3D Printing Cost Calculator

Estimate the material and electricity cost of a 3D print from filament weight, filament price, print time, printer power draw, and your electricity rate — plus a suggested selling price with markup.

Quick Facts

Material cost
(grams ÷ 1000) × price per kg
Most FDM filament spools weigh 1 kg (1000 g).
Electricity cost
hours × (watts ÷ 1000) × rate per kWh
Watts are converted to kilowatts before multiplying by hours.

Your Results

Calculated
Total print cost
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Material + electricity
Material cost
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Filament used
Electricity cost
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Power consumed while printing
Suggested selling price
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Total cost with markup applied

Ready

Enter your filament, print time, power, and rate details, then press Calculate.

About the 3D Printing Cost Calculator

This calculator estimates what a 3D print actually costs to produce, using the two expenses every print incurs: filament and electricity. Enter how much filament the job uses, what that filament costs per kilogram, how long the print will run, your printer's power draw, and your electricity rate — the tool converts those into a material cost, an electricity cost, a total print cost, and a suggested selling price after your markup.

The formula

  • Material cost = (filament weight in grams ÷ 1000) × filament price per kg.
  • Electricity cost = print time in hours × (printer power in watts ÷ 1000) × electricity rate per kWh.
  • Total print cost = material cost + electricity cost.
  • Suggested selling price = total print cost × (1 + markup % ÷ 100).

How to get the best results

  • Use your slicer's filament-weight and print-time estimates (Cura, PrusaSlicer, Bambu Studio, etc.), or weigh the spool before and after a completed print for an exact figure.
  • Check your printer's power draw with a plug-in watt meter if you have one — nameplate maximum wattage overstates the average draw during a typical print, since the heated bed and hotend cycle on and off.
  • This calculator covers material and electricity only. Machine wear, labor, failed prints, and post-processing are not itemized — fold a reasonable amount for those into the markup percentage.

Practical context

Electricity is usually the smaller line item unless a print runs many hours or your local rate is high; filament weight tends to drive most of the cost. Treat the suggested selling price as a starting point — adjust the markup upward if you're pricing prints for sale and need to cover machine depreciation, your time, and the occasional failed print.

Frequently Asked Questions

What formula does this 3D printing cost calculator use?
Material cost is filament weight in grams divided by 1000, times the price per kilogram. Electricity cost is print time in hours times printer power in kilowatts, times your electricity rate per kWh. Total print cost is material plus electricity, and the suggested selling price multiplies that total by (1 plus your markup percentage).
Does the total cost include machine wear, labor, or failed prints?
No. This calculator covers only filament material and electricity, the two costs every print has. Machine depreciation, maintenance, labor, packaging, and failed or scrapped prints are not itemized separately — build them into the markup percentage so the suggested selling price still covers them.
Where do I find my printer's power draw and my electricity rate?
Most FDM desktop printers draw roughly 100 to 250 watts while actively printing (check the printer's specification sheet or measure it with a plug-in power meter for accuracy, since the heated bed cycles on and off). Your electricity rate in dollars per kWh is on your utility bill, usually shown as a per-kWh charge.
How do I estimate filament weight and print time before printing?
Slicer software (such as Cura, PrusaSlicer, or Bambu Studio) estimates both filament weight and print time from your 3D model and print settings before you start. Enter those estimates here, or weigh the spool before and after a completed print for an exact material figure.

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