Inflation Calculator

Written byOleh Soloninupdated 5 October 2026

Currency

What to work out

Amount

Annual inflation (%)

Model assumes a fixed annual inflation rate for the whole period.

Years

Result

Equivalent future cost

$146,932.81

Additional amount needed

$46,932.81

Purchasing power loss (%)

31.94%

Purchasing power remaining (%)

68.06%

This result is informational only and is not professional advice.

Starting amount$100,000.00

Additional amount needed$46,932.81

What the same shopping will cost later, and how much a sum loses in value

See what today's spending will cost in future at a steady inflation rate and how much purchasing power money loses, with the formula, tables and a Russian mode that converts past roubles using Bank of Russia inflation data.

Inflation means the same things cost more each year, so a fixed sum of money buys less over time. This calculator projects what today's spending would cost after a number of years at an inflation rate you choose, how much more money you would need, and how much purchasing power the original sum loses.

It is a projection at the rate you enter, not a forecast. A second mode converts amounts between years for Russia, using annual inflation from the Bank of Russia.

How to use

Keep the projection mode, enter an amount, a yearly inflation rate and a number of years.
Read the equivalent future cost, the extra amount needed and the loss of purchasing power.
To convert past roubles into later prices, switch to the Russia mode and pick the two years.

How inflation changes what money buys

At a steady rate, future cost = amount × (1 + inflation)^years. At 3% a year, spending of 100,000 today would cost 134,391.64 in ten years. Put the other way round, the original 100,000 would buy 25.59% less: purchasing power lost = 1 − 1 ÷ (1 + inflation)^years.

Inflation compounds, so its effect grows faster than the years: at 3%, 1,000 of spending costs 1,343.92 after 10 years but 2,427.26 after 30, and money kept as cash over 20 years loses 44.63% of its purchasing power.

What spending of 1,000 today would cost. Worked out with this calculator.
Inflation	After 5 years	After 10 years	After 20 years	After 30 years
2%	1,104.08	1,218.99	1,485.95	1,811.36
3%	1,159.27	1,343.92	1,806.11	2,427.26
4%	1,216.65	1,480.24	2,191.12	3,243.40
5%	1,276.28	1,628.89	2,653.30	4,321.94

Inflation over several years

Rates for different years are multiplied, not added: (1 + i₁) × (1 + i₂) × … − 1. Three years at 11.94%, 7.42% and 9.52% make 31.69% in total, not the 28.88% you get by adding them, because each year's rise is on prices that have already gone up.

Real returns

The real return on savings is (1 + interest rate) ÷ (1 + inflation) − 1. A 5% return with 3% inflation grows purchasing power by 1.94% a year, not 2%. When the interest rate is below inflation, the balance rises but buys less.

Russian inflation by year

The Russia mode converts roubles between December prices of two years, from 2013 to 2025, by chaining annual inflation from the Bank of Russia table "Inflation and the Bank of Russia key rate". For example, 100,000 roubles in December 2015 prices equals 183,500.56 roubles in December 2025 prices.

Source: Bank of Russia, checked 15 September 2026.
Year	Inflation, December to December
2021	8.39%
2022	11.94%
2023	7.42%
2024	9.52%
2025	5.59%

What this calculator shows

The future cost of today's spending at a steady inflation rate
How much extra money that takes and how much purchasing power is lost
For Russia, the value of past roubles in later prices, with a year-by-year table

What to keep in mind

The projection uses the constant rate you enter; real inflation varies from year to year.
The Russia mode uses December-to-December inflation from the Bank of Russia for 2014 to 2025.
Inflation is an average across a basket of goods and services; prices of what you buy can rise faster or slower.

FAQs

How do I calculate the effect of inflation?

Multiply the amount by (1 + inflation) raised to the number of years. At 3% for 10 years, 100,000 × 1.03^10 = 134,391.64.

How much purchasing power does money lose?

Use 1 − 1 ÷ (1 + inflation)^years. At 3% a year, cash loses 25.59% of its purchasing power in 10 years and 44.63% in 20 years.

Can I add up inflation rates for several years?

No, multiply them: (1 + i₁) × (1 + i₂) × … − 1. Adding understates the total, because each year's rise builds on prices that already went up.

What is a real rate of return?

Growth in purchasing power: (1 + interest rate) ÷ (1 + inflation) − 1. A 5% return with 3% inflation is a 1.94% real return.

Is this an inflation forecast?

No. The projection applies the rate you enter. Use a few different rates to see the range of outcomes.

What does the Russia mode use?

Annual December-to-December inflation for 2014 to 2025 from the Bank of Russia's published table, chained year by year to move an amount between December prices.

Worked example

100,000 at 3% inflation for 10 years

Input: Amount 100,000; inflation 3% a year; 10 years

Output: Future cost 134,391.64; purchasing power down 25.59%

Note: You would need 34,391.64 more to buy the same things. At 5% a year the future cost would be 162,889.46.

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