How much does it cost to 3D print?
Mostly the filament. A 50 gram PLA print that takes 3 hours costs about $1.06: $1.00 of filament at $19.99 per kilogram, and $0.057 of electricity on a Bambu Lab P1S, which Bambu Lab measured at an average of 105 W printing PLA. Electricity at the US average of 18.19¢ per kWh adds about 1.9¢ per print hour on that printer.
The table uses the same printer, filament price and electricity rate. The weights and times are examples; your slicer gives both for each model.
| Filament | Print time | Filament cost | Electricity | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 g0.4 oz | 30 min | $0.20 | $0.010 | $0.21 |
| 50 g1.8 oz | 3 h | $1.00 | $0.057 | $1.06 |
| 100 g4 oz | 5 h | $2.00 | $0.095 | $2.09 |
| 250 g9 oz | 12 h | $5.00 | $0.23 | $5.23 |
| 500 g18 oz | 24 h | $10.00 | $0.46 | $10.45 |
| 1,000 g35 oz | 48 h | $19.99 | $0.92 | $20.91 |
Electricity stays small next to filament: even in the 1 kg example it is 4% of the total. Selling a print is a different sum: add your time, failed attempts, wear on the printer and a margin, as covered in how to price 3D prints.
How much does filament cost?
Standard PLA lists for about $16 to $23 per 1 kg spool in the three makers' stores we checked, which is 1.6 to 2.3 cents per gram. Engineering materials cost more per kilogram, and some come on smaller spools. List prices on October 7, 2026:
| PLA | Spool | List price | Per gram |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bambu Lab PLA Basic (refill, no spool) | 1 kg | $15.99 | 1.6¢ |
| Polymaker PolyLite PLA | 1 kg | $19.99 | 2.0¢ |
| Hatchbox PLA | 1 kg | $22.99 | 2.3¢ |
By material, using Polymaker's US store so the brand stays the same (ranges are the spread across colors):
| Material | Product | Spool | List price | Per kg | Per gram |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PLA | Polymaker PolyLite PLA | 1 kg | $19.99 | $19.99 | 2.0¢ |
| PETG | Polymaker PETG | 1 kg | $18.99–$24.99 | $18.99–$24.99 | 1.9–2.5¢ |
| ABS | Polymaker PolyLite ABS | 1 kg | $18.99–$19.99 | $18.99–$19.99 | 1.9–2.0¢ |
| ASA | Polymaker ASA | 1 kg | $24.99–$26.99 | $24.99–$26.99 | 2.5–2.7¢ |
| TPU (95A) | Polymaker PolyFlex TPU95 | 0.75 kg | $29.99 | $39.99 | 4.0¢ |
| Polycarbonate (PC) | Polymaker PolyLite PC | 1 kg | $29.99 | $29.99 | 3.0¢ |
| Nylon (PA) | Polymaker PolyMide CoPA | 0.75 kg | $49.99 | $66.65 | 6.7¢ |
| PLA-CF (carbon fiber) | Polymaker PolyLite PLA-CF | 1 kg | $29.99 | $29.99 | 3.0¢ |
Prices change often, and stores run multi-spool discounts, so enter what you actually paid, with the filament weight of the spool (1,000 g for a 1 kg spool).
How to convert filament meters to grams
Slicers report filament as length, weight or both. To convert, multiply the filament's cross-section by its density: 1.75 mm filament has a cross-section of 2.405 mm², so each meter holds 2.41 cm³ of plastic. At PLA's 1.24 g/cm³ that is 2.98 grams per meter, and a 1 kg spool holds about 335 meters.
