Forex Margin Calculator
Work out how much margin a position requires before you open it. Enter your trade size, leverage, and (if your account currency differs from the pair's base currency) the conversion rate.
How the calculation works
Required margin = lots × contract size × conversion rate ÷ leverage. For a EURUSD position on a USD account, the base currency is EUR, so the conversion rate is the current EURUSD price. For a standard lot (100,000 units) at 1:30 leverage and EURUSD 1.10, that's 100,000 × 1.10 ÷ 30 ≈ $3,667.
Margin is not a cost - it's collateral your broker sets aside while the position is open. What actually determines your risk is your stop distance and position size, not your leverage. Size positions with the position size calculator first, then check the margin fits your account.
Frequently asked questions
Does higher leverage mean higher risk?
Not by itself. Leverage changes how much margin is reserved, not how much you lose when your stop is hit - that's set by your position size and stop distance. Higher leverage does let you open larger positions than your account can safely carry, which is where accounts get hurt.
What happens if my free margin runs out?
Your broker issues a margin call and, past its stop-out level, closes positions automatically. Keeping required margin well below your equity leaves room for drawdown.
What contract size should I use?
100,000 for standard forex lots, 10,000 for mini-lot accounts. Gold is typically 100 oz per lot and indices vary by broker - check your contract specification in MetaTrader.
More free tools: risk of ruin, drawdown recovery, compounding, or the full tools hub. Prefer not to size trades by hand at all? Nebula builds and validates complete MT4/MT5 systems with risk rules included.
Educational tool, not financial advice. Trading involves risk.