A walkthrough, end to end.
- 1
Pick a mode: project a current amount forward to a future price, OR back-calculate the real value of a future amount today.
- 2
Enter the amount, annual inflation rate (e.g. 3% historical US average) and number of years.
- 3
The calculator returns the inflation-adjusted figure plus the cumulative inflation over the period.
Inflation math
Future price = current × (1 + r)^t. Real value of future money = nominal / (1 + r)^t. Both come from the same compounding equation — the calculator runs it forward or backward depending on your question.
What you can do with this.
Project future cost of living
What does $50,000/year today cost in 20 years at 3% inflation? About $90,300. Use this to plan retirement income — your nominal target needs to grow with inflation to maintain purchasing power.
Real value of future income
What does a $100,000 salary in 2045 buy in today's dollars (assuming 3% inflation)? About $55,400. Useful for long-term career planning and retirement-account projections.
Historical inflation lookup
Average US CPI inflation: 1990s ~3.0%, 2000s ~2.5%, 2010s ~1.8%, 2020s ~4%+. Use the period-appropriate rate for back-calculations across decades.
Hyperinflation contexts
Argentina (~100%/yr), Turkey (~70%/yr), Venezuela (much higher) demonstrate that small differences in rate compound dramatically. The calculator handles any rate.
Wage-stagnation analysis
If your salary increased 15% over 5 years but inflation was 18%, you've lost real purchasing power. Plug in your actual numbers to see your real-wage trajectory.
Sticker shock vs. reality
A $5 latte feeling 'expensive' may be roughly the same in real terms as a $3 coffee from 1995 if inflation has averaged 2.5% since then. Use the calculator to check the real change.
Investment return — real vs. nominal
A 7% nominal return at 3% inflation = ~3.9% real return. Always model retirement scenarios in real terms to avoid overestimating purchasing power decades out.
Inflation calculator 2026 — what's current
US CPI ran ~3.0–3.5% in early 2026, down from the 9% peak in 2022 but above the Fed's 2% target. Use 2.5–3% for forward planning unless your specific category (healthcare, education, housing) historically runs higher.
Frequently asked.
Long-term US CPI averages ~2.5–3% over decades. Use 3% as a safe planning default. Specific categories vary widely — healthcare and college costs run 4–6%; tech goods deflate.
Nominal is the dollar amount as written. Real is purchasing power, after stripping out inflation. Always compare apples-to-apples (real-to-real or nominal-to-nominal).
No — it uses a single inflation rate. Healthcare costs (4–6% historically) and education (5%+) run higher; consumer electronics often deflate. Adjust the rate per use case.
No. Calculations run entirely in your browser.