power in a generation. This inflation calculator makes that erosion concrete two ways. Enter an amount today and it shows what the same basket of goods will cost in the future, and what a fixed future sum (like a pension payout) will actually be worth in today's dollars.
The results reframe common decisions. A "safe" 1% savings account during 3% inflation guarantees losing about 2% of purchasing power yearly, which is why long-term money needs to be invested, not just saved. Salary negotiations look different too: a 2% raise during 3% inflation is a pay cut in real terms. The growth chart plots the compounding curve so you can feel how inflation, like interest, accelerates over time. Use the historical US average of about 3% for planning, but try 5–6% to stress-test your retirement plan against a bad decade.