Markup Calculator
Calculate markup, selling price, and profit margin from cost or price. See the relationship between markup and margin clearly.
About Markup Calculator
This markup calculator converts between cost and selling price using a markup percentage. It works in both directions - enter a cost to find the selling price, or enter a selling price to find the underlying cost. You also get the profit amount and profit margin for every calculation.
How Markup Works
Markup is the percentage you add on top of your cost to set a selling price. The formula is: selling price = cost x (1 + markup / 100). A 50% markup on a 40 item gives a selling price of 60. The calculator handles the math in both directions and shows you the equivalent profit margin so you always know both numbers.
Markup vs Margin - The Key Difference
People often confuse markup and margin because they both describe profit as a percentage, but they use different bases. Markup is relative to cost, margin is relative to selling price. A 100% markup always equals a 50% margin. A 50% markup equals a 33.3% margin. The reference table in this tool shows common equivalents so you can quickly convert between the two. For a deeper dive into margins, try the profit margin calculator.
Visual Price Breakdown
A stacked bar shows what portion of your selling price is cost versus profit, making it easy to see at a glance how much value you are capturing. Quick-select buttons for common markups (10%, 25%, 50%, 100%, 200%) let you compare different pricing strategies quickly.
If you need to account for sales tax on top of your markup, the VAT calculator can help with that. All calculations happen in your browser and no data is stored.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between markup and margin?
Markup is the percentage added to your cost to get the selling price. Margin is your profit expressed as a percentage of the selling price. For example, if an item costs 50 and you sell it for 100, your markup is 100% (you doubled the cost) but your margin is 50% (half the selling price is profit). Markup is always higher than margin for the same transaction.
How do I calculate markup percentage?
Divide the profit (selling price minus cost) by the cost, then multiply by 100. If your cost is 40 and your selling price is 60, the profit is 20. Divided by the cost of 40, that gives 0.5, or a 50% markup.
What markup do I need for a 30% profit margin?
To get a 30% margin, you need a 42.86% markup. The formula to convert margin to markup is markup = margin / (1 - margin). So 0.30 / 0.70 = 0.4286, or about 42.86%.
What is a typical markup for retail products?
It varies widely by industry. Grocery stores often work with 25-50% markup, clothing and fashion retailers use 100-300%, restaurants apply 200-400% on food, and jewellery can be 100-500%. The right markup depends on your costs, competition, and customer expectations.
Can I use this calculator in reverse to find cost from a selling price?
Yes. Switch to the "Selling Price to Cost" mode and enter your selling price along with the markup percentage. The calculator will show you the original cost, the profit amount, and the profit margin.