Free Markup Calculator — Cost to Selling Price
Enter your cost and the markup percentage you want to apply. Markup is calculated on cost, not on the selling price — that's the difference between markup and margin.
Example result
- You enter
- Cost per unit
- $30.00
- Desired markup
- 60%
- You get
- Selling price
- $48.00
- Profit per unit
- $18.00
- Equivalent margin
- 37.5%
Fictional numbers, to show how the result is laid out.
How it works
Markup is the percentage you add on top of your cost to arrive at a selling price: Selling Price = Cost × (1 + Markup%). It's the calculation most people reach for when pricing a new product, because it starts from the number you already know — what the item cost you — rather than working backward from a price.
The thing that trips people up is assuming a markup percentage and a margin percentage are the same number. A 100% markup (doubling your cost) is only a 50% margin, not a 100% margin — the gap between the two grows the higher the percentage gets, which matters if you're setting pricing targets across a whole product catalog.
If your team or a spreadsheet template asks for margin instead of markup, use the Profit Margin Calculator on the same numbers to get the matching figure.
A worked example: an item costs $30 and you apply a 60% markup. The selling price is $30 x 1.60 = $48, and the profit of $18 is 37.5% of the price. The markup is always larger than the margin on the same sale, so check the margin if you are aiming at a profit target.
If a supplier, spreadsheet or colleague quotes a percentage, ask whether it is markup or margin before you use it. The same number means a different price depending on which one it is.
Who uses this
| Business type | How it's used |
|---|---|
| Boutiques & retail stores | Apply a consistent markup from wholesale cost to a shelf price across an entire clothing or gift catalog. |
| Grocery & convenience stores | Set shelf prices from supplier cost with a standard markup, adjusted per category (perishables vs. packaged goods). |
| Wholesalers & distributors | Calculate the resale price to offer retail buyers from unit cost plus a target markup. |
| Handmade & craft sellers | Price an item from materials and labor cost with a markup that still looks reasonable next to mass-produced alternatives. |
| Restaurants & cafes | Set a menu price from plate cost (ingredients, portioning) using a target markup percentage. |
| Bakeries & coffee shops | Price a pastry or drink from ingredient and labor cost using a target markup. |
| Flower shops | Set an arrangement's price from stem and material cost using a standard markup. |
Frequently asked questions
Q.How do I convert markup to margin?
Margin = Markup ÷ (100 + Markup) × 100. A 50% markup is a 33.3% margin. They describe the same profit, just measured against different numbers — cost for markup, selling price for margin.
Q.What markup should I use for retail products?
A common starting point is 2x cost (a 100% markup, roughly 50% margin) for physical retail goods, though this varies widely by category and what the market will bear. Use it as a starting point, not a rule.
Q.Is this the same as a cost-to-price calculator?
Yes — markup calculator and cost-to-price calculator both describe the same tool: one that adds a percentage on top of your cost to find a selling price.