Calculated
Markup Calculator
Sign up to favourite this calculatorEnter your cost and either a markup, a target gross margin or a selling price to calculate the selling price, gross profit and gross margin — worked out either way.
Selling price per unit
Gross profit per unit
£50.00Markup
50.00%Gross margin
33.33%Quantity
1Total gross profit
£50.00- Cost per unit
- £100.00
- Selling price per unit
- £150.00
- Gross profit per unit
- £50.00
- Markup
- 50.00%
- Gross margin
- 33.33%
- Quantity
- 1
- Total cost
- £100.00
- Total sales value
- £150.00
- Total gross profit
- £50.00
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Assumptions and limits
- An estimate from the numbers you entered, for guidance only. It is not financial, tax or medical advice.
- Calculator version 1, last updated 25 October 2026.
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How to use this calculator
- Pick your currency at the top of the calculator panel. It sets the formatting only and does not convert the figures.
- Under Calculate from, choose which figure you already know: a markup, a target gross margin, or a selling price.
- Enter your cost per unit — what it actually costs you to buy, make or deliver one.
- Enter the matching field for your mode — the markup percentage, the target gross margin percentage, or the selling price per unit.
- Add a quantity if you want cash totals for more than one unit — it defaults to 1.
The results update as you type. The headline figure is the selling price (or, in "Cost + selling price" mode, the gross profit); the key metrics give gross profit, markup and gross margin together; the summary tab lists every figure, including the cost, quantity and totals.
What do I need to enter?
- Calculate from — Cost + markup, Cost + margin or Cost + selling price. It decides which of the three pricing fields is shown.
- Cost per unit — the direct cost to buy, make or deliver one item. Must be at least 0.01.
- Markup — the percentage added to cost, from 0% to 100,000%.
- Target gross margin — the share of the selling price kept as gross profit, from 0% up to 99.99%.
- Selling price per unit — the price charged before any discount. It may be below cost, which shows a loss.
- Quantity — the number of units, from 1 to 1,000,000. It scales the totals only, never the percentages.
What do the results show?
- Selling price per unit — the main figure in Cost + markup and Cost + margin modes. In Cost + selling price mode it is gross profit per unit instead.
- Gross profit per unit (Gross loss when negative) — the selling price minus the cost.
- Markup and Gross margin — gross profit as a percentage of cost, and of selling price.
- Quantity and Total gross profit — your units, and the profit per unit multiplied by them.
- Summary — every figure in one list, including total cost and total sales value. A short note appears for a loss or a break-even.
How markup works
Markup is calculated from cost. Margin is calculated from selling price. They are not the same percentage — the calculator keeps both in view so the two are never mistaken for one another.
Gross Profit = Selling Price − Cost
Markup % = (Gross Profit ÷ Cost) × 100
Gross Margin % = (Gross Profit ÷ Selling Price) × 100
Selling Price from Markup = Cost × (1 + Markup % ÷ 100)
Selling Price from Margin = Cost ÷ (1 − Margin % ÷ 100)
Example, in GBP: an item costing £100 with a 50% markup sells for £150. The gross profit is £50, but the gross margin is 33.33%, not 50%. Set the calculator to a different currency and the figures relabel themselves the same way, without changing any of the maths.
Markup and margin side by side
Because margin is always worked out against the larger selling price, a given markup always produces a smaller margin percentage — never the other way round.
| Markup | Selling price | Gross margin |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | £110.00 | 9.09% |
| 25% | £125.00 | 20.00% |
| 33.33% | £133.33 | 25.00% |
| 50% | £150.00 | 33.33% |
| 100% | £200.00 | 50.00% |
| 200% | £300.00 | 66.67% |
What if the selling price is below cost, or exactly equal to it?
Selling below cost happens — clearance stock, a quote that came in too low, a loss-leader — so the calculator allows it rather than blocking the input. When the selling price is below cost, "Gross profit" becomes "Gross loss", the amount is shown with a minus sign, and a note explains that the selling price is below your direct cost.
When the selling price exactly equals cost, gross profit, markup and gross margin all show as zero, labelled "Break-even before overheads" — you are covering the direct cost of the item but nothing towards rent, wages or any other overhead.
Important information
Important: this calculator works out selling price, markup and margin from the cost and pricing figures you enter. It does not account for overheads, tax, discounts or currency conversion — see the Profit Margin Calculator for a full revenue-to-net-profit breakdown once overheads and tax are in the picture.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between markup and margin?
Markup is gross profit as a percentage of cost; gross margin is the same gross profit as a percentage of selling price. Markup is calculated from cost. Margin is calculated from selling price. They are not the same percentage. An item costing £100 with a 50% markup sells for £150 — a £50 gross profit, which is a 50% markup but only a 33.33% gross margin.
How do you calculate selling price from cost and markup?
Selling price = Cost × (1 + Markup % ÷ 100). A £100 cost with a 50% markup gives £100 × 1.50 = £150. Switch the calculator to "Cost + markup" and enter your cost and markup percentage to see it worked out.
How do you calculate selling price from cost and a target margin?
Selling price = Cost ÷ (1 − Target margin % ÷ 100). A £100 cost with a 50% target gross margin gives £100 ÷ 0.50 = £200. Switch to "Cost + margin" and enter your cost and target margin — the required markup is shown alongside it, here 100%.
Why does a 50% markup give only a 33.33% margin?
Markup is profit divided by cost; margin is profit divided by the larger selling price, so margin is always a smaller percentage than markup on the same profit (once there is any profit at all). A £50 profit on a £100 cost is 50% of the £100 cost, but only 33.33% of the £150 selling price.
What markup do I need for a target margin, or the reverse?
Markup % = Margin % ÷ (100 − Margin %) × 100, and Margin % = Markup % ÷ (100 + Markup %) × 100. A 50% margin needs a 100% markup; a 100% markup gives a 50% margin. The table on this page lists more of these pairs, and the "Cost + margin" mode works the sum out for any figure you enter.
Can the selling price be lower than the cost?
Yes — the calculator allows it, because a below-cost price is still useful to review, for clearance pricing or a quote that turned out to lose money. When the selling price is below cost, the result shows a gross loss with a minus sign rather than an error, and a note explains that the price is below your direct cost.
What does it mean if gross profit is exactly £0.00?
A selling price equal to cost gives £0.00 gross profit, 0.00% markup and 0.00% gross margin — break-even before overheads. You are covering the direct cost of the item but nothing towards rent, wages, marketing or any other overhead, and no profit.
Does quantity change the markup or margin percentage?
No. Markup and gross margin are always worked out from the cost and selling price of one unit. Quantity only scales the cash totals — total cost, total sales value and total gross profit — leaving both percentages exactly as they are for a single unit.
Does changing the currency convert my figures?
No. The currency selector changes the formatting only — the symbol, the grouping and, for the yen, the decimal places. The cost, price and quantity you enter, and every calculated result, stay exactly as they are. There is no exchange rate involved.
What counts as "cost" in this calculator?
Cost per unit is the direct cost to buy, make or deliver one item, service or job — materials, direct labour, a wholesale price, a subcontractor's bill. It does not include overheads such as rent or admin, which is why a healthy markup on cost can still leave too little to cover the rest of the business — see the Profit Margin Calculator for a full revenue-to-net-profit breakdown.
Last updated 25 October 2026.