3D Printing Cost Calculator
Enter your filament use, print time, power draw, printer wear, labor and failure rate to get the true cost of one good part and, if you want, a suggested selling price. Every number is editable and everything runs in your browser.
Amounts are in US dollars. The starting values are placeholders, so replace them with your own numbers.
Enter your values and press Calculate.
How to use this 3D printing cost calculator
- Slice your model and note the filament weight in grams and the print time in hours. Most slicers show both on the preview screen.
- Check the spool price and weight. Divide-by-weight pricing then gives a cost per gram automatically.
- Enter your printer’s power draw, your electricity rate, the printer price and the number of hours you expect it to last.
- Add any labor or post-processing time, other costs per print and a failure rate. Enter a profit margin if you want a suggested price, then press Calculate or Enter.
What goes into the cost of a 3D print
- Filament = grams used x (spool price / spool weight). This is usually the biggest direct cost for small parts.
- Electricity = watts / 1000 x hours x rate per kWh. Check your power bill for the rate. A plug-in power meter can show your printer’s real draw.
- Depreciation = printer price / lifetime hours x print hours. It spreads the cost of the printer over the hours it works.
- Labor = minutes / 60 x hourly rate. Include removing supports, sanding, cleaning and packing.
- Other costs cover glue, nozzles, packaging or anything else you pay per print.
Why failed prints must be priced in
Some prints fail. If one in twenty prints goes in the bin, the other nineteen have to pay for it. The calculator divides the subtotal by (1 – failure rate), so the total is the cost per good part. The extra amount is shown as the failure buffer. Leaving it at zero will make your cost look better than it really is.
Cost per gram and suggested price
Cost per gram = total cost / grams. It is handy for comparing different models or materials. If you enter a margin above zero, the suggested price = total cost / (1 – margin / 100), and profit = price – total cost. A 40% margin means profit is 40% of the selling price, not 40% on top of cost.
Worked example
A part uses 80 g of filament from a 20 spool of 1000 g, so filament costs 80 x 0.02 = 1.60. It prints in 6 hours on a 250 W printer at 0.12 per kWh, so electricity is 0.25 x 6 x 0.12 = 0.18. A 750 printer rated for 3000 hours costs 0.25 per hour, so depreciation is 1.50. Twenty minutes of labor at 18 per hour is 6.00, and other costs are 0.50. The subtotal is 9.78, which with no failures is also the total, and cost per gram is 9.78 / 80 = 0.12.
With a 10% failure rate the total becomes 9.78 / 0.9 = 10.87, so the failure buffer is 1.09. A 40% margin gives a suggested price of 10.87 / 0.6 = 18.11 and a profit of 7.24.
Assumptions & limits
- The starting values are placeholders, not typical or recommended figures. Replace every one with your own numbers.
- Printer lifetime and failure rate are estimates, so the depreciation and failure results are only as good as those guesses.
- The calculator does not include sales tax, marketplace fees, design time, machine repairs or taxes on your income. Add them under other costs if they apply.
- Results are rounded to two decimals for display only. This is a planning tool, not financial advice.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I find the filament grams and print time?
Your slicer shows both after you slice the model. Use the numbers for the exact settings you plan to print with.
How do I find my printer’s power draw?
Check the printer’s label or manual, or measure it with a plug-in power meter. Heating phases use more power than the rest of the print, so an average is fine.
What lifetime should I use for depreciation?
It is your own estimate of how many hours the printer will work before you replace it. A lower number makes each print cost more.
Should I include a failure rate?
Yes, if some prints fail. Count the share of prints that you throw away and enter it as a percentage.
What does the profit margin box do?
Leave it at 0 for cost only. Enter a margin below 100 to see a suggested price and the profit it would leave.
Why is cost per gram useful?
It lets you compare different models and materials on one number, and quote a rough price for a part when you only know its weight.
Related calculators
More in Pets and Hobby Calculators
Related articles
Last updated: October 2026