3D Printing Cost Calculator
Enter your filament weight, print time, spool price, electricity rate, and printer details to get a full breakdown of what every print actually costs - material, power, machine depreciation, waste from failed prints, and the selling price you need to cover a target profit margin. Results update as you type.
What this calculator covers
Most online 3D printing cost calculators show only material cost. This tool adds every significant cost component: filament or resin material, electricity consumed by the printer, machine depreciation (the share of your printer's purchase price used up by this job), an allowance for failed prints, and the labor cost of your setup and post-processing time. Adding a profit margin then shows the minimum price you need to charge to cover all costs and reach your target margin. The chart at the bottom shows how total cost and revenue scale across a batch of up to 20 prints.
How each cost component is calculated
Material cost is straightforward: divide your spool price by the spool net weight to get a price-per-gram, then multiply by the grams your slicer reports for the job. Electricity cost is calculated as printer power in kilowatts times print time in hours times your electricity rate in dollars per kWh (the US average is about $0.15-0.16/kWh in 2025). Machine wear is calculated by dividing the printer purchase price by its expected lifetime in hours, giving an hourly depreciation rate, then multiplying by print time. The failure allowance uses the formula: base cost times (failure rate / (1 - failure rate)), which means a 10% failure rate adds about 11% to costs - covering the material and machine time lost on every failed print. Labor is simply your setup minutes divided by 60 times your hourly rate.
Setting a selling price
Once you have a total production cost, the selling price at a given profit margin is: total cost times (1 + markup percentage / 100). A 40% markup on a $2.00 cost gives a $2.80 selling price, with $0.80 gross profit. For selling on platforms like Etsy or Amazon Handmade, factor in platform fees (typically 6-20% of the sale price), shipping materials, and any packaging costs before deciding on a final price. A common starting point for hobbyist sellers is a 30-50% margin; professional print services often target 40-80% to cover overhead and business expenses.
Tips for reducing print costs
Material is usually the dominant cost, so switching to a cheaper brand of PLA or buying in bulk (2 kg or 5 kg spools) can cut it by 20-40%. Electricity costs are small relative to material for short prints, but add up for long jobs on high-wattage enclosed printers. Reducing infill percentage from 20% to 10% can cut filament use by 10-15% on solid parts. Lowering the failure rate from 15% to 5% by improving bed adhesion, calibrating flow rate, and using an enclosure for temperature-sensitive materials can meaningfully reduce the failure allowance. For batch production, the fixed costs (labor, setup) are spread across more units, so the per-unit cost drops with quantity.
Common FDM filament cost and density reference
| Material | Density (g/cm3) | Typical price (USD/kg) | Print temp (C) |
|---|---|---|---|
| PLA | 1.24 | $18-28 | 190-220 |
| PETG | 1.27 | $20-30 | 230-250 |
| ABS | 1.04 | $18-28 | 220-250 |
| ASA | 1.07 | $22-32 | 235-255 |
| HIPS | 1.04 | $18-26 | 220-230 |
| TPU | 1.21 | $22-35 | 220-240 |
| Nylon | 1.12 | $28-45 | 240-270 |
| Resin | 1.10 | $25-60 | N/A (UV) |
Typical retail prices (USD) and material densities used as defaults. Actual prices vary by brand, region, and quality.
Frequently asked questions
How do I find the filament weight for my print?
Slice the model in your slicer software (PrusaSlicer, Cura, OrcaSlicer, Bambu Studio, etc.) and look at the print summary before sending to the printer. It shows both the length in meters and the weight in grams. Use the grams figure. If you have already printed it, you can weigh the finished part on a kitchen scale, though that will be slightly less than the slicer estimate due to minor weight loss during printing.
What is a good failure rate to use?
Beginners printing without an enclosure on an uncalibrated machine might experience 15-25% failure rates, especially on ABS or large flat parts that warp. An experienced maker with a well-tuned printer and good bed adhesion typically sees 2-5%. Professional print services often target below 2%. Start with your actual experience: track how many prints per spool end in failure and divide by total prints.
How does machine depreciation work here?
The calculator divides your printer purchase price by its expected lifespan in hours to get an hourly depreciation cost, then multiplies by the print duration. For example, a $300 printer with a 5,000 hour lifespan costs $0.06/hour, so a 3-hour print adds $0.18 in machine wear. This does not include maintenance consumables (nozzles, bed surfaces, belts, lubricant) which add another $0.02-0.05/hour on average.
Should I include labor if I am printing for myself?
It depends on your purpose. If you are calculating whether it is cheaper to print something versus buying it, including your time at your opportunity cost makes sense - your time is worth something even if no one is paying for it. If you are quoting a price to a customer, always include labor: slicing, setting up the print, removing supports, sanding, and quality checking are real work hours.
Does this calculator work for resin printing?
Yes, select Resin from the material dropdown. Resin printers (SLA/MSLA) typically draw far less power than FDM printers (30-80 W versus 80-200 W), but resin itself costs more per kilogram ($30-60 vs $18-30 for PLA). Resin prints also require post-processing with isopropyl alcohol and UV curing, adding to labor time. The failure allowance matters especially for new resin users, as early failed prints are common.
What electricity cost should I use?
Use your actual electricity tariff from your utility bill, typically shown as cents or dollars per kWh. The US residential average was about $0.15-0.16/kWh in 2025, but it varies widely: California and Hawaii average around $0.24-0.30/kWh while parts of the Midwest average $0.10-0.12/kWh. European rates are generally higher, often $0.20-0.35/kWh equivalent.
How do I calculate a price for selling my prints?
Start with the total production cost from this calculator. Add a profit margin that covers your business overhead and desired profit - many hobbyist sellers use 30-50%, while professional print services target 40-80%. Then check whether the resulting price is competitive for your market. If the cost-plus price is higher than what customers will pay for that type of part, you need to reduce costs (material, print settings, failure rate) or accept a lower margin. Always separately account for platform fees, shipping, and packaging before setting a final listed price.