3D Printing Material Cost Calculator
Estimate 3D printing material cost from print weight, filament price per kg, and electricity.
Get cost per gram and per print for any FDM filament type.
3D printing material cost per gram calculates the actual cost of filament or resin used for a specific print, helping makers, small businesses, and product designers accurately price their work and compare material options.
Core formula: Cost per Gram = Spool Price ÷ Spool Weight (grams) Print Material Cost = Print Weight (grams) × Cost per Gram Total Print Cost = Material Cost + Electricity Cost + Machine Depreciation per Hour × Print Hours
What each variable means:
- Spool Weight — standard FDM spools are 1 kg (1,000g). Specialty materials come in 500g or 250g spools.
- Print Weight — the grams of filament used. Your slicer software (Cura, PrusaSlicer, Bambu Studio) reports this. It accounts for infill percentage and support material.
- Electricity Cost — FDM printers draw 100–300W. Resin printers draw 40–100W (UV lamp uses most of it).
- Machine Depreciation — divide printer purchase price by expected lifetime print hours. A $400 printer expected to run 2,000 hours = $0.20/hour machine cost.
- Infill — internal structure density (10–100%). Higher infill = more material = higher cost.
Common FDM filament cost per gram (2024 market prices):
| Material | Price/kg | Cost/gram |
|---|---|---|
| PLA (budget) | $18–$25 | $0.018–$0.025 |
| PLA (premium) | $25–$35 | $0.025–$0.035 |
| PETG | $22–$35 | $0.022–$0.035 |
| ABS | $20–$30 | $0.020–$0.030 |
| TPU (flexible) | $25–$45 | $0.025–$0.045 |
| ASA | $28–$40 | $0.028–$0.040 |
| Nylon | $35–$70 | $0.035–$0.070 |
| Carbon fiber filled | $50–$100 | $0.050–$0.100 |
Worked example: A phone stand printed with budget PLA ($22/kg spool). Slicer reports 47 grams used. Print time: 4.5 hours. Electricity: $0.13/kWh, printer draws 200W.
Cost per gram = $22 ÷ 1,000 = $0.022/gram Material cost = 47 × $0.022 = $1.03 Electricity = 200W × 4.5h ÷ 1,000 × $0.13 = $0.12 Machine depreciation ($350 printer, 2,000hr life) = $0.175/hr × 4.5hr = $0.79
Total print cost = $1.03 + $0.12 + $0.79 = $1.94
If selling: apply 3–5× markup for small-batch sales ($5.82–$9.70) or 10× for retail ($19.40).