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FREE FOREX TRADING COST TOOL

Spread Cost Calculator

Estimate the dollar cost of the bid-ask spread for one forex position and across a repeated trading sample.

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CALCULATOR INPUTS

Enter your planning values

CALCULATED OUTPUT

Your planning estimate

Enter or adjust the values, then select Calculate results.

STEP-BY-STEP

How to use this tool

  1. Enter the position size in standard lots.
  2. Copy the realistic spread for the symbol and session—not only the broker’s minimum advertised spread.
  3. Confirm the account-currency pip value for one standard lot.
  4. Enter the number of completed trades in the sample.
  5. Optionally enter expected gross profit per trade to measure cost drag.
  6. Compare the result with the broker statement and the Commission-per-Lot Calculator.
WORKED EXAMPLE

See the calculation in context

At one standard lot, a 1.2-pip spread and $10 pip value create an estimated $12 spread cost per completed position. Across 10 trades, that is $120 before commission, slippage, or financing.

Calculation method

Spread cost per trade = position size in standard lots × spread in pips × pip value per standard lot. Sample spread cost = cost per trade × completed trades.

AVOID THESE ERRORS

Common mistakes

  1. Using the minimum advertised spread for every session
  2. Assuming spread is charged only when closing
  3. Forgetting that pip value changes by pair and account currency
  4. Ignoring wider spreads around rollover or news
  5. Leaving commission and slippage out of the complete cost review
  6. Comparing strategies without normalizing position size
FREQUENTLY ASKED

Questions and answers

Is spread charged twice?

The bid-ask difference generally appears as an immediate unrealized cost when the position opens; this calculator models that full quoted spread once per completed position.

Why can actual spread cost differ?

Spreads can float, fills can slip, and pip value or currency conversion may change.

Does this include commission?

No. Use the Commission-per-Lot Calculator and combine all costs for a complete estimate.

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USEFUL NEXT TOOLS

Continue the workflow

FREE TOOLCommission-per-Lot CalculatorCalculate per-side, round-turn, and sample commission from the broker’s per-lot rate, position size, and number of trades.FREE TOOLCurrency Pair Profit CalculatorEstimate forex profit or loss from direction, entry, exit, position size, pip size, pip value, and trading costs.FREE TOOLForex Pip Value CalculatorCalculate the estimated pip value for a forex position using the pair price, lot size, contract size, pip size, and an optional quote-to-account currency conversion rate.
Educational-use notice.

Outputs are planning estimates, not investment advice or guarantees. Verify instrument specifications, fees, prices and binding prop-firm rules with the relevant official source before relying on any result.