Regular investing (DCA) calculator with real return

Name: Dollar-cost averaging calculator
Author: Richard Injante

How much you will have if you invest a fixed amount every month: final value, value in today’s money, real gain and three scenarios.

Content reviewed by Richard Injante Published by SolucionesAhora.com Updated on 2026-10-08 How we verify

Calculator inputs

Enter your figures, or press “See example” to watch it work.
If your case is unusual, open “Advanced options”.
Read the result and, below it, what it means and how it was worked out.

Monthly contribution

What you invest each month. It is paid in at the end of each month, always the same amount unless you set a yearly increase.

Years investing

How many years you keep contributing (1 to 60). Time weighs more than the amount.

Expected annual return %

The average annual return you expect, before fees and inflation. For diversified equities over the long term cautious figures are usually used; try less too.

Nominal, before fees

Expected annual inflation (optional) %

To see the result in today’s money. With 0 you see only the nominal figure.

Advanced options

Annual product fee (optional) %

What the fund or ETF charges each year, as a % of capital. It is subtracted from the return.

Ongoing charges (TER)

Initial capital (optional)

What you already have invested at the start, if anything.

Optional

Yearly increase of the contribution (optional) %

How much you raise your contribution each year (for example with your pay). A 3% yearly rise makes a big difference over 25 years.

% each year

See the result

Results

Final value (future money)145,519.97

Final value in today’s money88,806.61

Total contributed72,000

Nominal gain73,519.97

Real gain (today’s money)32,045.44

Real annual return4 %

Year by year growth
Year	Contributed	Balance	Balance in today’s money
1	3,600	3,707.64	3,617.21
2	7,200	7,659.99	7,290.89
3	10,800	11,873.19	11,025.44
4	14,400	16,364.47	14,825.4
5	18,000	21,152.17	18,695.43
6	21,600	26,255.85	22,640.34
7	25,200	31,696.38	26,665.06
8	28,800	37,495.99	30,774.7
9	32,400	43,678.37	34,974.51
10	36,000	50,268.78	39,269.89
11	39,600	57,294.16	43,666.45
12	43,200	64,783.22	48,169.95
13	46,800	72,766.56	52,786.34
14	50,400	81,276.79	57,521.8
15	54,000	90,348.71	62,382.67
16	57,600	100,019.36	67,375.54
17	61,200	110,328.29	72,507.2
18	64,800	121,317.6	77,784.71
19	68,400	133,032.2	83,215.33
20	72,000	145,519.97	88,806.61

Three return scenarios
Scenario	Return (%)	Final value	Final value in today’s money
Pessimistic	5	116,513.94	71,105.07
Base	7	145,519.97	88,806.61
Optimistic	9	182,949.79	111,648.94

See the working step by step

Nominal gain = 73,519.97
What you paid in, in today’s money = 56,761.17

In short

What it calculates: How much you will have if you invest a fixed amount every month: final value, value in today’s money, real gain and three scenarios.
Formula used: Net return = return − fee; i = (1 + net)^(1/12) − 1
Example: Example 1. A fixed contribution.

Dollar-cost averaging calculator

Investing a fixed amount every month (dollar-cost averaging, or DCA) is the most common way to build wealth. The question is how much you will have at the end, and the honest answer is given in today’s money: the future nominal figure misleads because prices will have risen.

Enter how much you invest monthly, for how many years and what return you expect; under advanced options, add the product fee, an initial capital and how much you raise the contribution each year. You get the final value nominal and in today’s money, what you paid in, the real gain and three scenarios (return −2, base and +2 points). Everything runs in your browser.

How it works

Each month the balance grows at the monthly rate equivalent to the annual net-of-fee return, and then the contribution is added. If you set a yearly increase, the contribution rises every twelve months.

The value in today’s money divides each figure by (1 + inflation) raised to the years elapsed. The real gain compares the final value in today’s money with what you paid in, also expressed in today’s money (each contribution is discounted for how long ago it was made).