| Filament | Density | 1.75 mm: g per m | m per kg | 2.85 mm: g per m |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bambu Lab PLA BasicPLA | 1.24 g/cm³ | 2.98 | 335 | 7.91 |
| Bambu Lab PLA MattePLA | 1.31 g/cm³ | 3.15 | 317 | 8.36 |
| Polymaker PolyLite PLAPLA | 1.17 g/cm³ | 2.81 | 355 | 7.46 |
| Bambu Lab PETG BasicPETG | 1.25 g/cm³ | 3.01 | 333 | 7.97 |
| Polymaker PolyLite PETGPETG | 1.25 g/cm³ | 3.01 | 333 | 7.97 |
| Bambu Lab ABSABS | 1.05 g/cm³ | 2.53 | 396 | 6.70 |
| Polymaker PolyLite ABSABS | 1.12 g/cm³ | 2.69 | 371 | 7.14 |
| Polymaker ASAASA | 1.13 g/cm³ | 2.72 | 368 | 7.21 |
| Polymaker PolyFlex TPU95TPU (95A) | 1.20–1.24 g/cm³ | 2.93 | 341 | 7.78 |
| Polymaker PolyFlex TPU95-HFTPU (95A) | 1.16 g/cm³ | 2.79 | 358 | 7.40 |
| Polymaker PolyLite PCPolycarbonate (PC) | 1.19 g/cm³ | 2.86 | 349 | 7.59 |
| Polymaker PolyMide CoPANylon (PA) | 1.12 g/cm³ | 2.69 | 371 | 7.14 |
| Polymaker PolyLite PLA-CFPLA-CF (carbon fiber) | 1.29 g/cm³ | 3.10 | 322 | 8.23 |
Densities are from each maker's technical data sheet (ISO 1183). The same material varies by brand: Bambu Lab lists its PLA Basic at 1.24 g/cm³ and Polymaker its PolyLite PLA at 1.17, about 6% apart. That only matters when you convert meters to grams, and the calculator's gram figures can be off by that much for other brands. For the TPU range, the per-meter figures use the middle of Polymaker's range.
How much electricity does a 3D printer use?
Less than its power supply rating suggests. Bambu Lab measured the P1S at an average of 105 W printing PLA and the A1 mini at 80 W, against a maximum of 350 W and 150 W at US voltage. The draw rises with hotter materials: the P1S averaged 140 W with ABS. Prusa lists the MK4S at 80 W with PLA settings and 120 W with ABS.
| Printer | Average, PLA | Per hour | 10-hour print | Other materials | Maximum |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bambu Lab P1S | 105 W | $0.019 | $0.191.05 kWh | ABS 140 W, PC 135 W | 350 Wmax at 110 V |
| Bambu Lab A1 mini | 80 W | $0.015 | $0.150.80 kWh | PETG 75 W | 150 Wmax |
| Bambu Lab A1 | 95 W | $0.017 | $0.170.95 kWh | ABS 200 W, PC 150 W | 350 Wmax at 110 V |
| Bambu Lab X1 Carbon | 105 W | $0.019 | $0.191.05 kWh | ABS 150 W, PC 135 W | 350 Wmax at 110 V |
| Bambu Lab P2S | 200 W | $0.036 | $0.362.00 kWh | – | 1,000 Wmax at 110 V |
| Bambu Lab H2D | 197 W | $0.036 | $0.361.97 kWh | PETG 150 W, PC 395 W | 1,250 Wmax at 110 V |
| Prusa MK4S | 80 W | $0.015 | $0.150.80 kWh | ABS 120 W | 240 Wpower supply |
| Prusa CORE One | 90 W | $0.016 | $0.160.90 kWh | ABS 110 W | 240 Wpower supply |
| Creality K2 Plus | Not published | – | – | – | 1,200 Wrated |
| Elegoo Centauri Carbon 2 | Not published | – | – | – | 350 Wrated at 110 V |
| Snapmaker U1 | Not published | – | – | – | 400 Wmax at 100–120 V |
Costs use the US average residential rate of 18.19¢ per kWh. Bambu Lab's figures are measured averages from its wiki; Prusa's are the "power consumption" in each printer's specifications. Creality, Elegoo and Snapmaker publish only a rated or maximum power for the K2 Plus, Centauri Carbon 2 and U1, which is the most the printer can draw, not what it averages over a print. For those printers, a plug-in power meter gives the real number; until then, the maximum gives a worst case.
Standby matters little: Bambu Lab measured its printers at roughly 4 to 10 W idle with Wi-Fi on, and up to 27 W for the H2D.
