Free Inflation Calculator — What Your Parents' Prices Actually Meant

Last updated: April 17, 2026

MoneyMath's inflation calculator shows how purchasing power changes over time and why category-specific costs such as housing, healthcare, and college can diverge from headline CPI.

Free to useRuns in your browserSource-backed assumptions

Free inflation calculator with category-specific rates. See how housing, healthcare, and college inflate 2-3x faster than CPI. Compare what your parents paid vs what things actually cost today.

Use the Inflation Calculator to compare realistic scenarios before making a money, health, or planning decision.

Adjust the inputs and review the result breakdown so you can see which assumptions matter most.

How to use this calculator

Step 1Enter your starting information. Add the core inputs requested by the Inflation Calculator, such as amounts, dates, rates, income, weight, or other scenario details.
Step 2Review the calculated result. Read the headline answer first, then scan the supporting breakdown, chart, or comparison table.
Step 3Compare another scenario. Change one input at a time to understand what drives the result and which option is most realistic.

Formula, Sources & Assumptions

Assumptions

Category inflation rates are planning approximations, not live CPI series pulls.
Purchasing-power results are estimates for comparison.

Sources

BLS Consumer Price IndexInflation and purchasing-power context.