Inflation Calculator for United States
United States · USD. Compare future costs with purchasing power today.
Smarter
Decisions.
Bigger Dreams.
Calculator Parameters
All amounts in USD.
$10,000.00 Minimum $0.00; maximum $10,000,000.00.
3% Minimum 0%; maximum 30%.
20 Minimum 1; maximum 50.
Your estimate
Future cost of the same purchase
$18,061.11
Purchasing power of today’s amount in future
$5,536.76
Cumulative price increase
80.61%
Based on the assumptions shown. This result is an illustration, not a quotation or guaranteed benefit.
Growth Projection
Method and scope
Future cost = current cost × (1 + annual inflation)^years. Purchasing power = current amount / (1 + annual inflation)^years. Inflation is a user assumption held constant; no live national inflation rate is fetched.
Using this calculator in United States
The inflation rate is entered by you and stays constant. No current United States CPI series is loaded. Both results use USD: future cost describes a future price, while purchasing power describes what today's amount could buy after the entered period.
Try the starting example
Amount today: $10,000; Assumed annual inflation: 3%; Years: 20.
Future cost of the same purchase: $18,061.11.
Compare one assumption at a time
Compare future cost and remaining purchasing power together. A higher inflation assumption raises the future cost of the same basket and reduces the purchasing power of a fixed amount. This is a scenario comparison, not a current national CPI reading. These fictional scenarios use the starting inputs printed above, not your current entries in the interactive calculator.
| Assumed annual inflation | Future cost of the same purchase | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| 1% | $12,201.90 | One changed input |
| 3% | $18,061.11 | Starting example |
| 5% | $26,532.98 | One changed input |
Does your comparison include your employer contribution?
An ordinary investment projection does not add a 401(k) employer contribution. Enter the actual contribution in the dedicated 401(k) tool, then compare balances with the same return and horizon. The federal tax tool excludes state and local taxes, so its result cannot establish the cash available for saving.
To reproduce the table, reset the calculator, change only the named input and compare the result and any warning. Record the assumptions with your result. See worked planning examples and our calculation and correction process.
Sources and review date
Rules and method reviewed 2026-11-01. Future changes are not automatically applied. Report a correction.