Inflation sandbox
If prices rise like this,
what does chicken cost?
Set your own annual rate. This is a sandbox — not a forecast, not an official statistic, and not a live price index.
Your assumptions
Allowed range -20% to 50%. A negative rate assumes prices fall.
The n in the formula is in years. To work in days, convert with n = days ÷ 365 — which is itself an assumption.
future price = current price × (1 + i)^n
pay to keep up = current pay × (1 + i)^n
i = 0.030 (3% / year), n = 5 → ×1.1593
Prices in 5 years (assumed)
| Item | Now | In 5 years | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fried chicken (8 pieces)Assumption, for fun | $24 | $27.82 | +$3.82 |
| Big Mac mealAssumption, for fun | $11 | $12.75 | +$1.75 |
| Burrito bowlAssumption, for fun | $12 | $13.91 | +$1.91 |
| Grande latteAssumption, for fun | $6 | $6.96 | +$0.96 |
| Movie ticketAssumption, for fun | $14 | $16.23 | +$2.23 |
| Netflix Standard (month)Assumption, for fun | $18 | $20.87 | +$2.87 |
The same rate is applied to every item, which is a simplification — in reality prices move at different speeds. No historical price series is used, so no past values appear in this table.
To keep the same purchasing power
This is a plain conversion. It does not account for pay rises, promotions or changing jobs, and it is not advice about investments or financial products.