3D Print Cost Calculator
3D print cost from model weight, filament price per kg, print time, printer watts and electricity rate, plus an optional waste allowance, wear and labor. How it works
Use the 3D Print Cost Calculator
About the 3D Print Cost Calculator
A 3D print costs its filament (grams ÷ 1000 × price per kg) plus its electricity (watts × hours ÷ 1000 × price per kWh), plus a percentage allowance on both. At the 3D Print Cost Calculator's starting rates ($20/kg, 150 W, $0.15/kWh) filament is 2 cents a gram and power 2.25 cents an hour, so filament is most of the bill: a 250 g, 12-hour print is $5.80, of which $5.00 is filament and $0.27 electricity.
Print cost at the starting rates
| Model weight | Print time | Filament | Electricity | Allowance (10%) | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 g | 1 h | $0.40 | $0.02 (0.15 kWh) | $0.04 | $0.46 |
| 100 g | 5 h | $2.00 | $0.11 (0.75 kWh) | $0.21 | $2.32 |
| 250 g | 12 h | $5.00 | $0.27 (1.80 kWh) | $0.53 | $5.80 |
| 1,000 g | 40 h | $20.00 | $0.90 (6.00 kWh) | $2.09 | $22.99 |
$20/kg filament, 150 W average power and $0.15/kWh, the calculator's starting values, which are examples rather than measurements. Each line is rounded to the cent.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a 3D print cost per gram?
- The calculator divides the total by the grams and by the print hours. A 250 g, 12-hour print at the starting rates is $5.80, which is $0.0232 per gram and $0.4833 per print hour; a 1,000 g, 40-hour print is $22.99 in all, $0.023 per gram.
- How much electricity does a 3D printer use?
- kWh = average watts × hours ÷ 1000, so 150 W for 5 hours is 0.75 kWh, which is $0.11 at $0.15/kWh. The 150 W is an example, not a measurement: a plug-in power meter gives your own printer's average.
- Is the waste and failure allowance a failure rate?
- No. It is a percentage added on top of filament and electricity. If a share p of your prints fail, a good print costs the print cost ÷ (1 − p): 50% failures double the cost, where a 50% allowance adds half. Set the allowance to the markup you want.
- Does the cost include labor or printer wear?
- Both, if you ask for them. For wear, enter the printer price and the print hours you expect it to last, and the calculator charges price ÷ lifespan × print hours: a $300 printer over 3,000 hours adds $0.50 to a 5-hour print, taking the starting example from $2.32 to $2.82. For labor, enter your hourly rate with the setup and slicing hours and the finishing hours: at $20 an hour for 0.25 h and 0.5 h it adds $15.00, taking the starting example from $2.32 to $17.32. Spare parts are not counted.
- Which currency does it use?
- Amounts are shown with $, but the arithmetic has no currency: enter the filament and electricity prices in one currency and read $ as that currency.
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