Formula

Net return = return − fee; i = (1 + net)^(1/12) − 1
Balance in month m = previous balance × (1 + i) + that month’s contribution
Contribution in year k = initial contribution × (1 + increase)^(k − 1)
Value in today’s money = final value ÷ (1 + inflation)^years
Real gain = real value − Σ contribution_m ÷ (1 + inflation)^(m/12)
Real return = (1 + net) ÷ (1 + inflation) − 1

Worked example

Example 1. A fixed contribution.
With $300 a month for 20 years at 7% (no fees or inflation) you will have $152,261: you paid in $72,000 and the gains are $80,261.

Example 2. With fees and inflation.
The same plan with a 0.4% yearly fund fee and 2.5% inflation: the final value falls to $145,520 and, in today’s money, to $88,807. The real gain is $32,045 and the real return 4.0% a year. The scenarios with −2 and +2 points of return give $116,514 and $182,950 ($71,105 and $111,649 in today’s money).

Example 3. Raising the contribution 3% a year.
Starting with $300 a month and raising it 3% each year for 25 years at 7% with a 0.4% fee and 2.5% inflation: you paid in $131,253, the final value is $293,371 and, in today’s money, $158,241.

Explanation

What regular investing is

It means investing the same amount at regular intervals, without trying to guess the best moment. It has two practical advantages: it turns saving into a habit and reduces the risk of investing everything just before a fall.

DCA or a lump sum?

If you already have the money, historical studies (for example by Vanguard) find that investing it all at once beats DCA in most cases, because markets rise more often than they fall. DCA is mainly the natural way to invest when money arrives gradually, like a salary. This calculator does not compare the two: it projects your contribution plan.

Why look at the real value

A figure of $150,000 in 20 years does not buy what it does today. Dividing by cumulative inflation gives a much more honest picture, and the real return (after inflation and fees) is what measures how much your purchasing power grows.

The three scenarios

Future returns are uncertain. The table shows what would happen with 2 points less and 2 points more. The gap between scenarios is a reminder that the result is a range, not a number.

Common mistakes

Assuming the best historical period’s return.
Forgetting fees and inflation.
Stopping contributions when the market falls (just when DCA helps most).
Not raising the contribution when income rises.

Limits of this calculator

It assumes a constant return; in reality it fluctuates, and the order of years matters.
Contributions are at the end of each month.
It does not include tax on gains.
The fee is subtracted from the annual return; it does not model trading costs.
It accepts up to 60 years.

Notice

The result is a projection with the assumptions you enter, not a promise or financial advice.

Frequently asked questions

What is DCA?

Dollar-cost averaging: investing a fixed amount at regular intervals, for example every month, without trying to pick the best moment.

How much will I have if I invest $300 a month?

It depends on the return and the time: $300 a month for 20 years at 7% gives about $152,000 nominal; with 2.5% inflation and a 0.4% fee, about $89,000 in today’s money.

What is the real return?

The return after taking off inflation and fees: it measures how much your purchasing power grows.

Is DCA better than investing everything at once?

With money already available, investing a lump sum has historically tended to earn more, but with the risk of entering just before a fall. If the money arrives month by month, DCA is the natural choice.

Why are there three scenarios?

Because future returns are uncertain. They show the result with 2 points less and 2 points more return than your estimate.

How does raising the contribution each year help?

A lot over the long term: raising it 3% a year with your pay almost doubles what you pay in over 25 years and noticeably increases the final result.

Are taxes taken into account?

No. Gains may be taxed depending on your country and the product; subtract that effect separately.

Is my data sent to a server?

No. The calculation runs in your browser.

Sources and references

The formula behind this calculator is not ours. These are the sources it comes from, in APA 7 format, in case you want to go to the original or cite them in your own work.

Fisher, I. (1930). The theory of interest. Macmillan. The relationship between nominal rate, inflation and real rate.
Brealey, R. A., Myers, S. C., & Allen, F. (2020). Principles of corporate finance (13.ª ed.). McGraw-Hill Education. The future value of a series of regular contributions.

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