Goal cost (today)

₹

What the goal would cost if you bought it today.

Years to goal

yrs

How long until you need the money.

Inflation rate

India’s long-run inflation is around 5–6%.

Expected return

What you expect your investments to earn. Equity ~10–12%.

Required monthly SIP₹15,416Invest this much monthly to reach the goal.

Future cost of the goal₹35,81,695What the goal will cost after inflation.

How the SIP grows to your goal

Invested
Gains

View yearly breakdown

Year	Invested	Gains	Total
Y1	₹1,84,990	₹12,476	₹1,97,466
Y2	₹3,69,979	₹49,997	₹4,19,976
Y3	₹5,54,969	₹1,15,736	₹6,70,706
Y4	₹7,39,959	₹2,13,275	₹9,53,234
Y5	₹9,24,949	₹3,46,646	₹12,71,594
Y6	₹11,09,938	₹5,20,392	₹16,30,330
Y7	₹12,94,928	₹7,39,635	₹20,34,563
Y8	₹14,79,918	₹10,10,145	₹24,90,063
Y9	₹16,64,908	₹13,38,424	₹30,03,332
Y10	₹18,49,897	₹17,31,798	₹35,81,695

Assumes a constant return compounded monthly, investment at the start of each month, and a steady inflation rate. Market returns are volatile and not guaranteed, so review your SIP every year and step it up as your income grows.

Most financial goals — a house, a car, a child’s education, retirement — cost far more by the time you reach them, because inflation keeps lifting prices. This calculator does two things: it inflates today’s cost to what the goal will actually cost on your target date, then works out the monthly SIP you need to get there at your expected return. Enter the goal, the years you have, an inflation rate, and a realistic return, and you get a concrete monthly number to start investing. Use it to turn a vague ambition into a plan you can act on.

What your result means

The future cost is higher than today’s price because of inflation — budgeting for today’s sticker price is the most common goal-planning mistake.
Starting earlier slashes the required monthly SIP dramatically — time does most of the work, not the contribution size.
Match the investment to the horizon: debt/FD for under 3 years, hybrid for 3–7, equity for 7+ — chasing equity for a near-term goal is risky.

How to use this calculator

Enter what your goal would cost if you bought it today.
Set how many years you have until you need the money.
Enter an inflation rate — 5–6% is a sensible long-run figure for India.
Set a realistic expected return based on where you will invest (equity ~10–12%).
Read the required monthly SIP and start investing; revisit the number yearly.

The formula

Future cost = G × (1 + f)^t, where G = today’s cost, f = inflation rate, t = years. Required SIP = (Future cost × i) ÷ [((1 + i)ⁿ − 1) × (1 + i)], where i = monthly return (annual ÷ 12 ÷ 100) and n = months (t × 12).

Worked example

A goal that costs ₹20,00,000 today, needed in 10 years, with 6% inflation and a 12% expected return: the future cost inflates to about ₹35,82,000. To reach that, you need to invest roughly ₹15,400 a month for 10 years. Ignoring inflation would have understated the target by over ₹15 lakh — which is why planning against the future cost, not today’s price, is essential.

When to use it

Planning a house down payment, car, or wedding several years away.
Working out the monthly SIP for a child’s future college fees.
Sizing contributions toward a retirement corpus in today’s terms.
Seeing how inflation quietly raises the true cost of any long-term goal.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does the calculator adjust my goal for inflation?

What inflation and return rates should I use?

Should I increase my SIP every year?

What return should I assume for short versus long goals?

What if I start late or fall behind on a goal?

Should each goal have its own investment?

References & sources

How this calculator was checked: The goal formula (future cost = G × (1 + f)^t; SIP = future cost × i ÷ [((1 + i)ⁿ − 1) × (1 + i)], invested at the start of each month) was re-run on 2026-09-15 against hand calculations, a round trip through this site’s SIP calculator and the PMT logic of SEBI’s goal SIP calculator, which assumes end-of-month instalments and so asks for about 1% more a month at a 12% return; inflating the goal first follows AMFI’s investor-education method. Inflation and return are assumptions you choose, so the figure is an illustration, not personalised advice from a registered investment adviser.