3D printer electricity cost by state
Electricity prices vary almost fourfold across the US, from 12.36¢ per kWh in North Dakota to 46.28¢ in Hawaii (EIA average residential prices, January–July 2026). The cost columns are for a printer averaging 105 W, like the P1S on PLA.
| State | Price per kWh | Per print hour | 10-hour print | 100 print hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US average | 18.19¢ | $0.019 | $0.19 | $1.91 |
| Alabama | 16.54¢ | $0.017 | $0.17 | $1.74 |
| Alaska | 27.09¢ | $0.028 | $0.28 | $2.84 |
| Arizona | 15.44¢ | $0.016 | $0.16 | $1.62 |
| Arkansas | 13.61¢ | $0.014 | $0.14 | $1.43 |
| California | 33.25¢ | $0.035 | $0.35 | $3.49 |
| Colorado | 16.72¢ | $0.018 | $0.18 | $1.76 |
| Connecticut | 27.97¢ | $0.029 | $0.29 | $2.94 |
| Delaware | 17.86¢ | $0.019 | $0.19 | $1.88 |
| District of Columbia | 24.66¢ | $0.026 | $0.26 | $2.59 |
| Florida | 15.30¢ | $0.016 | $0.16 | $1.61 |
| Georgia | 15.40¢ | $0.016 | $0.16 | $1.62 |
| Hawaii | 46.28¢ | $0.049 | $0.49 | $4.86 |
| Idaho | 12.96¢ | $0.014 | $0.14 | $1.36 |
| Illinois | 19.22¢ | $0.020 | $0.20 | $2.02 |
| Indiana | 17.04¢ | $0.018 | $0.18 | $1.79 |
| Iowa | 14.20¢ | $0.015 | $0.15 | $1.49 |
| Kansas | 15.21¢ | $0.016 | $0.16 | $1.60 |
| Kentucky | 14.27¢ | $0.015 | $0.15 | $1.50 |
| Louisiana | 13.35¢ | $0.014 | $0.14 | $1.40 |
| Maine | 29.99¢ | $0.031 | $0.31 | $3.15 |
| Maryland | 21.30¢ | $0.022 | $0.22 | $2.24 |
| Massachusetts | 30.14¢ | $0.032 | $0.32 | $3.16 |
| Michigan | 21.53¢ | $0.023 | $0.23 | $2.26 |
| Minnesota | 16.25¢ | $0.017 | $0.17 | $1.71 |
| Mississippi | 15.19¢ | $0.016 | $0.16 | $1.59 |
| Missouri | 13.96¢ | $0.015 | $0.15 | $1.47 |
| Montana | 13.95¢ | $0.015 | $0.15 | $1.46 |
| Nebraska | 12.90¢ | $0.014 | $0.14 | $1.35 |
| Nevada | 13.53¢ | $0.014 | $0.14 | $1.42 |
| New Hampshire | 26.79¢ | $0.028 | $0.28 | $2.81 |
| New Jersey | 23.98¢ | $0.025 | $0.25 | $2.52 |
| New Mexico | 15.08¢ | $0.016 | $0.16 | $1.58 |
| New York | 29.38¢ | $0.031 | $0.31 | $3.08 |
| North Carolina | 14.94¢ | $0.016 | $0.16 | $1.57 |
| North Dakota | 12.36¢ | $0.013 | $0.13 | $1.30 |
| Ohio | 18.70¢ | $0.020 | $0.20 | $1.96 |
| Oklahoma | 13.58¢ | $0.014 | $0.14 | $1.43 |
| Oregon | 15.40¢ | $0.016 | $0.16 | $1.62 |
| Pennsylvania | 21.04¢ | $0.022 | $0.22 | $2.21 |
| Rhode Island | 29.22¢ | $0.031 | $0.31 | $3.07 |
| South Carolina | 15.93¢ | $0.017 | $0.17 | $1.67 |
| South Dakota | 14.50¢ | $0.015 | $0.15 | $1.52 |
| Tennessee | 13.87¢ | $0.015 | $0.15 | $1.46 |
| Texas | 16.06¢ | $0.017 | $0.17 | $1.69 |
| Utah | 13.16¢ | $0.014 | $0.14 | $1.38 |
| Vermont | 23.95¢ | $0.025 | $0.25 | $2.51 |
| Virginia | 16.83¢ | $0.018 | $0.18 | $1.77 |
| Washington | 14.40¢ | $0.015 | $0.15 | $1.51 |
| West Virginia | 15.47¢ | $0.016 | $0.16 | $1.62 |
| Wisconsin | 19.00¢ | $0.020 | $0.20 | $2.00 |
| Wyoming | 13.95¢ | $0.015 | $0.15 | $1.46 |
The latest single month, July 2026, averaged 18.31¢ nationally. Your own bill shows your rate, including delivery charges; use that figure if you have it.
