3D Printing Cost Calculator
What a 3D print really costs, and what to charge for it.
Updated · How we check our maths
- Cost per print
- $4.16
- Filament
- $2.64
- Electricity
- $0.17
- Machine wear
- $0.98
- Failure allowance
- $0.38
- Suggested selling price
- $8.32 (+ design & post-processing time)
Quick answer
3D print cost = filament cost + electricity + machine wear, plus an allowance for failed prints. A 120 g PLA print with $22/kg filament, 6.5 hours on a 150 W printer at $0.17/kWh and $0.15/h wear costs about $4.16 including a 10% failure allowance.
What the 3D Printing Cost Calculator does
Enter the filament weight from your slicer, the spool price, print time and printer power. The calculator adds electricity and machine wear (the printer's cost spread over its life), allows for failed prints, and suggests a selling price with your markup. Add your own time for design, support removal and finishing when quoting customers.
The formula
Filament = grams ÷ 1000 × price per kg; electricity = hours × watts ÷ 1000 × price per kWh; wear = hours × wear rate; total = (filament + electricity + wear) × (1 + failure %).
Worked example
40 g, 2 h, same settings: $0.88 + $0.05 + $0.30 = $1.23 × 1.1 = $1.35 per print.
How to use the 3D Printing Cost Calculator
- Copy the filament weight and time from your slicer.
- Enter your spool price, printer wattage and electricity rate.
- Set wear, failure rate and markup.
Frequently asked questions
How much electricity does a 3D printer use?
Most hobby FDM printers average 70–250 W while printing, more with a heated chamber.
How do I price 3D prints for selling?
Cover material, power, machine wear and failures, then add your time and a markup — many sellers charge 2–5 × material cost for small items.
Is resin printing more expensive?
Usually per gram, plus the cost of IPA, gloves and FEP film replacements.
Results are estimates for planning and learning. Check important figures with a qualified professional. How we build and check our calculators.