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Percent Markup Calculator | Find Markup % From Cost And Price

Work out the selling price, markup amount and margin from your cost and target markup percentage — or reverse it to find the original cost from a sale price. The formula Markup % = (Price − Cost) ÷ Cost × 100 is applied with every step shown, so pricing products and checking profitability is straightforward.

Last updated: July 2026 · Free · No sign-up required

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Results

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About the Percent Markup Calculator

Every result on this page comes from a real formula — Markup % = (Price – Cost) / Cost x 100; Price = Cost x (1 + Markup% / 100) — computed live in your browser the moment you press the button.

Scroll past the calculator for a quick-reference table, a step-by-step methodology with a fully worked example, and answers to the questions people most often ask about percent markup calculator.

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Quick reference

Markup %Multiplier on costEquivalent margin
10%x 1.109.1%
25%x 1.2520.0%
50%x 1.5033.3%
100% (keystone)x 2.0050.0%
150%x 2.5060.0%

info Percent Markup Calculator

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info Private by design

Everything runs locally in your browser. No uploads, no accounts, no tracking.

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Fully responsive and mobile-friendly — calculate on any device, any time.

info Educational

Includes the formula and step-by-step explanation so you understand the math, not just the answer.

Interpretation guide

If you know…Compute
Cost & markup %Price = cost x (1 + markup/100)
Cost & priceMarkup % = (price - cost) / cost x 100
Markup % → margin %Margin = markup / (1 + markup)
Margin % → markup %Markup = margin / (1 - margin)

lightbulb Worked example

Let's say you are using the Percent Markup Calculator. Calculates percent markup using Markup % = (Price - Cost) / Cost x 100, live in your browser. Enter the values that match your situation into the input fields and press calculate — using realistic numbers makes the result directly useful for you.

Result: The calculator instantly applies the formula Markup % = (Price - Cost) / Cost x 100; Price = Cost x (1 + Markup% / 100) and returns the result with appropriate precision.

What this means: Read the result in the context of what you are measuring. The step-by-step breakdown lets you confirm the math and understand which input most affects the outcome.

Formula & methodology

Formula: Markup % = (Price - Cost) / Cost x 100; Price = Cost x (1 + Markup% / 100)

How markup is calculated

The tool applies Markup % = (price − cost) ÷ cost × 100, and the reverse Price = cost × (1 + markup% ÷ 100). Markup is expressed relative to the COST, unlike margin which is relative to the price — a 40% markup on a $50 cost gives a $70 price with $20 of profit.

Example: an item costing $60 sold for $90 has a markup of ($90 − $60) ÷ $60 × 100 = 50%.

Reading the result: markup and margin are easily confused but not interchangeable: a 50% markup equals only a 33% margin. Retailers use markup for pricing from cost, and margin for profitability on revenue — the calculator shows both so you always know which number you are looking at.

Authoritative source: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

Frequently asked questions

How do you calculate percent markup?
Subtract the cost from the selling price, divide by the cost, and multiply by 100: markup % = (price - cost) / cost x 100. For example, an item that costs $40 and sells for $64 has a markup of (64 - 40) / 40 = 60%. To go the other way, multiply the cost by (1 + markup/100) to get the price.
What is the difference between markup and margin?
Markup is profit as a percentage of cost; margin is the same profit as a percentage of the selling price. Because the selling price is larger than the cost, the margin percentage is always smaller. A 50% markup equals a 33.3% margin, and a 100% (keystone) markup equals a 50% margin.
What is keystone markup?
Keystone pricing is a 100% markup — you double the cost to set the retail price. It is a long-standing retail default that builds in a 50% gross margin to cover overhead, shrinkage, and profit. Many retailers start from keystone and adjust up for slow-moving or premium goods and down for competitive commodities.
How do I convert markup to margin?
Enter the required values into the input fields and press the calculate button. The tool applies the formula Markup % = (Price - Cost) / Cost x 100; Price = Cost x (1 + Markup% / 100) and returns the result with a short explanation of each step, so you can check the working yourself.
What markup percentage should I use?
It depends on your industry, overhead, and competition. Grocery runs on thin 10-15% markups at high volume, apparel and gifts often use 100%+ keystone, and restaurants mark food up 200-300% to cover labor and waste. Work backward from the margin you need to cover all costs and still profit, then check it against competitor prices.
What's the difference between markup and margin?
Markup is profit over cost; margin is profit over selling price. A $50 cost sold at $75 is a 50% markup but only a 33.3% margin — same dollars, different base. Mixing them up overstates profitability, and it's the most common pricing spreadsheet bug there is.
What is a typical retail markup?
The traditional 'keystone' is 100% markup — retail at double the wholesale cost — common in apparel and gifts. Grocery runs far thinner (often 10–30% markup on staples) while jewelry and eyewear can exceed 200%. Use the calculator to translate whatever markup you're quoted into the margin it actually leaves after costs.
How do I reverse a markup to find the original cost?
Divide the selling price by 1 plus the markup rate: Original cost = selling price ÷ (1 + markup%). If an item sells for $125 at a 25% markup, the cost is $125 ÷ 1.25 = $100. The markup is based on the cost, so you cannot simply subtract 25% of the selling price — that would give the wrong answer.
What does the Percent Markup Calculator do?
Calculates percent markup using Markup % = (Price - Cost) / Cost x 100, live in your browser. The calculator takes your inputs, applies the standard calculation, and returns a clear result so you can make an informed decision without doing the math by hand.
What formula does the Percent Markup Calculator use?
It computes Markup amount = cost × (markup% ÷ 100) and Selling price = cost × (1 + markup% ÷ 100). Enter the cost and markup percentage and the tool returns the selling price and profit. For example, a $50 cost at a 40% markup sells for $70, with $20 of margin.
Is the Percent Markup Calculator free and private?
Yes — the Percent Markup Calculator. There is no sign-up, no paywall, no trial, and no limit on how many calculations you can run. CalcaTools covers its costs with non-intrusive display advertising, so the calculator itself never asks for payment or restricts any feature.
How accurate is the Percent Markup Calculator?
The Percent Markup Calculator applies the standard formula: Markup % = (Price - Cost) / Cost x 100; Price = Cost x (1 + Markup% / 100). It is tested against published worked examples before launch and uses native double-precision arithmetic, so results are accurate to typical precision for the values you enter — with no intermediate rounding that could distort the answer.

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