Tariff Cost Calculator
Tariffs are a tax on imports — and research finds most of the cost lands on US shoppers through higher shelf prices. Enter what your household spends each month in each category to estimate your share of the bill.
Extra cost / year
$1,288
Your estimated tariff bill
Extra cost / month
$107.30
Added to your regular spending
Biggest hit
Clothing & footwear
$237.60 a year
Tariff share of spending
5.9%
Across the goods above
How it works
For each category, the calculator multiplies your monthly spending by an effective tariff cost rate. That rate combines how much of the category is imported, the average 2026 tariff on those imports, and the share of the tariff that studies find is passed on to consumers in higher prices. Add the categories up, multiply by 12, and you get an annual estimate.
At the defaults above — a fairly typical household basket of about $1,810 a month in goods — the extra cost comes to roughly $1,290 a year. That sits inside the range published by non-partisan research groups: the Tax Foundation, the Yale Budget Lab and the Peterson Institute have put the average household cost of the current tariff regime at roughly $800 to $2,400 a year, depending on the assumptions used. Big-ticket years — a car, appliances, a renovation — push a household toward the top of that range.
Why tariffs show up in your shopping basket
A tariff is collected at the border, but the importer paying it has three choices: absorb it, push it back onto the foreign supplier, or pass it to you. Years of research on earlier tariff rounds — and tracking of 2025–26 prices — finds the third option dominates for consumer goods: shelf prices rise by close to the full amount of the tariff within a few months. That is why economists across the spectrum describe tariffs as a tax on the country that charges them.
The hit is uneven. Clothing, toys and electronics are mostly made abroad, so they carry the highest extra cost per dollar spent. Food carries the lowest — most of what Americans eat is grown at home — though imported coffee, fruit, seafood and chocolate still get pricier. Lower-income households feel tariffs most sharply as a share of income, because they spend more of it on exactly the goods that are tariffed hardest. Tariff costs also stack on top of ordinary inflation: our US Inflation Calculator shows what rising prices have already done to the value of a dollar since 2020, and RoboVez covers tariff policy day by day in our politics coverage.
Frequently asked questions
How much do tariffs cost the average US household in 2026?
Published estimates range from about $800 to $2,400 per household per year. The Tax Foundation, Yale Budget Lab and Peterson Institute estimates differ because they assume different pass-through rates and tariff coverage. This calculator lands near $1,290 a year at typical spending — enter your own spending for a personal figure.
Who actually pays a tariff — China or US consumers?
The US importer writes the check to US Customs, and research on past tariff rounds finds most of that cost is passed into US retail prices. Foreign suppliers absorb only a small share through lower prices, so the practical answer is: mostly US consumers.
Which products are hit hardest by tariffs?
Clothing and footwear, toys and games, consumer electronics and appliances — categories where most supply is imported and tariff rates are high. That is why this calculator applies its highest rates (9–11%) there and its lowest (3%) to groceries.
How is my estimate calculated?
Each category's monthly spending is multiplied by an effective tariff cost rate that blends the category's import share, the average 2026 tariff rate on those imports, and the pass-through share found in published research. The category results are added together and multiplied by 12 for the yearly figure.
Why is my number different from what I read in the news?
News figures are averages across all households. Your cost depends on what you actually buy: a year with a new car, phone and sofa costs far more than a year of mostly groceries and services. Services — rent, health care, haircuts — carry almost no direct tariff cost.
Do tariffs raise prices even on goods made in the USA?
Often, yes. US-made goods that compete with imports tend to rise in price too, because domestic producers price against the (now more expensive) imported alternative, and many "US-made" goods contain imported parts and materials that are tariffed at the border.
If tariffs are removed, will prices fall back?
Historically, only slowly and partially. Supply chains, contracts and shelf-price structures adjust to the new level, so prices rarely return to exactly where they started even when a tariff is lifted.
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Disclaimer: this calculator is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not financial advice. RoboVez does not provide investment, tax, or lending advice — consult a qualified professional before making financial decisions.