How to price 3D prints
Start from the full cost of a good print, then add margin. The calculator's optional section covers the parts that filament and power leave out:
- Your time. Slicing, setup, removing supports, sanding and packing. Enter the minutes and an hourly rate.
- Failed prints. A print that fails wastes its filament, power and machine time. At a 10% failure rate, every good print carries 1/0.9 = 1.11 attempts, so the calculator adds 11% to those costs.
- Wear and maintenance. Nozzles, build plates, belts and eventually the printer wear out. Divide what you spend on them by the hours they last to get a cost per print hour.
- Margin. The share of the selling price you keep as profit. Price = cost ÷ (1 − margin).
Margin and markup are easy to mix up. Markup is profit as a share of cost; margin is profit as a share of the price. For a print that costs $5.00 to make:
| Margin | Same as markup | Price for a $5.00 print | Profit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20% | 25% | $6.25 | $1.25 |
| 30% | 43% | $7.14 | $2.14 |
| 40% | 67% | $8.33 | $3.33 |
| 50% | 100% | $10.00 | $5.00 |
| 60% | 150% | $12.50 | $7.50 |
| 70% | 233% | $16.67 | $11.67 |
If you sell through a marketplace, its listing, transaction and payment fees come out of the price too, so check them before settling on a margin.
How this calculator works
- Filament cost = grams used ÷ spool grams × spool price. Meters convert to grams with π × (diameter ÷ 2)² × length × density.
- Densities come from Bambu Lab and Polymaker data sheets: PLA 1.24, PETG 1.25 and ABS 1.05 g/cm³ (Bambu Lab), ASA 1.13, PC 1.19, nylon 1.12 and PLA-CF 1.29 (Polymaker), and TPU 1.22, the middle of Polymaker's 1.20 to 1.24.
- Spool prices are prefilled with Polymaker's US list price for that material on October 7, 2026. Replace them with what you paid.
- Electricity = average watts × hours ÷ 1,000 × price per kWh. Printer presets use the maker's published average for the selected material. Where the maker publishes none for that material, the calculator uses the closest published one (ABS for ASA and nylon, PLA otherwise) and says so. The rate defaults to the EIA's US average residential price for January–July 2026, or your state's.
- Failed prints scale filament, electricity and wear by 1 ÷ (1 − failure rate). Labor is not scaled.
- Selling price = total cost ÷ (1 − margin).
Not included: shipping, packaging, marketplace fees, taxes, and the printer's purchase price unless you spread it over the wear figure. Sources were checked on October 7, 2026.
Choosing a printer? See our 3D printer picks.
Sources
- Bambu Lab, PLA Basic technical data sheet: density 1.24 g/cm³ (ISO 1183), diameter 1.75 mm. store.bblcdn.com/s1/default/58b85d0f3db94878854a28fdb8a0006e/Bambu_PLA_Basic_Technical_Data_Sheet.pdf
- Bambu Lab, PLA Matte technical data sheet: density 1.31 g/cm³ (ISO 1183). store.bblcdn.com/s7/default/5b061f2feeac4ba88f355a33248bbda7/Bambu_PLA_Matte_Technical_Data_Sheet.pdf
- Bambu Lab, PETG Basic technical data sheet: density 1.25 g/cm³ (ISO 1183). store.bblcdn.com/s1/default/cb94589bf7994fdcbfa833badefae9cd/Bambu_PETG_Basic_Technical_Data_Sheet.pdf
- Bambu Lab, ABS technical data sheet V3: density 1.05 g/cm³ (ISO 1183). store.bblcdn.com/s7/default/23b4cf2b83d5470bb96d19970b5f3ae8/Bambu_ABS_Technical_Data_Sheet_V3.pdf
- Polymaker, PolyLite PLA technical data sheet: density 1.17 g/cm³ at 23°C (ISO 1183). wiki.polymaker.com/polymaker-products/more-about-our-products/documents/technical-data-sheets/pla/polylite-tm-pla
