Bonuses

Forex Margin Calculator

Updated 31 October 2026 · Written by Broker Atlas Guides Desk · Data checked by Broker Atlas Data Desk

Short answer

Required margin = contract size × lots × price ÷ leverage, in the quote currency. On USD/JPY with a USD account the price cancels out, so 1 lot at 1:500 needs $200. On EUR/USD, 0.5 lots at 1.0800 and 1:1000 needs $54. The calculator assumes one standard lot is 100,000 units (100 oz for gold) and that your broker applies the leverage you enter to that instrument.

Required margin—

Results are estimates; actual terms vary by broker and account.

How to use it

  • Pair: USD/JPY, EUR/USD, GBP/USD or gold (XAU/USD).
  • Lots: the volume you would type into the MT4/MT5 order window. 1.00 is a standard lot, 0.10 a mini lot, 0.01 a micro lot (lot sizes explained).
  • Price: the current rate of that pair, from the Market Watch window. For USD/JPY the price only affects the yen line under the result.
  • Leverage: the leverage your account actually applies to this instrument. You’ll find the account leverage in the broker’s client portal; MT4/MT5 also show it under the account name in the Navigator. Check the broker’s leverage page for per-instrument limits.

The result is in US dollars, the usual account currency at offshore brokers. For USD/JPY you also get the yen equivalent.

The formula

Required margin = contract size × lots × price ÷ leverage, converted into your account currency.

Instrument Contract size Margin in USD
USD/JPY 100,000 USD 100,000 × lots ÷ leverage
EUR/USD, GBP/USD 100,000 EUR or GBP 100,000 × lots × price ÷ leverage
XAU/USD (gold) 100 oz 100 × lots × price ÷ leverage

On USD/JPY the base currency is the dollar, so in a USD account the position’s value is simply the dollars you buy or sell. On EUR/USD you’re buying euros, so the euro amount is converted at the rate. Gold is priced per ounce in dollars.

Worked examples

Example 1: USD/JPY. 1 lot, price 150.00, leverage 1:500. 100,000 × 1 ÷ 500 = $200 (≈ ¥30,000 at 150.00).

Example 2: gold. 0.1 lots of XAU/USD, price 2,400, leverage 1:500. 100 × 0.1 × 2,400 ÷ 500 = $48.

A third check you can run: EUR/USD, 0.5 lots, 1.0800, 1:1000 gives 100,000 × 0.5 × 1.08 ÷ 1,000 = $54.

What the result means, and its limits

Required margin is the amount locked as soon as the position opens. What’s left is free margin, which absorbs losses. When losses eat into it, your margin level (equity ÷ used margin × 100) falls, and below the broker’s stop-out level positions are closed. Work that out with the margin level calculator and the stop-out level calculator.

Things the calculator doesn’t know:

  • Instrument-specific leverage. Many brokers set lower leverage on gold, indices and crypto than on currencies, or fix it. Titan FX’s leverage table, for example, lists separate limits per instrument group (Titan FX leverage).
  • Equity tiers and news rules. Several offshore brokers cut maximum leverage as your equity grows, or raise margin around major releases. See how Exness and AXIORY set theirs.
  • Hedged positions. Some brokers charge reduced or no margin for opposite positions on the same symbol; the calculator counts one position.
  • Contract size. Cent and micro accounts can use smaller contracts. Check the symbol specification in MT4/MT5 (right-click the symbol, then Specification).

Leverage doesn’t change how much a pip is worth; it only changes how much of your balance is tied up. That’s why a small margin requirement can still carry a large risk: see leverage explained and risk management with high leverage.

If you want to compare brokers’ maximum leverage, the high leverage comparison shows the published limits, and the negative balance protection list shows which brokers state they absorb a negative balance.

Frequently asked questions

How much margin do I need for 1 lot of USD/JPY?

With a USD account it's 100,000 ÷ your leverage: $200 at 1:500, $100 at 1:1000. The yen figure depends on the rate: at 150.00, $200 is about ¥30,000.

Why does my broker show a different margin from the calculator?

Usually because the instrument has its own leverage (gold, indices and crypto often do), your leverage was reduced by an equity tier or a news rule, or the contract size differs from 100,000 units.

Is required margin the most I can lose?

No. Margin is a deposit that's locked while the trade is open. Your loss depends on how far price moves, and can exceed the margin.

Does higher leverage make a trade riskier?

Not on its own: the same lot size gains or loses the same amount at any leverage. Higher leverage lets you open bigger positions with less margin, and that's where the risk comes from.