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.
Check the inputs: cost must be > 0 and margin must be < 100 %.
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)
- · Markup is based on cost; gross margin is based on sale price — don't conflate them (markup 100 % corresponds to margin 50 %).
- · Gross margin can never reach 100 % unless cost is zero, but markup can easily exceed 100 % — luxury goods and SaaS commonly run markups of 300 %–500 %.
- · This tool measures gross profit (price − direct cost) only. Net margin further deducts rent, payroll, tax, depreciation and other operating expenses.
- · Quick conversions: markup 25 % ↔ margin 20 %; markup 50 % ↔ margin 33.3 %; markup 100 % ↔ margin 50 %; markup 200 % ↔ margin 66.7 %.
- · A "4× markup" in F&B parlance usually means the sale price is 4 × cost — a markup of 300 % and a gross margin of 75 %.
- · References: Investopedia "Margin vs Markup"; Corporate Finance Institute "Gross Margin Formula".
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.
Related tools
Mortgage Monthly Payment Calculator
Enter property price, down payment, term and rate — get monthly payment, total interest and total payable.
Hong Kong Stamp Duty Calculator
Compute Ad Valorem Stamp Duty (AVD) on residential property at the latest rates.
Hong Kong Salaries Tax Calculator
Estimate Hong Kong salaries tax using both the progressive bands and the 15% / 16% two-tier standard rate (Year of Assessment 2024/25).
Hong Kong MPF Contribution Calculator
Hong Kong MPF contributions for employees, employers and self-employed persons using the statutory 5% rate with the $7,100 minimum and $30,000 maximum relevant income thresholds.
Compound Interest Calculator
Project the future value of a principal plus regular monthly or yearly contributions at a given annual rate, with total interest earned.
CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) Calculator
Compute the compound annual growth rate from a start value, end value and number of years — useful for comparing long-term growth.
ROI (Return on Investment) Calculator
Compute total profit, ROI % and annualised return from initial cost, final value and holding period — useful for comparing investments.
Inflation / Purchasing Power Calculator
Project the future purchasing power of an amount given an annual inflation rate and time horizon — and the nominal amount needed to keep up.
Break-Even Point Calculator
From fixed costs, variable cost per unit and selling price, find the units needed to cover all costs — plus break-even revenue, contribution margin, target-profit volume and margin of safety.
APR ↔ APY Calculator (Nominal vs Effective Annual Rate)
Convert a nominal annual rate (APR) at any compounding frequency to the effective annual yield (APY), or solve the inverse — essential for comparing credit-card, savings-account and mortgage rates.
Rule of 72 Calculator (Doubling Time)
Quickly estimate how many years to double your money at a given compound rate, or what rate is needed to double in a target period — with the exact logarithmic answer alongside.
Loan Payoff Time Calculator
From balance, monthly payment and APR, compute how many months until the loan is paid off, the total interest paid, and the minimum payment that just covers interest.
Savings Goal Calculator
Given goal amount, current savings, monthly deposit and APR, see how many months it takes to hit the target.
Annuity Payment Calculator
Enter principal, annual rate and number of periods to compute the fixed annuity payment (PMT formula) — essential for retirement-income planning.
Net-to-Gross Salary Calculator (Hong Kong)
Enter the after-tax salary you want to take home and the calculator works back to the gross figure you need to offer (HK MPF and salaries-tax aware).
Rental Yield Calculator
Enter property price, monthly rent and yearly expenses (rates, management, insurance, vacancy) to see both gross and net rental yield (%).
Dividend Yield Calculator
Enter annual dividend per share, share price, EPS and amount invested to compute dividend yield (%), payout ratio (%) and projected yearly income.
Sales Tax / VAT Calculator
Enter a price and a tax rate to compute the gross total and tax amount, or work backwards from a tax-inclusive price to the net amount.
Hong Kong Loan-to-Value (LTV) Ratio Calculator
Enter property value and loan amount to get the LTV ratio, the required down-payment, and a live check against HKMA caps and the HKMC mortgage insurance ceilings.
Present Value (PV) Calculator
Discount a future amount back to today using an annual rate, horizon and compounding frequency — get the present value, discount factor and effective annual rate.
Real Interest Rate (Fisher Equation) Calculator
Use the Fisher equation to strip inflation from a nominal rate and find the real return, with the common r ≈ i − π approximation alongside.
Safe Withdrawal Rate (4% Rule) Calculator
Apply the Trinity Study 4% rule: enter your retirement nest egg and a withdrawal rate to see the annual and monthly income it can support.