Alcohol cost calculator
Enter what a drink costs and how many you have in a week to see what it adds up to over the years.
Settings
Drinking both at home and out? Use an average price.
What it adds up to
- Per month
- $0.00
- 1 year
- $0.00
- 5 years
- $0.00
How the cost of drinking is calculated
The yearly cost is the price per drink × drinks per week × 52 weeks. The monthly cost is a twelfth of that, and the 5- and 10-year totals use today’s prices without inflation.
Six beers a week at $7 each add up to about $2,180 a year and almost $22,000 in ten years. If you drink both at bars and at home, use an average price, or work out each separately and add them up.
The “If you invested it instead” box shows what the same money would grow to if you invested it every month, at a 4% yearly return over 10 years. The calculator counts only what the drinks cost; health effects come on top. If you want to cut down, your doctor or a local alcohol helpline can help.
Frequently asked questions
How much do I spend on alcohol in a year?
Multiply the price of a drink by the drinks you have in a week and by 52. Six drinks a week at $7 each is $2,184 a year.
How much would I save by drinking less?
Enter the number of drinks you would like to cut down to and compare. Going from 6 to 3 drinks a week at $7 each saves $1,092 a year and $10,920 in ten years.
What if I invested the money instead?
The “If you invested it instead” box shows what you would have after 10 years if you invested the money every month instead of spending it, at a 4% yearly return compounded monthly. Six $7 drinks a week is $182 a month, which grows to about $26,700 – $21,840 of your own money and the rest returns. Taxes, fees and inflation are left out. It is an example, not investment advice.