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Finance

Markup & Margin Calculator

Markup and gross margin are two different percentages computed from the same trade: markup is profit / cost, margin is profit / sale price. For any sale with positive profit, markup is always larger than margin. Pick a mode, enter the cost plus one of {markup %, margin %, sale price}, and get the other three together with profit and a line-item breakdown.

Known inputs

Selling price

HK$100

Profit

HK$20

Markup

25.0%

Gross margin

20.0%

Breakdown

Cost
HK$80
Profit
+HK$20
Selling price
HK$100

Gross figures — does not deduct rent, payroll, tax or other operating expenses.

Formula

profit = price − cost markup % = (profit / cost) × 100 margin % = (profit / price) × 100 from cost + markup: price = cost × (1 + markup%/100) from cost + margin: price = cost / (1 − margin%/100) conversion: margin = markup / (1 + markup) ; markup = margin / (1 − margin)

Frequently asked

What's the difference between markup and margin — aren't they the same?

Different denominators. With cost $80 and price $100 (profit $20): markup = 20/80 = 25 % (denominator = cost), margin = 20/100 = 20 % (denominator = price). Markup is always the larger number for any profitable sale. Vendors quote markup; finance reports show margin — mixing them up systematically over-prices or under-prices product, a classic retail mistake.

If I want a 30 % gross margin, what markup do I need to apply?

Use markup = margin / (1 − margin). Plugging in 0.30 / (1 − 0.30) = 0.30 / 0.70 ≈ 0.4286, you need a markup of about 42.86 %. A $70 cost item would be priced at 70 × 1.4286 = $100 to hit a 30 % margin. Use the "cost + margin" mode in this calculator to skip the manual conversion.

Why can't gross margin ever reach 100 %?

Because margin = profit / price = 1 − cost/price. For margin to hit 100 %, cost must be 0 (free inventory). If you enter a margin ≥ 100 %, the formula price = cost / (1 − margin/100) goes to infinity or flips negative, so the tool rejects it. Markup has no such ceiling because its denominator is cost.

What about net margin — is that the same as the gross margin here?

No. This tool computes gross margin = (price − direct/COGS cost) / price, i.e. before operating expenses. Net margin further deducts rent, payroll, utilities, marketing, depreciation, interest and tax. Retail typically runs 30–50 % gross margin but only 3–8 % net margin. Use this for pricing analysis; use a full P&L for bottom-line profit.

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