Quick Answer — How Much Does a 3D Print Cost?
The core formula: Material cost = (Print weight ÷ Spool weight) × Spool price. Electricity cost = (Printer wattage ÷ 1,000) × Print hours × Electricity rate. Total = (Material + Electricity) × (1 + Failure rate %).
Quick reference:
- 20 g print, $20/kg spool, 1 hr at 100 W, $0.12/kWh, 10% failure → $0.45 total
- 50 g print, $22/kg spool, 3 hr at 120 W, $0.15/kWh, 10% failure → $1.27 total
- 200 g print, $25/kg spool, 8 hr at 150 W, $0.15/kWh, 15% failure → $5.96 total
- 500 g print, $30/kg premium spool, 20 hr at 180 W, $0.18/kWh, 20% failure → $18.78 total
Worked example: a 50 gram print from a 1 kg, $22 spool, printed over 3 hours on a printer drawing 120 W, with electricity at $0.15/kWh: material = (50 ÷ 1,000) × 22 = $1.10. Electricity = (120 ÷ 1,000) × 3 × 0.15 = $0.054. Subtotal = $1.154. Adding a 10% failure allowance: $1.154 × 1.10 = $1.27 total.
For almost any print, material dominates the cost — electricity is typically only a few cents to a few dollars even on long prints, because desktop FDM printers draw relatively little power compared to appliances like space heaters or ovens.