Inflation over several months isn't the sum of each month: it compounds. At 2% a month for 12 months, accumulated inflation is 26.82%, not 24%. To see whether savings beat it, the real rate is (1 + return) ÷ (1 + inflation) − 1, with both figures for the same period.
With inflation, the same money buys less every month. This calculator puts numbers on that: what something that costs a given amount today will cost, what that money will buy if you keep it without earning anything, and whether a return beats inflation. It has no inflation figure built in: you enter it, as a monthly rate or as the total for the period.
The calculator
Enter the inflation you expect, or the figure for the period, to see the result.
Educational tool. The result depends on the inflation and return you enter and is not financial advice nor an investment recommendation.
How it's calculated
If monthly inflation is i for n months, accumulated inflation is (1 + i) to the power of n, minus 1. It multiplies instead of adding because each month prices rise on top of prices that already went up. If you enter the total for the period (the year-on-year change, say), the calculator uses it directly.
With accumulated inflation I, something that costs an amount today will cost amount × (1 + I), and that amount kept without earning anything will buy what amount ÷ (1 + I) buys today. If you also enter what your money earns over the same period (r), the real rate is (1 + r) ÷ (1 + I) − 1: positive if you gain purchasing power, negative if you lose it.
Worked example. Suppose 2% monthly inflation for 12 months: accumulated inflation is 26.82%. Something that costs $100,000 today will cost $126,824, and $100,000 kept without earning anything will buy what $78,849 buys today. If that money earned 30% over the year, the real rate is 1.30 ÷ 1.2682 − 1 = 2.5%: under those assumptions, it narrowly beat inflation.
The return and the inflation must cover the same period. A TNA isn't a return for the period: for a fixed-term deposit, the fixed-term calculator gives you the effective rate, which is the one to compare.
Where to get the inflation figure
In Argentina the official figure is INDEC's CPI (consumer price index), published every month with the monthly change, the year-on-year change and the year-to-date total. To look back, use those figures. To project forward, inflation is your assumption: you can use the latest figure, an average of recent months or whatever you expect, and the result holds for that assumption.
- For a period that's already over, enter the total rather than a monthly rate: the published total already reflects that each month was different.
- To project several months ahead, try two or three different assumptions and see how much the result changes.
- Headline inflation is an average: your own expenses may rise more or less depending on where your money goes.
Frequently asked questions
How is accumulated inflation calculated?
By multiplying, not adding: (1 + month 1 inflation) × (1 + month 2 inflation) × … − 1. With a constant monthly rate i for n months, it's (1 + i) to the power of n, minus 1. At 2% a month for a year that's 26.82%.
What is the real rate?
What your money earns after inflation over the same period: (1 + return) ÷ (1 + inflation) − 1. If it's negative, the money loses purchasing power even though it earns.
Which inflation figure should I enter?
For a past period, the one INDEC publishes in its CPI. To project forward, the one you expect: the calculator has none built in because any number written here goes stale and reads as official.
Does the calculator tell me where to put my money?
No. It does the maths with the inflation and return you enter. It doesn't recommend any product or say what's best.
Educational content. Not an investment recommendation nor personalised financial advice: before deciding, check official sources or consult a licensed professional.
Sources and review date
Checked on October 14, 2026. External figures change: if you're deciding based on this, it's worth confirming the number at the source.