Inflation is the rate at which the general level of prices rises over time, eroding purchasing power. This calculator has three modes: (1) Future Cost — how much will today's amount cost in the future? (2) Present Value — what is a future amount worth in today's dollars? (3) Real Return — what is yo...
FUTURE COST
$126.77
Purchasing power loss: 21.11% over 10 years
FUTURE COST
$126.77
POWER LOSS
21.11%
PRICES DOUBLE IN
29.2 yrs
INFLATION RATE
2.4%
Today's $100.00 will cost $126.77 in 10 years at 2.4% inflation
COST OVER TIME
📐 Rule of 70: at 2.4% inflation, prices double every 29.2 years
Current US CPI: 2.4% · Fed target: 2% · Historical avg: 3.3% (BLS)
Future Cost mode: enter the current amount, the annual inflation rate, and number of years. The calculator shows what that amount will cost in the future and how much purchasing power you lose.
Present Value mode: enter a future amount and inflation rate to find what it is worth in today's dollars. Useful for retirement planning — $1M in 30 years is worth far less than $1M today.
Real Return mode: enter your nominal investment return (e.g. 8%) and the inflation rate. The calculator shows your real (inflation-adjusted) return using the Fisher equation.
Use the preset buttons (Current CPI 2.4%, Fed target 2%, Historical avg 3.3%) to quickly model different inflation scenarios.
A coffee costs $5 today. At 3% annual inflation, in 20 years it will cost $5 × (1.03)^20 = $9.03. Your $5 has lost 44.6% of its purchasing power. Separately: if you invest $100,000 and earn 8% nominal return while inflation is 3%, your real return is (1.08/1.03) − 1 = 4.85% — that is your actual increase in purchasing power.
| RATE | 5 Years | 10 Years | 20 Years | 30 Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2% (Fed target) | $110.41 | $121.90 | $148.59 | $181.14 |
| 2.4% (Current CPI) | $112.59 | $126.77 | $160.69 | $203.70 |
| 3.3% (Historical avg) | $117.63 | $138.36 | $191.43 | $264.86 |
| 5% | $127.63 | $162.89 | $265.33 | $432.19 |
| 7% | $140.26 | $196.72 | $386.97 | $761.23 |
| 10% | $161.05 | $259.37 | $672.75 | $1744.94 |
Source: BLS CPI · Current US CPI: 2.4% (Feb 2026, BLS) · Formula: Future Cost = $100 × (1 + rate)^years
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Data: BLS CPI · Current US CPI: 2.4% (Feb 2026) · Fed target: 2% · Historical avg: 3.3% · Formula: FV = PV×(1+r)^n · Real Return = (1+nominal)/(1+inflation)−1 · Last updated: April 25, 2026 · For informational purposes only · Eagle-eyed accuracy for every calculation.