For families & retirees

Long-Term Care Cost Calculator

See how care costs could affect your retirement savings before a crisis forces your family to guess.

A simple free calculator for estimating care cost pressure, monthly funding gaps, and how long savings may last.

Private estimate
No login required
Educational tool
Free calculator

Estimate Your Care Cost Risk

Private estimate

Your estimate updates automatically as you change the numbers.

This estimate is for educational purposes only and does not replace professional advice.

Your estimate
Monthly funding gap
$6,900
$82,800 per year
Years savings may last
5.1yrs
Planning horizon: 20 yrs
Possible run-out age
Age 73
If care continues at this cost
Care cost pressure
High risk of running out

On these assumptions, savings could be exhausted well within your planning horizon. Consider exploring care funding options.

The full toolkit

Need the full private offline planner?

The Retirement Care Cost Planner includes scenario comparison, year-by-year projections, a printable report, backup and restore, and private offline use.

  • Compare nursing home, in-home care, and assisted living
  • See a year-by-year projection
  • Print a planning report
  • Save and restore your data
  • Use it privately offline
Download the Full Offline Planner

Sold as a downloadable digital product.

Why this matters

Why care costs can change retirement planning fast

Many families plan for retirement income and savings, but never simulate what happens if care costs appear suddenly. A monthly care expense can create a funding gap that draws down savings much faster than expected.

The shift can happen in a single conversation with a hospital discharge planner. One month you are managing on a steady income; the next, you are paying $5,000 to $10,000 a month out of pocket — and the numbers you used to plan retirement no longer apply.

Looking at the math early, while no one is in crisis, makes the choices feel smaller. You can compare scenarios, talk as a family, and decide what to do before a decision is forced on you.

Care scenarios

Types of long-term care costs to consider

The right number to enter depends on the kind of care you are planning around. Three common scenarios:

In-home care

Part-time or full-time help at home can create a significant monthly cost, especially when care hours increase over time.

Assisted living

Assisted living may combine housing, meals, supervision, and personal care services. Actual costs vary widely by location and level of support.

Nursing home care

Nursing home care is often one of the highest-cost care scenarios and can put strong pressure on retirement savings if paid out of pocket.

Under the hood

How this calculator works

Three straightforward formulas. No black box, no surprises. You can run the same numbers on paper.

Monthly funding gap
monthly care cost + monthly living expensesmonthly income
Annual funding gap
monthly funding gap × 12
Estimated years covered
current savings ÷ annual funding gap

The calculator uses simplified assumptions to help you start understanding the numbers. It does not adjust for inflation, investment returns, taxes, Medicare or Medicaid eligibility, insurance benefits, or changes in care intensity over time. The Full Offline Planner adds scenario comparison, year-by-year projections, printable reports, and offline private use, but it still uses simplified assumptions and does not replace professional advice.

Which tool fits

Free Calculator vs. Full Offline Planner

Start with the free calculator to see if there's a funding gap to worry about. Move to the full planner when you're ready to compare scenarios and print a report.

On this page
Free
Free Calculator
  • Single care cost estimate
  • Basic funding gap
  • Estimated savings duration
  • Runs on this page in your browser
  • Printable report not included
Use the Free Calculator
Downloadable
One-time purchase
Full Offline Planner
  • Three care scenarios in one view
  • Nursing home, in-home care, and assisted living
  • Year-by-year projection
  • Printable planning report
  • Backup and restore your data
  • Private offline use — your data stays on your computer
  • Quick Start Guide PDF
Download the Full Offline Planner
Common questions

FAQ

Short, clear answers about long-term care planning and how this tool fits.

A long-term care cost calculator estimates how monthly care expenses — in-home help, assisted living, or a nursing home — could affect savings over time. It compares income, expenses, and care cost to project a monthly funding gap and how long savings may cover that gap.
About

About Care Cost Clarity

Care Cost Clarity was created to help families look at care cost risks more clearly before urgent decisions appear. The tools are educational, simple, and built to encourage better planning conversations — at the kitchen table, not in a hospital hallway.

Created by Stefano Benvenuti, an independent digital product maker focused on practical planning tools for families and retirees.

Disclaimer

This calculator is for educational and informational purposes only. It does not constitute financial, legal, tax, medical, insurance, or elder-care advice. Estimates are simplified and may not reflect actual costs in your location or personal situation. Always verify care costs and consult qualified professionals before making decisions.