Markup Calculator

Calculate selling price from cost and markup — or find your markup from cost and price. Margin conversion included, updated live.

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Selling Price
Profit
Markup %
Margin %
Markup vs Margin

This is one of the most common pricing mistakes in small business. Markup and margin are calculated from different bases:

Markup % = (Selling Price − Cost) ÷ Cost × 100

Margin % = (Selling Price − Cost) ÷ Selling Price × 100

Example: You buy for $10 and sell for $15.

  • Markup = $5 ÷ $10 = 50%
  • Margin = $5 ÷ $15 = 33.3%

If you think in margin terms but price in markup terms, you'll underprice every product.

Markup → Margin Reference
Markup %Margin %
25%20.0%
33%24.8%
50%33.3%
100%50.0%
200%66.7%
400%80.0%
Frequently Asked Questions
What markup should I use for retail?

Retail markup varies widely by product category. Fashion and apparel typically use 100–200% (keystone pricing and above). Electronics are much lower at 10–30% due to thin margins. Specialty goods and handmade products can support 200–400% markup. Use your industry benchmarks as a starting point, then test price sensitivity.

What is keystone pricing?

Keystone pricing is doubling the wholesale cost — a 100% markup, which gives you a 50% margin. It was a traditional retail standard. Many modern retailers use it as a floor rather than a target, especially for premium or low-competition products.

How do I convert a target margin to a markup?

Use this formula: Markup % = Margin % ÷ (1 − Margin %). So a 40% target margin = 40 ÷ 0.60 = 66.7% markup. The reverse: Margin % = Markup % ÷ (1 + Markup %).

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