Retirement Calculator: Corpus, Required SIP & Monthly Income

This free retirement planning calculator answers the three questions every Indian investor needs answered: how large a corpus you need at retirement, how much monthly SIP will get you there, and what monthly income that corpus will generate once you stop working. It adjusts your expenses for inflation, credits your existing savings, applies separate pre-retirement and post-retirement returns, and shows a year-by-year corpus growth schedule. No login. No data stored. Everything runs in your browser.

What This Retirement Calculator Shows

Most retirement calculators in India show you a corpus number and stop there. This one goes all the way to an actionable plan.

8 outputs this calculator delivers

1. Inflation-adjusted target corpus. Your expenses today are not your expenses at retirement. At 6 percent annual inflation, expenses of Rs 50,000 per month today become approximately Rs 1,60,000 per month in 20 years. The calculator inflates your current expenses to your retirement date before computing the required corpus, so you never under-save.

2. Projected corpus from current investments. If you already have savings, the calculator grows them at your pre-retirement return rate to show their value on the day you retire. This is credited against your target, so you only plan for the actual shortfall.

3. Monthly SIP required to bridge the gap. Not a rough estimate. A precise figure based on compounding, your timeline and your existing savings.

4. Projected monthly income at retirement. Your corpus must generate income without running out before your life expectancy. The calculator shows the monthly income your corpus supports, adjusted for post-retirement returns and inflation during retirement.

5. Year-by-year corpus growth schedule. Watch your corpus build every year from today until retirement, on screen and in the downloadable CSV.

6. Instant shortfall or surplus flag. Green means on track. Red shows the exact gap and the extra monthly investment needed to close it.

7. Two planning modes. Estimate Corpus works backwards from your current expenses. I Have a Goal starts from your desired post-retirement monthly income and works forward.

8. Shareable plan, image and CSV export. Share a personalised link with family or your advisor, save the result as an image, or download the full schedule as CSV. No account needed.

What Is a Retirement Calculator?

A retirement calculator is an online financial planning tool that estimates how much money you will need to live comfortably after you stop working. It takes your current expenses, adjusts them for inflation over your remaining working years, then computes the total corpus required to fund that inflation-adjusted lifestyle for the rest of your life.

For Indian investors, a retirement calculator must account for four India-specific realities:

India-specific inflation. The RBI targets CPI inflation in the 4 to 6 percent band. Most financial planners use 6 percent as the conservative planning assumption.

Limited formal pension support. India’s pension system received a D grade in the Mercer CFA Institute Global Pension Index 2025, and only a small minority of elderly Indians receive any pension. Most salaried professionals must build their entire retirement corpus independently.

Rising life expectancy. Planning for the corpus to last until age 85 to 90 is now the standard recommendation, not age 75 as was common a decade ago.

Healthcare cost inflation. Medical costs in India inflate at roughly 10 to 14 percent per year, well above general CPI inflation.

The PlanMyReturns retirement calculator is built specifically around these Indian factors.

The Formula Behind This Retirement Calculator

The calculator uses four standard financial formulas, applied in sequence.

Step 1: Monthly expense at retirement (inflation adjustment)

Expense at retirement = Current monthly expense × (1 + i)^n

Where i is annual inflation and n is years to retirement.

Step 2: Target corpus (inflation-adjusted annuity)

Real rate r = (1 + post-retirement return) ÷ (1 + inflation) − 1

Target corpus = Annual expense at retirement × [1 − (1 + r)^−y] ÷ r

Where y is the number of retirement years (life expectancy minus retirement age). This is the present value of an annuity that grows with inflation while earning the post-retirement return.

Step 3: Projected corpus from what you already do

Projected corpus = Existing savings × (1 + R)^n + SIP future value

SIP future value = M × [((1 + R/12)^(12n) − 1) ÷ (R/12)] × (1 + R/12)

Where M is your monthly SIP and R is your annual pre-retirement return.

Step 4: Extra SIP needed

Extra SIP = (Target corpus − Projected corpus) ÷ SIP future value factor

Worked example. Age 30, retiring at 60, current expenses Rs 50,000 per month, existing savings Rs 10 lakh, current SIP Rs 20,000, inflation 6 percent, pre-retirement return 12 percent, post-retirement return 8 percent, life expectancy 85.

Expenses at 60 become roughly Rs 2.87 lakh per month. Target corpus works out to approximately Rs 5.9 crore. Existing savings grow to about Rs 3.6 crore and the SIP adds about Rs 7 crore, so the projected corpus of roughly Rs 10.6 crore comfortably exceeds the target. The calculator flags this plan as on track. Change any input above and your own numbers update instantly.

