3D Print Cost Calculator
Estimate the true cost of a 3D print by combining filament material cost and electricity consumption. Useful for pricing parts for sale, comparing materials, or tracking maker-space expenses.
About this calculator
The total cost of a 3D print has two primary variable components: material and energy. The formula used here is: totalCost = (filamentWeight / 1000) × filamentPrice + (printTime × powerConsumption / 1000) × electricityRate. The first term converts filament weight from grams to kilograms, then multiplies by the per-kilogram filament price to get material cost. The second term computes energy consumed in kilowatt-hours — watts divided by 1000 gives kilowatts, multiplied by hours gives kWh — then multiplies by the electricity rate in $/kWh. Note that this formula covers direct variable costs; fixed costs like printer depreciation, wear parts, and failed prints can be added as a markup on top of the calculated figure. Knowing your true cost per print is essential for pricing products or choosing between materials.
How to use
A benchy takes 50 g of PLA (filament costs $25/kg), prints in 2 hours on a printer drawing 120 W, and electricity costs $0.15/kWh. Step 1 – Filament cost: (50 / 1000) × 25 = 0.05 × 25 = $1.25. Step 2 – Energy used: 2 hours × 120 W / 1000 = 0.24 kWh. Step 3 – Electricity cost: 0.24 × 0.15 = $0.036. Step 4 – Total: $1.25 + $0.036 = $1.286, so roughly $1.29 per print. Selling at 3× material cost would suggest a price around $3.87 for this part.
Frequently asked questions
How do I find out how much filament my 3D print will use before printing?
Most slicers (Cura, PrusaSlicer, Bambu Studio) display the estimated filament weight and length in grams and meters on the preview screen before you start a print. Slice your model with your intended settings — layer height, infill, supports, walls — and read the filament weight from the slicer output. This number is what you enter into the filamentWeight field. Keep in mind the slicer estimate can differ from actual usage by 5–10% depending on purge lines, priming, and filament runout.
What is a typical power consumption for an FDM 3D printer?
Power consumption varies widely by printer size and type. A small desktop printer like a Creality Ender 3 typically draws 60–120 W during a print, while a larger machine like a Prusa MK4 or Bambu X1 can draw 150–300 W including the heated bed. Enclosed printers with chamber heaters (like the Bambu X1C) can exceed 350 W at peak. You can measure your printer's actual draw with a smart plug that reports wattage, or check the power supply rating on the label. Using the actual measured average wattage gives a more accurate electricity cost than the rated maximum.
Why is 3D print cost per gram misleading when pricing parts for sale?
Cost per gram only captures raw material cost and ignores the many other factors that determine the true cost of a printed part. Machine depreciation (a $500 printer amortized over its lifetime), operator time for setup, bed leveling, and post-processing, failure rate (wasted filament and time on failed prints), and overhead like software licenses and replacement parts all add real cost. A common rule of thumb for small-batch commercial pricing is to multiply direct material and energy cost by a factor of 3–5× to cover these hidden costs, though high-volume production with automation can reduce that multiplier.