3D Print Cost Calculator
Calculate the full cost of a 3D print including material, electricity, and markup � ideal for makers pricing prints for sale or tracking hobby expenses.
Results
What is it?
The 3D Print Cost Calculator breaks down the true cost of a print into material cost (filament consumed), electricity cost (based on printer wattage and print time), and adds a configurable markup for selling prints. It helps makers price their work fairly and track hobby expenses.
How to use
Enter the print time in hours, the grams of filament consumed (check your slicer estimate), the filament cost per kilogram, your local electricity rate, the average printer wattage, and your desired markup percentage. Material and electricity costs are summed to get the base cost, then markup is applied.
Example scenario
4-hour print, 80g of PLA at $25/kg, electricity at $0.15/kWh, 200W printer, 30% markup. Material: 80/1000 � $25 = $2.00. Electricity: 0.2 kW � 4hr � $0.15 = $0.12. Base cost: $2.12. With 30% markup: $2.12 � 1.30 = $2.76.
Pro tip
Don't forget hidden costs: printer depreciation (~$0.10�0.50/hr for desktop FDM), failed prints (~5�15% waste), post-processing time (supports, sanding), and packaging. A common rule is to charge 2�3� material cost as a starting point, then adjust for print complexity and labor time.