Example 1
150 and 90 -> 40.0% margin.
Margin on selling price calculator
Type selling price and cost. The result is what slice of the price is left after cost. At 100 and 70 that is 30% margin. That is not markup: a 25% markup on 80 makes a 100 price, and then margin is only 20%.
Markup on the same cost: markup percent. Price for a target margin: price from margin. Cash per unit: gross profit.
Result
Enter a value. The result shows up here.
How it works
Margin says how much of the price is left after cost. You subtract cost from price, divide by price, and multiply by one hundred. At 100 and 70 you keep 30 from every 100, so 30%. At 150 and 90 you keep 60 of 150, so 40%. When price equals cost, margin is zero: you sell at cost. When cost is higher, margin goes negative and you see a loss per unit, not a form error.
People mix this up with markup, because both look like “a profit percent.” Markup divides the same gap by cost, not by price. A 25% markup on 80 lifts the price to 100. On that 100 you keep 20, so margin is 20%, not 25%. To hold a 25% margin at a cost of 80, the price has to be about 106.67. That is already a 33% markup. Another pair: 100 and 70 is 30% margin, but about 43% markup.
Price must be greater than zero, because you divide by it. Cost zero at a positive price is 100% margin: the whole price is profit. Negative amounts will not run. Quantity does not change the percent on one unit. If you type 10 at 100 and 70, you see 1000 revenue, 700 cost, and 300 profit, and margin stays 30%.
Optional VAT treats the typed price as gross. Net is price divided by (1 plus VAT/100). The calculator then also reports margin on that net against cost, which we take as net. 123 at 23% VAT is 100 net. If cost is 70, margin on gross and margin on net are two different percents, both on the page.
The percent is a ratio. Optional money rows use the same currency you typed for price and cost. 100 and 70 stay 100 and 70 whether you label them dollars, euros, or zloty. A comma and a period in 99.90 mean the same amount. Skip thousand spaces.
The markup page next door computes the other fraction from the same pair. Price from margin goes the other way: you know cost and want 30% of the future price, not a percent from two ready amounts. Gross profit leaves the cash gap and does not divide.
How to use
- In selling price, type the amount, for example 100. Optional profit rows will use that same currency.
- In cost, type what one unit costs you, for example 70. Zero cost is fine and gives 100% margin.
- Click Calculate. 100 and 70 give 30.0%. 80 and 80 give 0.0%. 150 and 90 give 40.0%.
- Leave quantity empty if you are pricing one unit. 10 units at 100 and 70 keep 30% and show 300 total profit.
- Leave VAT empty when the price is already net. If you type 23, the calculator peels tax off the price and adds a net-margin row.
Formula
margin % = (price − cost) / price × 100
Price > 0. Cost ≥ 0. Negative margin means selling below cost. Mark-up divides by cost, not by price.
Margin, VAT, and markup in this calculator
The calculator divides profit by price. 100 and 70 give 30% margin. 123 at 23% VAT is 100 net, and net margin is then a second percent.
- margin
- The slice of price left after cost: (price − cost) / price × 100. At 100 and 70 that is 30. At 150 and 90 it is 40. Cost 0 at 100 is 100%.
- markup
- The same cash divided by cost, not by price. A 25% markup on 80 makes a 100 price and leaves only 20% margin in this calculator.
- VAT
- Optional tax treated as already inside a gross price. 123 at 23% peels to 100 net. An empty field leaves the 30% from 100 and 70 alone.
Real-life examples
Example 2
100 and 70 -> 30.0% of price.
Example 3
200 and 100 -> 50.0% margin.
Example 4
80 and 80 -> 0.0%, price = cost.
Example 5
120 and 90 -> 25.0% margin.
Example 6
50 and 40 -> 20.0% of price.
Example 8
250 and 200 -> 20.0% margin.
Ways to use this calculator
- You check that a 100 list price at cost 70 really holds 30% margin before you cut the price on a call.
- You compare two SKUs with different costs when someone says “I give 25%” and you do not know if that is margin or markup.
Frequently asked questions
What margin do I get at price 100 and cost 70?
30%. You keep 30 from every 100. At 150 and 90 it is 40%. At 80 and 80 it is 0%.
How is margin different from markup at a cost of 80?
A 25% markup on 80 makes a 100 price and only 20% margin. A 25% margin at the same 80 needs a price of about 106.67. That is already a 33% markup.
Is cost zero allowed?
Yes. Cost 0 at price 100 is 100% margin. Price 0 will not run, because we do not divide by zero.
What if cost 90 is higher than price 80?
Margin comes out negative, here −12.5%. That is a loss per unit. You still cannot type negative amounts in the fields.
Why type quantity if margin is a percent?
The percent on one unit does not change. Quantity scales revenue, cost, and profit so you see the batch. 10 times 100 and 70 is 300 profit and still 30%.
How does 23% VAT enter a 123 price?
123 is gross. Net is 123 / 1.23 = 100. Margin on net compares that 100 with cost, which we take as net.
Do 100 dollars and 100 euros give a different percent?
No. Margin is a ratio of two amounts. 100 and 70 is 30% in whatever currency you typed.
Does a comma in 99.90 work?
Yes. 99.90 and 99,90 are the same price. Skip thousand spaces.
Where do I set a price if I only know cost and want 30% margin?
On price from margin. There 70 and 30% give 100. Here you already need both amounts.
Why is the result one decimal, like 33.3%?
Price lists usually say 33.3%, not 33.333%. A tenth of a percent is enough at the label.
Knowledge sources
Margin is (price − cost) over price. This is arithmetic, not a valuation.
Page updated in 2026.