How Much Money Do You Need to Retire in India?

The honest answer: it depends on your expenses, retirement age, life expectancy and post-retirement returns. Here are reference points at 6 percent inflation and 7 percent post-retirement return.

These are indicative ranges. Enter your own numbers above for a personalized figure.

A common myth says you need only 70 to 80 percent of current expenses in retirement. Healthcare, travel and lifestyle costs often keep post-retirement spending at or above pre-retirement levels. Plan for 100 percent of current expenses, adjusted for inflation.

The 25x Rule: A Quick Retirement Corpus Check

The rule: you need approximately 25 times your annual expenses saved at retirement.

It comes from the Trinity study of US market data, which found a portfolio supporting a 4 percent annual withdrawal rate survives at least 30 years across historical market conditions.

Indian adjustment. With higher inflation here, most Indian planners use a 3.5 to 4 percent safe withdrawal rate, which means a 25 to 29 times multiplier.

Quick check: Required corpus = inflation-adjusted annual expenses ÷ 0.04

Example: Rs 12 lakh annual expenses at retirement ÷ 0.04 = Rs 3 crore.

Early retirees at 40 or 45 should use 3 to 3.5 percent withdrawal rates, which means 29 to 33 times annual expenses, because the corpus must last 45 to 50 years. The 25x rule is a reality check. The calculator above gives the precise, India-specific number.

How This Retirement Calculator Works: Both Modes Explained

Estimate Corpus mode (start from current expenses)

Step 1. Your current monthly expenses are inflated to your retirement date at your chosen inflation rate.

Step 2. The total corpus needed to fund that inflation-adjusted income from retirement age to life expectancy is computed using the annuity formula shown above, accounting for post-retirement returns and continuing inflation.

Step 3. Your existing savings are projected to retirement at the pre-retirement return and credited against the requirement.

Step 4. The gap becomes a precise monthly SIP figure using the SIP future value formula.

Step 5. Projected corpus is compared with target corpus and flagged as surplus or shortfall.

I Have a Goal mode (start from desired income)

Already know the monthly income you want after retirement? Enter it in today’s value. The calculator inflates it to your retirement date and computes the required corpus and the full monthly SIP needed, using the same methodology.

How to Use the PlanMyReturns Retirement Calculator

Step 1: Enter current age and retirement age

The gap between them is your accumulation period. Every extra year of head start sharply cuts the SIP required, because compounding gets more time.

Step 2: Enter current monthly expenses

Enter actual monthly spending: housing, food, transport, utilities, insurance, entertainment, healthcare. Exclude EMIs that end before retirement and children’s expenses if they will be independent by then.

Step 3: Enter existing corpus or savings

EPF balance, PPF balance, mutual funds, FDs earmarked for retirement. These are projected forward and credited against your target.

Step 4: Enter monthly SIP

Your current monthly investment toward retirement. The calculator shows whether it is enough.

Step 5: Adjust advanced settings

• Life expectancy: use 85 to 90 for conservative planning.
• Inflation: 6 percent is the standard Indian assumption.
• Pre-retirement return: 10 to 12 percent for equity-heavy portfolios, 8 to 10 percent for balanced.
• Post-retirement return: 6 to 7 percent, since you shift to safer instruments like SCSS, debt funds and annuities.

Step 6: Click Calculate

Target corpus, projected corpus, required SIP, monthly income and surplus or shortfall appear instantly, along with the chart and year-wise schedule.

Retirement Planning for Different Life Stages

In your 20s (age 22 to 30)

Time is your biggest asset. A 25-year-old investing Rs 5,000 per month at 12 percent CAGR for 35 years accumulates roughly Rs 3.24 crore by 60. Starting the same journey at 35 needs about Rs 16,000 per month for the same corpus. The key is starting, not the amount.

In your 30s (age 30 to 40)

The productive decade, with 25 to 30 years to retirement and peak earning years ahead. Target 10 to 12 times annual salary as retirement corpus, the thumb rule used by many Indian planners. Add your EPF balance to the existing corpus field for accuracy. Aim to direct 15 to 20 percent of take-home salary toward retirement.

In your 40s (age 40 to 50)

The catch-up decade. At 40 with 20 years left, Rs 15,000 per month at 12 percent grows to roughly Rs 1.5 crore by 60. Most urban households need 3 to 5 crore or more, so the gap may demand significant SIP increases. Run the calculator with your real numbers and work backwards from the shortfall it shows.