- Polymaker, PLA-CF technical data sheet: density 1.29 g/cm³ at 23°C (ISO 1183). wiki.polymaker.com/polymaker-products/more-about-our-products/documents/technical-data-sheets/pla/pla-cf
- Polymaker, PolyLite PETG technical data sheet: density 1.25 g/cm³ at 23°C (ISO 1183). wiki.polymaker.com/polymaker-products/more-about-our-products/documents/technical-data-sheets/petg-pet/polylite-tm-petg
- Polymaker, PolyLite ABS technical data sheet: density 1.12 g/cm³ at 23°C (ISO 1183). wiki.polymaker.com/polymaker-products/more-about-our-products/documents/technical-data-sheets/abs-asa/polylite-tm-abs
- Polymaker, Polymaker ASA technical data sheet: density 1.13 g/cm³ at 23°C (ISO 1183). wiki.polymaker.com/polymaker-products/more-about-our-products/documents/technical-data-sheets/abs-asa/polymaker-tm-asa
- Polymaker, PolyFlex TPU95 technical data sheet: density 1.20–1.24 g/cm³ at 23°C (ISO 1183). wiki.polymaker.com/polymaker-products/more-about-our-products/documents/technical-data-sheets/tpu/polyflex-tm-tpu95
- Polymaker, PolyFlex TPU95-HF technical data sheet: density 1.16 g/cm³ at 23°C (ISO 1183). wiki.polymaker.com/polymaker-products/more-about-our-products/documents/technical-data-sheets/tpu/polyflex-tm-tpu95-hf
- Polymaker, PolyLite PC technical data sheet: density 1.19 g/cm³ at 23°C (ISO 1183). wiki.polymaker.com/polymaker-products/more-about-our-products/documents/technical-data-sheets/polycarbonate/polylite-tm-pc
- Polymaker, PolyMide CoPA (nylon) technical data sheet: density 1.12 g/cm³ at 23°C (ISO 1183). wiki.polymaker.com/polymaker-products/more-about-our-products/documents/technical-data-sheets/nylon/polymide-tm-copa
- Polymaker US store, list prices for 1.75 mm spools (PolyLite PLA, Polymaker PETG, PolyLite ABS, Polymaker ASA, PolyFlex TPU95, PolyLite PC, PolyMide CoPA, PolyLite PLA-CF). us.polymaker.com/
- Bambu Lab US store, PLA Basic: 1 kg refill, MSRP $15.99 (1.75 mm ± 0.03 mm). us.store.bambulab.com/products/pla-basic-filament
- Hatchbox, black PLA filament, 1.75 mm, 1 kg spool: $22.99. www.hatchbox3d.com/products/3d-pla-1kg1-75-blk
- Bambu Lab Wiki, Bambu Lab Printer and AMS power parameters: measured standby and average printing power by material, and maximum power at 110 V and 220 V. wiki.bambulab.com/en/general/power-consumption
- Prusa Research, Original Prusa MK4S specifications: 240 W PSU, power consumption 80 W with PLA settings, 120 W with ABS settings. www.prusa3d.com/product/original-prusa-mk4s-3d-printer-5/
- Prusa Research, Prusa CORE One specifications: 240 W PSU, power consumption 90 W (PLA) and 110 W (ABS). www.prusa3d.com/product/prusa-core-one/
- Creality, K2 Plus Combo specifications: rated power 1200 W, 100–240 V. www.creality.com/products/creality-k2-plus-cfs-combo
- Elegoo, Centauri Carbon 2 specifications: rated power 350 W at 110 V, 1100 W at 220 V. us.elegoo.com/products/centauri-carbon-2
- Snapmaker, U1 specifications: max input power 400 W (100–120 V), 1150 W (220–240 V). us.snapmaker.com/products/snapmaker-u1
- U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A: average residential price, July 2026: 18.31¢/kWh (U.S. total). www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly/epm_table_grapher.php?t=epmt_5_6_a
- U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.B: average residential price by state, year to date through July 2026 (U.S. total 18.19¢/kWh). www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly/epm_table_grapher.php?t=epmt_5_6_b