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As the cost of living continues to rise, so does the amount of money you’ll need to retire comfortably. a fresh Clever Real Estate Survey Asked current retirees how much they believe you need to retire well in 2026 — and that’s $244,000 more than you’ll need in 2025.
Here’s a look at how many retirees believe you need to retire in 2026, and why it’s increased so dramatically.
Why retirees think the essential nest egg has ballooned so much
If you’re planning to retire this year, retirees say you should have a fairly healthy nest egg. According to the retirees surveyed, new retirees need an average of $823,800 saved and invested to retire comfortably in 2026. This is a significant increase from the figure of $580,310 estimated for the previous year.
“The most likely reason for such a dramatic increase in numbers from 2025 to 2026 is another year of continued inflation,” said Nick Pisano, data author at Clever Real Estate. “Retirees may have been able to shrug off price increases in the past as temporary, but with prices still rising after half a decade, many may have assumed this could be the ‘new normal’.
“So, they are also adjusting their expectations about how much money their peers need to retire comfortably.”
The gap between what retirees have saved and what they think you need
While retirees say you need about $824,000 to retire comfortably, the typical retiree only has $288,700 saved. Less than 1 in 4 (23%) had half a million or more saved when they retired.
“One reason the average retirees we surveyed saved significantly less amounts is that, on average, they had been retired for more than a decade and had spent a significant portion of what they had saved when they retired,” Pisano said. “However, it is also possible that this is both wishful thinking and caution on the part of current retirees.”
Some people may assume that other retirees are living more active – and more expensive – lifestyles, traveling or pursuing expensive hobbies.
“It’s a relatively common image in pop culture and media, so retirees may assume that their peers are spending more than them,” Pisano said. “Alternatively, others may be a little cautious about the amount they need to retire if they have been struggling to adjust their budgets to cope with rising prices in recent years.”
With rising prices reshaping expectations, many Americans may find themselves rethinking what a “comfortable” retirement will look like in the coming years.