In your 50s (age 50 to 60)

Final accumulation phase. Focus shifts from growth to preservation. Even now, 10 years of equity SIPs can meaningfully grow the corpus. Begin structuring post-retirement income: SCSS, SWP from mutual funds, NPS annuity and rental income.

How Much SIP Is Needed to Build a Retirement Corpus?

Assumes retirement at 60, life expectancy 85, 6 percent inflation, 12 percent pre-retirement return.

The SIP requirement roughly triples with every 10-year delay. Starting early is the single most impactful retirement decision you can make.

Planning Early Retirement? Use the FIRE Calculator

FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) planning is growing fast among Indian professionals in their 30s and early 40s. Retiring at 45 instead of 60 means your corpus must last 40 to 45 years instead of 25, which pushes the multiplier from 25x to roughly 30 to 33x annual expenses.

You can run a quick FIRE check here by setting your retirement age to 40, 45 or 50 and life expectancy to 90. For a dedicated early-retirement analysis with FIRE-specific withdrawal rates and lean, regular and fat FIRE targets, use the PlanMyReturns FIRE Calculator.

Inflation: Why Most Indians Underestimate Their Corpus

Inflation is the most underestimated risk in retirement planning. At 6 percent annually:

• Rs 50,000 per month today becomes about Rs 1,60,000 per month in 20 years
• Rs 50,000 per month today becomes about Rs 2,87,000 per month in 30 years
• Rs 1 lakh today buys what Rs 3.2 lakh will buy in 20 years

The consequence. An investor who saves Rs 50 lakh believing it funds a Rs 50,000 per month lifestyle is making a serious error. At 7 percent post-retirement return, Rs 50 lakh generates only about Rs 29,000 per month, worth roughly Rs 9,000 in today’s purchasing power after 20 years of inflation.

This calculator applies inflation at two stages: before retirement, to project your future expenses, and during retirement, through the real return concept that compares post-retirement returns against inflation. This dual treatment produces accurate estimates, not optimistic ones. See how inflation erodes money over any period with the Inflation Calculator.

Pre-Retirement vs Post-Retirement Return: What to Enter

Your return assumptions are the most consequential inputs in the entire calculation.

Pre-retirement return (working years)

• Recommended: 10 to 12 percent for an equity-heavy portfolio (70 to 80 percent equity). This reflects realistic long-term Nifty 50 performance over 20 to 30 year periods.
• Conservative: 8 to 10 percent for a balanced 50-50 portfolio.
• Very conservative: 7 to 8 percent for debt-heavy or PPF-focused portfolios.

Do not project recent 5-year returns of 15 to 18 percent forward. Long-term averages of 10 to 12 percent hold across full market cycles.

Post-retirement return (after you stop working)

You shift to safer, income-generating instruments. Reference returns for 2025-26:

Recommended calculator input: 6.5 to 7 percent for a conservative post-retirement portfolio. Plan your withdrawal strategy with the SWP Calculator and check SCSS payouts with the Post Office Senior Citizen Saving Scheme Calculator.

Where to Build Your Retirement Corpus in India

Employee Provident Fund (EPF)

The foundational instrument for salaried employees. Both employee and employer contribute 12 percent of basic salary, earning 8.25 percent interest with EEE tax status after 5 years of service. Estimate your balance at retirement with the EPF Calculator.

National Pension System (NPS)

Equity funds have historically delivered 10 to 12 percent and corporate bond funds 8 to 9 percent. The exclusive Section 80CCD(1B) deduction of Rs 50,000 makes it tax-efficient. At 60, 60 percent withdraws tax-free and 40 percent buys an annuity. Project your corpus with the NPS Calculator.

Public Provident Fund (PPF)

Currently 7.1 percent with full EEE status and a 15-year lock-in. Maximum Rs 1.5 lakh per year. Estimate maturity with the PPF Calculator.

Equity mutual funds via SIP

The core wealth-creation engine. Equity SIPs have historically delivered 12 to 14 percent CAGR over 15 to 20 year periods in India. LTCG tax applies at 12.5 percent above Rs 1.25 lakh of gains per year. Model your accumulation with the SIP Calculator or a one-time investment with the Lumpsum Calculator.

Comparison at a glance

Compare the two long-term tax-free routes side by side with the PPF vs NPS Comparison Calculator, and check ELSS with the ELSS Calculator.

Healthcare: The Variable Most Indians Miss

Medical inflation in India runs at 10 to 14 percent per year, roughly double general CPI inflation.

