3D Print Filament Cost Calculator
Enter the grams your slicer reports, your spool price, and how long the print takes. Get a full cost breakdown — material, electricity, and wear on your printer — plus suggested selling prices if you sell on Etsy or locally. Everything runs in your browser, nothing uploaded.
Cost breakdown
Suggested selling prices
Learn more: 3D print costs, markup strategies, and FAQ
Material cost is only part of the true cost
Most 3D printing cost tools just divide the spool price by 1000 to get a per-gram rate. But a $25 spool of PLA that costs $0.025/g does not tell you what your total cost per print is. Electricity, machine depreciation, and the filament wasted on failed prints are all real costs that must be amortised across successful prints. If you are selling prints on Etsy or at craft fairs and pricing based on material cost alone, you are almost certainly losing money on every sale.
From slicer output to selling price
Your slicer software (Cura, PrusaSlicer, Bambu Studio) shows estimated filament usage in grams before you start printing. Enter this number directly into the calculator along with your spool weight and price. Then add your printer wattage and average print time for electricity cost. The calculator optionally accounts for machine depreciation (spread the printer purchase price over its expected lifetime hours) and waste factor (typically 10% for priming lines, purge towers, and failed prints).
Markup strategy for Etsy and local sales
A common minimum is 3x your material cost to cover electricity, machine wear, your time, and platform fees. The calculator shows COGS (cost of goods sold) at actual cost, then calculates suggested selling prices at 2x, 3x, and 5x markup so you can compare to market prices in your category. Some handmade items command 5x or higher markup; others sell at 2x. Use the optional "Your selling price" field to check your actual margin against your calculated COGS.
FAQ
How much does filament cost per gram?
A standard 1kg PLA spool costing $25 costs $0.025 per gram. But material cost is only part of the picture. Electricity (typically $0.01-0.03 per hour of printing), machine depreciation, and waste from failed prints add 20-50% on top of material cost for accurate COGS.
What should I charge for a 3D printed item on Etsy?
A common minimum is 3x your COGS to cover electricity, machine wear, your time, and platform fees. The calculator shows your COGS at actual cost and then calculates the selling price for 2x, 3x, and 5x markup so you can compare to market prices.
How do I find out how much filament a print uses?
Your slicer software (Cura, PrusaSlicer, Bambu Studio) shows estimated filament usage in grams before you start printing. Enter this number directly into the calculator.