Inflation Calculator
A crore today will not feel like a crore tomorrow. See what a sum will cost in future, and how much of today's money will actually be worth.
Today's money
Inflation is assumed steady each year, compounding on prices.
In the future
Year-by-year ledger
How today's money erodes| Year | Cost to match today | Today's ₹ is worth | Power left |
|---|
How inflation erodes money
The future cost of something priced P today is P × (1+r)ⁿ, and the real worth of ₹P held for n years is P / (1+r)ⁿ, where r is the annual inflation rate. The two are mirror images: if prices more than triple, each rupee is worth less than a third.
At 6% inflation, ₹1 crore today needs about ₹3.21 crore in 20 years to buy the same basket — and ₹1 crore locked away untouched would be worth only about ₹31.18 lakh in today's terms. That is why money has to grow at least as fast as inflation just to stand still.
Inflation questions
What inflation rate should I assume for India?
The RBI targets consumer inflation at 4% within a 2–6% band, so 4% is the official anchor. For long-term planning many people use 6–7%, closer to the lived experience of rising food, health and education costs.
Why won't ₹1 crore feel like ₹1 crore later?
Because prices keep rising. At 6% inflation, in 20 years you would need about ₹3.21 crore to buy what ₹1 crore buys today, so an untouched ₹1 crore would feel like roughly ₹31 lakh does now.
How do I beat inflation?
By earning a return above the inflation rate. Growth assets historically outpace inflation over long periods — see what a monthly investment can build in the SIP calculator. The gap between your return and inflation is your real growth.