• A procedure costing Rs 1 lakh today will cost about Rs 2.6 lakh in 10 years at 10 percent medical inflation
• The same procedure will cost about Rs 6.7 lakh in 20 years

How to account for it here: add a 25 percent healthcare buffer to your monthly expenses input. If you spend Rs 50,000 per month, enter Rs 62,500. Also purchase a comprehensive health insurance policy with a Rs 25 to 50 lakh sum insured before age 60, while underwriting is still favourable.

Benefits of Using This Retirement Calculator

• Dual-stage inflation adjustment. Expenses are inflated to retirement, and the corpus math continues to respect inflation through retirement. Most Indian calculators do only the first half.
• Credits your existing savings. You plan only for the real gap, not a scary gross number.
• Two directions of planning. Check your current SIP, or reverse-engineer the SIP for a target income.
• Full transparency. The formula is published above and the year-wise schedule is downloadable.
• Privacy-first. All calculations run in your browser. Nothing is stored or transmitted.
• Free forever, no login, no spam.

Limitations and Assumptions

• Returns are assumed constant. Real markets deliver returns unevenly, and sequence-of-returns risk in early retirement years can matter.
• Taxes on withdrawals are not modelled. LTCG on equity, interest income tax on FDs and annuity taxation reduce net income. Estimate your liability with the Income Tax Calculator.
• A single inflation rate applies to all expenses. Healthcare inflates faster, which is why the 25 percent buffer is recommended.
• One-time retirement events (children’s weddings, home purchases) are not included. Plan these separately with the Marriage Planning Calculator and Dream Home Calculator.
• Projections are estimates, not guarantees. Review your plan annually.

Common Retirement Planning Mistakes to Avoid

1. Ignoring inflation entirely. Planning a corpus around today’s expenses is the most expensive mistake in Indian retirement planning. A plan built on Rs 50,000 per month collapses when actual expenses hit Rs 1.6 lakh.

2. Assuming expenses fall after retirement. Healthcare and lifestyle costs usually replace commuting and work costs. Plan for 100 percent of current expenses.

3. Using recent bull-market returns. Entering 15 to 18 percent as your pre-retirement return produces a dangerously small SIP figure. Use 10 to 12 percent.

4. Forgetting the EPF and NPS you already have. Leaving existing corpus at zero overstates your gap and can discourage you from starting. Add every retirement-tagged asset.

5. Stopping SIPs during market corrections. Corrections are when SIPs buy the most units. Pausing during downturns undoes the core advantage of rupee cost averaging.

6. Retiring without an income strategy. Accumulation is half the plan. Map your corpus into SCSS, SWP and annuities before your last working day.

7. No emergency fund alongside retirement savings. Without one, a job loss or medical event forces you to break long-term investments. Build 6 months of expenses first using the Emergency Fund Calculator.

Expert Tips to Strengthen Your Retirement Plan

• Step up your SIP by 10 percent every year. A Rs 10,000 SIP stepped up annually can build 60 to 80 percent more corpus than a flat SIP over 25 years.
• Rebalance toward debt as retirement nears. Follow a glide path: reduce equity exposure roughly 5 percent every year during the final 10 working years.
• Track your total position annually. Recalculate here every year and monitor overall progress with the Net Worth Calculator.
• Use NPS for the extra Rs 50,000 deduction. Section 80CCD(1B) sits above the 80C limit and directly reduces taxable income.
• Keep 2 to 3 years of expenses liquid at retirement. This bucket protects you from selling equity in a downturn during early retirement years.
• Guaranteed floor, growth ceiling. Cover essential expenses with SCSS, annuities and government schemes like the Atal Pension Yojana, and fund discretionary spending from market-linked SWP.

Key Takeaways

• Most Indian households need a retirement corpus of 25 to 30 times their inflation-adjusted annual expenses.
• At 6 percent inflation, expenses roughly triple every 20 years. Any plan ignoring inflation will fail.
• Rs 50,000 monthly expenses today typically require a corpus of Rs 2.1 to 2.8 crore for retirement at 60.
• The required SIP roughly triples for every 10-year delay in starting.
• Use 10 to 12 percent pre-retirement and 6.5 to 7 percent post-retirement return assumptions.
• Add a 25 percent healthcare buffer to your expense input.
• Recalculate annually and after every major life event.

Last updated: July 2026. Rates and tax rules reflect FY 2026-27 as applicable.

Disclaimer: This calculator and content are for informational and educational purposes only and do not constitute financial advice. Projections are based on assumed rates of return and inflation. Actual outcomes will vary. Consult a SEBI-registered investment adviser before making investment decisions.

Frequently Asked Questions