Maker and DIY Calculators

3D print filament cost.

Your slicer says how many grams a print uses and how long it takes. Add your spool price and electricity rate to see what it costs, and what a batch of them costs.

Cost = grams / spool grams x spool price + kW x hours x rate, divided by (1 - failure rate). A 100 g print from a $25 per kg spool costs $2.50 of filament. Five hours at 120 W adds $0.09 of electricity at $0.15 per kWh.

Print and prices

Spool price

What you paid for the spool.

Spool weight

1,000 g is the usual 1 kg spool.

Filament used by the print

From your slicer, including supports, skirt and purge.

Print time

Average printer power

Average draw over a print, not the power supply rating. Many hobby printers average 80 to 150 W with a heated bed. Measure with a plug meter for accuracy.

Electricity price

$/kWh

From your power bill.

Failed print allowance

Share of prints you scrap. Spreads the loss across the good ones. Use 0 to ignore.

Quantity

Cost

Fill the form and press Calculate.

Worked example

A print uses 100 g and takes 5 hours. The spool cost $25 for 1,000 g, your printer averages 120 W and power is $0.15 per kWh. Filament: 100 / 1,000 x $25 = $2.50. Electricity: 0.12 kW x 5 h = 0.6 kWh x $0.15 = $0.09. Subtotal $2.59. With a 5% failed-print allowance the cost is $2.59 / 0.95 = $2.73, about 2.7 cents per gram.

How it works

Material cost is the share of the spool you use times what it cost. Electricity is energy (kilowatts x hours) times your rate. The failure allowance reflects that if 1 print in 20 is scrapped, every 19 good prints must also pay for that wasted one, so cost per good print is the subtotal divided by (1 - 0.05).

Not included. Printer wear, nozzles, build plate surfaces, your time, post-processing and shipping. If you sell prints, price above this number to cover them; the profit margin calculator can help. Slicer weight estimates are usually close, but check them against a weighed spool occasionally.

Sources and basis (checked 2026-10-05): standard energy cost arithmetic (kWh = kW x h); typical hobby FDM printer power draw varies widely by model, so measure your own. The expected-cost-per-good-unit formula is the standard yield adjustment.

FAQ

How much does it cost to 3D print something?

Mostly filament. A typical $20 to $30 per kg spool costs 2 to 3 cents per gram, so a 50 g part is about $1 to $1.50 of material. Electricity for a hobby printer is usually a few cents per hour.

How much electricity does a 3D printer use?

Averages of 50 to 200 W are common for hobby FDM printers with heated beds, much more while heating up and much less while idle. A plug-in power meter gives your real number.

Where do I find the weight of a print?

Your slicer reports estimated filament weight in grams after slicing. Use the total including supports and purge.

Should I add a failed print allowance?

If you sell prints or run long jobs, yes. Even a 5 to 10% allowance is realistic for hobby printers. Set it to 0 for a pure material and power cost.

Does filament cost differ by material?

Yes, but the formula is the same. Enter the price and weight of whatever spool you are using. PETG and PLA are often similar, engineering materials cost more.

Disclaimer

Estimates from the numbers you enter. It excludes printer wear, maintenance, labour and taxes. Treat the result as a cost floor when pricing work you sell.