Is the Inflation Calculator free to use?

Yes. The Inflation Calculator is completely free, runs entirely in your browser, and requires no account or sign-up. Your inputs never leave your device.

Inflation Calculator

See how inflation changes the purchasing power of money over time.

Quick answer

Inflation erodes purchasing power: something costing X today will cost about X × (1 + inflation rate)^years later. Equivalently, a future dollar buys less, so long-term plans should compare amounts in today's (real) dollars.

Amount & horizon

Amount today

Inflation rate

%/yr

Years

yrs

What $1,000 buys today will cost

$1,806

in 20 years at 3.0% inflation

Future value of today's cash

$554

Cumulative price rise

81%

The quiet tax

At 3% inflation, prices double roughly every 24 years (the rule of 72: 72 ÷ rate ≈ doubling time). Money held as cash loses that much purchasing power — which is why long-term savings generally need to be invested, not parked.

Which rate to use

U.S. CPI inflation has averaged about 3% over the last century, though individual decades ranged from near 0% to over 13%. Your personal rate depends on what you buy — housing, tuition, and healthcare have outpaced headline CPI for decades.

Frequently asked questions

How does the Inflation Calculator work?: Inflation erodes purchasing power: something costing X today will cost about X × (1 + inflation rate)^years later. Equivalently, a future dollar buys less, so long-term plans should compare amounts in today's (real) dollars.
Is the Inflation Calculator free to use?: Yes. The Inflation Calculator is completely free, runs entirely in your browser, and requires no account or sign-up. Your inputs never leave your device.

Sources & methodology