3D Printing Filament Cost Calculator
Work out exactly what a print costs on YOUR printer — filament and electricity, plus optional printer wear and a failure-rate buffer. No sign-up, no selling-price markup, no marketplace fees.
Filament material
Printer
How this is calculated
Filament cost is your entered weight (in grams, from your slicer's estimate) times your filament's price per kilogram. Electricity cost is your total print time times your printer's power draw (in kW) times your local electricity price per kWh. If you turn on the optional printer-wear section, an amortization cost is added — your printer's purchase price divided by its expected lifespan in print hours, times this print's duration — plus an optional percentage buffer for failed prints. None of this includes your labor, marketplace fees, or a selling-price margin: this calculator estimates what a print actually COSTS you, not what to charge for it.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I get the filament weight and print time?
From your slicer's estimate before printing — Cura, PrusaSlicer, OrcaSlicer, and Bambu Studio all show an estimated filament weight (grams) and print duration on the preview/preparation screen, before you start the actual print.
What isn't included in this calculation?
Your time (design, setup, post-processing), marketplace or payment-processor fees, packaging and shipping, and any profit margin. This calculator estimates the raw cost of materials and electricity for one print — not a price to charge a customer.
What is printer amortization, and should I include it?
It spreads your printer's purchase price over its expected lifetime in print hours, so each print carries a small share of that cost — the same idea as depreciation on any tool. It's optional here because a hobbyist printing for personal use often doesn't need it, while anyone selling prints regularly usually should include it for an honest cost picture.
How does the failure-rate buffer work?
It adds a percentage on top of the filament, electricity, and amortization subtotal, to account for prints that fail partway through and waste material. If roughly 1 in 20 of your prints fails, a 5% buffer is a reasonable starting point — adjust it to your printer's actual reliability.
How accurate are the default filament and electricity prices?
The printer and material presets fill in typical, publicly known values — actual filament prices vary by brand and retailer, and electricity rates vary by region, provider, and time of day. Always replace the defaults with your own numbers for an accurate result; the presets are a convenient starting point, not a guarantee.
Part of Hobby & Craft Calculators