3D Print Cost Calculator: Filament Plus Electricity
Last reviewed . The calculator runs in your browser and stores nothing.
How the total is built
The calculator adds two running costs and then, if you want, pads the result for prints that do not succeed.
- Filament cost = (grams / 1,000) × price per kilogram.
- Energy used in kilowatt hours = average watts × print hours / 1,000.
- Electricity cost = kWh × your price per kWh.
- Subtotal = filament cost + electricity cost.
- Total with allowance = subtotal × (1 + allowance percentage / 100). With the allowance at zero, the total equals the subtotal.
That is all the math. The useful part is knowing which number to put in each box, especially the power field, which is where most estimates go wrong.
The filament inputs
Take the gram figure from your slicer's print summary after slicing, since it already includes supports, infill, and brims. If you only have a model volume or need meters instead of grams, convert first with the filament calculator. If you have no slicer output at all, our guide to how much filament a print needs explains how to estimate it.
For price per kilogram, divide what you paid by the net filament weight. pla.deals ranks spools the same way on its price per kg page: offer price over total net weight of every spool in the listing, with spools of 250 g or less treated as samples and left out of cheapest lists.
Why a printer's maximum power rating overstates the bill
Printer spec sheets list maximum power, which is the most the power supply and heaters can pull at once. It is a sizing figure for wiring and outlets, not a running average. Bambu Lab's P1S technical data sheet states a maximum of 1000 W at 220 V and 350 W at 110 V (opens in a new tab), and the A1 mini specification page lists 150 W maximum (opens in a new tab). A printer only approaches those numbers in short bursts, mostly while the heated bed and hot end are warming up from room temperature.
Once the bed and nozzle reach temperature, the heaters cycle on and off to hold it, and the motors, fans, and electronics draw comparatively little. Prusa publishes measured figures that show the gap. Its knowledge base FAQ puts the average for an MK-series printer at 80 W printing generic PLA (opens in a new tab), measured in a 26°C room. Its UPS sizing article lists 66 to 150 W for the rest of a PLA print (opens in a new tab) on the MK4/S family after the first layer, and 55 to 77 W for the MINI/+. Those are Prusa's numbers for Prusa printers; other machines will differ, but the pattern of a running average well below the peak rating is typical of heated bed FDM printers.
Getting an average watt figure for your printer
The best input is one you measure. A plug-in energy meter between the outlet and the printer records kilowatt hours over a whole print. Divide that total by the print hours and multiply by 1,000 to get average watts, then reuse that figure for similar jobs. Measure a print of normal length, since warmup draws more power and weighs more heavily on a short job.
If you cannot measure, use a published average from your printer's maker when one exists. Failing that, pick a cautious estimate somewhere under the maximum rating and treat the electricity line as a rough range. Things that push the average up include a hotter bed, a cold or drafty room, an open frame on a large bed, and long prints with a heated chamber. PLA at typical bed and nozzle temperatures sits toward the low end.
Choosing an electricity price
Use the rate from your own utility bill, including delivery charges if they are billed per kWh. The calculator's default is $0.18 per kWh, rounded from the US Energy Information Administration's average residential price of 18.31 cents per kWh for July 2026 (opens in a new tab), a preliminary figure in Electric Power Monthly released September 24, 2026. State averages vary widely around the national figure, so replace the default if you know your rate.
The failure allowance
Some prints fail, and a failed print still burns filament and power. The optional allowance spreads that cost across successful parts. pla.deals does not publish failure rates for any printer or filament, so this number is yours to choose. Base it on your own history: if roughly one job in ten has needed a reprint lately, 10 percent is a reasonable starting point. Leave it at zero for a straight running cost.
Worked example
Round illustrative numbers only, not measurements of any printer or prices of any product:
| Input | Example value |
|---|---|
| Filament | 250 g |
| Price per kg | $18 |
| Average power | 120 W |
| Print time | 8 hours |
| Electricity | $0.18 per kWh |
| Failure allowance | 10 percent |
- Filament: 0.25 kg × $18 = $4.50
- Energy: 120 W × 8 h / 1,000 = 0.96 kWh
- Electricity: 0.96 × $0.18 ≈ $0.17
- Subtotal: about $4.67
- With a 10 percent allowance: about $5.14
Now enter the P1S's 350 W maximum at 110 V instead of a 120 W average. Energy jumps to 2.8 kWh and electricity to about $0.50, nearly three times as much, which is why the maximum rating is the wrong input. Even so, filament remains the larger share in this example. Electricity grows in importance on long, light prints: a 24 hour job at the same 120 W uses 2.88 kWh, and at an illustrative $0.30 per kWh that is about $0.86.
What this estimate does not include
The result is a running cost, not a full cost of ownership. It leaves out nozzles, build plates, and other wear parts, the printer's purchase price spread over its life, your time for setup and post-processing, packaging and shipping if you sell parts, and sales tax. If you are pricing parts for sale, add those separately. If you are comparing machines, the printer pages and current 3D printer deals show specs and prices, while this tool shows what each print costs once the printer is on your bench.
Frequently asked questions
Should I enter my printer's maximum power or its average?
Enter the average. The maximum is a peak the printer only reaches briefly during warmup. Using it will inflate the electricity line several times over for a typical PLA print.
How much does electricity add to a typical PLA print?
It depends on your printer's average draw, the print time, and your rate. With the round example numbers above, 8 hours at 120 W and $0.18 per kWh adds about 17 cents. Run your own values in the calculator for a real figure.
Does preheating count toward print hours?
Yes, if you want the electricity line to be complete. Add warmup time to the slicer's estimate, or measure the whole job with an energy meter, which captures it automatically.
Is the failure allowance applied to electricity too?
Yes. A failed print wastes both filament and power, so the allowance multiplies the full subtotal rather than only the filament cost.
Also see the filament calculator.