What is purchasing power and why does it matter?

Purchasing power is the real value of your money - how much it can actually buy. Inflation erodes purchasing power over time. At 3% annual inflation, $100 today buys only $74 worth of goods in 10 years. Understanding this is critical for retirement planning, savings targets, and evaluating pay rises.

What inflation rate should I use in my calculations?

Our calculator defaults to the current central bank target rate for each country: 2% for the US (Fed), 2% for the UK (BoE), 2.5% for Australia (RBA), and 2% for Canada (BoC). For personal planning, using a slightly higher rate (3–4%) builds in a safety margin.

How does inflation affect my loan and savings?

Inflation has opposite effects on debt vs savings. For fixed-rate debt, inflation actually helps borrowers - you repay with future money that's worth less. For savings in low-interest accounts, inflation erodes your real returns. If your savings rate is below inflation, you're losing wealth in real terms.

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Inflation Impact Calculator

See how inflation erodes your purchasing power over time.

Your Details

Present Value$15,000

Annual Inflation Rate7.2%

Time Horizon48 MO (4.0 yr)

Results

Purchasing Power

$19,809.36

Original Value: $15,000.00Value Lost: $4,809.36

Present Value

$15,000.00

Purchasing Power

$11,358.27

Value Lost

$4,809.36

Future Cost

$19,809.36

Estimates only - not financial advice. Verify with a qualified professional before making decisions.

What you could do instead

Two ways to play this - side by side

+36%better

Held as cash

Inflation eats 7.2%/yr - value silently shrinks

Invested @ 8%

Park in equity / index funds at 8% nominal

Original amount

$15,000.00

Original amount

$15,000.00

Future nominal value

$19,809.36

Future nominal value

$20,407.33

Real purchasing power

$11,358.27

Real purchasing power

$15,452.80

+$4,094.53 preserved

In today's money, you'd hold $15,452.80 of real value vs $11,358.27 as cash - 36% more purchasing power.

Savings Tip

Pay 10% extra each month

Pay just 10% extra ($12,494/mo) and save $4,704 in interest, becoming debt-free 46 months earlier.

New Monthly Payment$12,494+$1,136/mo extra

Total Interest Saved$4,70446 months sooner

* Based on 10% overpayment applied every month until payoff.

How It Calculates

At a CPI of 7.2%, the purchasing power of your $15,000.00 will erode by $4,809.36 over 48 months, settling at $11,358.27. What costs $15,000.00 today will require $19,809.36 then.

💡Total Interest on $15,000.00: $4,809.36

Purchasing Power Loss: $3,641.73

Tips to Save More

Diversifying into assets that outpace CPI is essential to preserve purchasing power.
Consider the 'Real Rate of Return' (Nominal Rate - Inflation) for all long-term holdings.

Example Scenarios

Sample scenarios using current reference rate data.

Reference Data

$10,000 over 2 years

7.5% APR

Monthly Payment$450.00

Total Interest$799.90

Over a term of 24 months, your fixed monthly payment is $450.00. Total interest paid is $799.90, which works out to a 7.5% annual cost of borrowing.

Source: Bank of Canada · Updated 2026-04-01

$20,000 over 4 years

6.9% APR

Monthly Payment$478.00

Total Interest$2,943.88

Over a term of 48 months, your fixed monthly payment is $478.00. Total interest paid is $2,943.88, which works out to a 6.9% annual cost of borrowing.

Source: Bank of Canada · Updated 2026-04-01

$35,000 over 5 years

7.2% APR

Monthly Payment$696.35

Total Interest$6,780.96

Over a term of 60 months, your fixed monthly payment is $696.35. Total interest paid is $6,780.96, which works out to a 7.2% annual cost of borrowing.

Source: Bank of Canada · Updated 2026-04-01

How an inflation impact calculator works

An inflation calculator shows how the real purchasing power of a sum of money erodes over time at a given inflation rate. It uses the present-value formula in reverse - the same formula central banks use when comparing real wages or real interest rates across years.

The formula

Future cost = Present value × (1 + r)^n | Purchasing power = Present value ÷ (1 + r)^n

Present value = What an item or sum costs today.
r = Annual inflation rate (e.g. 3% = 0.03).
n = Number of years in the future.
Future cost = What the same basket of goods will nominally cost in n years.

Inputs explained

Present amount: The value or cost you want to project forward (or backward).
Inflation rate: An annual rate. Central bank targets are 2% (US, UK, Canada) and 2-3% (Australia); long-run actual rates vary.
Time horizon: How many years into the future you want to model.

When to use this calculator

Estimating how much your current savings will buy in retirement.
Setting a target salary or investment goal in 'today's money'.
Comparing a nominal return (e.g. 6% interest) with a real return after inflation.
Pricing long-term commitments (education, healthcare) in future-dated currency.

Common mistakes to avoid

Inflation Calculator - Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about using this tool for CA.

Our inflation calculator shows you two things: (1) the future cost of something that costs a set amount today, and (2) the purchasing power - how much your money will be worth in real terms after a given period at a given inflation rate. Both are calculated using the compound inflation formula.

Built & maintained by: Dhanasekar · Developer

Formula reference: Bank of Canada

Data last updated: April 1, 2026

This is a free educational tool, not financial advice.

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Disclaimer

Important: This calculator provides estimates for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Actual rates and terms may vary. Always consult a qualified financial advisor before making financial decisions.

Rate reference: FCACBank of CanadaUpdated 2026-04-01