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Margin and Markup Calculator

Convert between margin and markup — the two are not the same, and confusing them is how businesses underprice.

Markup is profit as a percentage of cost.

Results update as you type
Results
Price
$100.00
Profit per unit
Margin
Markup
Price as a multiple of cost
The common mistake
Reviewed September 2026. Management accounting arithmetic: the same formulas in every market, in your own currency. ASIC has repeatedly warned about non-IFRS measures such as EBITDA being presented more prominently than statutory profit.
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About margin and markup

How the margin and markup calculator works

Markup is profit as a percentage of cost. Margin is profit as a percentage of price. Same money, different denominator, and the numbers diverge fast: a 50% markup is a 33.3% margin, and a 100% markup is a 50% margin.

The practical error runs one way. A shop wanting a 40% margin who applies a 40% markup ends up with a 28.6% margin — a quarter of the intended profit gone, on every sale, usually undetected until the year-end accounts.

Enter any two of cost, price and either percentage; the rest follow.

Formula: margin = profit/price; markup = profit/cost; margin = markup/(1+markup)

Worked examples

InputsPriceNote
Cost 60, target margin 40%$100.00price 100
Cost 60, markup 40%$84.00price 84 — only a 28.6% margin
Cost 60, price 100$100.0040% margin, 66.7% markup

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between margin and markup?

Markup is profit over cost; margin is profit over price. A 50% markup is a 33.3% margin.

How do I convert markup to margin?

margin = markup / (1 + markup). A 40% markup gives 0.4/1.4 = 28.6%.

Why does confusing them cost money?

Because applying your target margin as a markup underprices every sale. A 40% target applied as markup delivers 28.6%.

Which should I price on?

Margin, because it relates directly to the revenue line in your accounts. Markup is the easier arithmetic at the counter.

Can margin exceed 100%?

No — profit cannot exceed the price. Markup has no upper limit.

Where these figures come from

Last checked: September 2026. These are standard management-accounting definitions; where a term has no single agreed definition, the page says so.