To find what today’s money will be worth in the future, divide the amount by (1 + r)^t, where r is the average annual inflation rate as a decimal and t is the number of years. For example, at 3% average inflation, $1,000 will buy only about $744 worth of goods in 10 years — roughly 74% of today’s purchasing power. The Inflation Calculator shows this eroded real value alongside the future cost of the same goods, and recomputes live as you type.

The future cost of the same basket of goods is amount × (1 + r)^t, where r is the average annual inflation rate and t is the number of years. At 3% average inflation, what costs $1,000 today would cost about $1,344 in 10 years. Cumulative inflation over the period is (1 + r)^t − 1. Because the rate compounds, an investment must earn more than the inflation rate every year just to preserve its purchasing power.

A long-run average of around 3% per year is often used for the United States (the historical CPI average is closer to 3.3%), while emerging economies like India have averaged closer to 6%. These are rough long-run averages, not current readings — real inflation varies year to year, by country and by spending basket. For official, period-accurate figures, use your country’s Consumer Price Index, such as the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI.

The Inflation Calculator is completely free and processes everything in your browser using plain JavaScript math. The amount, rate and years you enter never leave your device — there is no server, no account and no tracking. It works offline after first load and lets you switch the display currency between ₹, $, € and £ for presentation only.