Mr Calcu | Instantly see if your project is over or under budget with our powerful cost variance calculator.

Analyze budget health and optimize spending with our EVM-based cost variance calculator. Uncover overruns fast and make confident project decisions.

Project Cost Variance Calculator Description

What is Project Cost Variance?

Project Cost Variance (CV) is a critical Earned Value Management (EVM) metric. It compares the value of work completed against the actual cost spent so far.

Formula for Cost Variance

CV = EV - AC

Where:

• EV (Earned Value) = % Complete × Planned Value (PV)
• AC (Actual Cost) = Total cost incurred to date

A positive CV means you're under budget. A negative CV means you're over budget. A zero CV? You're exactly on budget.

Edge Cases to Know

• CV = 0: You're right on budget—good job!
• EV = 0%: If no work is done but money is spent, CV will be fully negative.
• AC = 0: If you've done work but spent nothing, CV will be very positive.
• EV > PV: Can occur when projects are ahead of schedule or fast-tracked.
• Invalid % Complete: Values must be between 0 and 100.

Real-World Mini Case Studies

IT Infrastructure Upgrade:
A company planned a $50,000 upgrade. At 40% completion, AC = $30,000. EV = $20,000 → CV = -$10,000. They're over budget halfway through.

Residential Construction:
Budgeted at $200,000. At 75% completion, AC = $140,000. EV = $150,000 → CV = $10,000. The project is running under budget!

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