How Much Does It Cost to 3D Print Something?
Real costs for a small, medium and large PLA print: filament, electricity, printer wear, your time and failed prints — and which of them actually matters.
By CalciTools · Published · 6 min read
Every number on this page is calculated with the same formulas as our calculators. How we build and check them
A typical 6-hour, 120 g PLA print costs about $4.22 in filament, electricity and printer wear — and $7.56 once you add 10 minutes of your own time. Filament is only about 32% of the full cost. Here is where the money goes.
Three typical prints
| Filament | Electricity | Printer wear | Cost without labor | With your time | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small part (keychain, clip) 15 g, 0.75 h | $0.30 | $0.01 | $0.19 | $0.53 | $1.53 |
| Medium part (phone stand, planter) 120 g, 6 h | $2.40 | $0.11 | $1.50 | $4.22 | $7.56 |
| Large part (helmet, big vase) 600 g, 24 h | $12.00 | $0.45 | $6.00 | $19.42 | $26.09 |
Assumptions: PLA at $20/kg, 105 W average draw (Bambu Lab’s figure for a P1S on PLA), $0.18/kWh, a $600 printer spread over 3,000 hours, $0.05/hour maintenance, 5% failed prints and $20/hour for hands-on time. Totals include the failure allowance.
Filament: the cost everyone counts
Filament cost is simply grams ÷ 1,000 × price per kilogram. At $20/kg, every gram costs 2 cents, so the 120 g print uses $2.40 of plastic. Supports, brims and purge lines add to the grams — use the total from your slicer, not the model alone. The filament cost calculator does this in one step.
Electricity: smaller than you think
Bambu Lab measures its printers at roughly 80–110 W on average while printing PLA. At the US average of about 18 cents per kWh, that is around 2 cents an hour — $0.11 for the 6-hour print. See how much electricity a 3D printer uses.
Printer wear and maintenance
A printer is a tool that wears out. Spreading a $600 printer over 3,000 hours of printing is 20 cents an hour, plus a few cents for nozzles, build plates and belts. On long prints, wear costs more than electricity.
Your time and failed prints
The two costs people forget are their own time — slicing, removing supports, cleaning up — and prints that fail and must be printed again. If you sell prints, both belong in your price. The print cost calculator includes them, and the pricing calculator turns the total into a price.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest part of a 3D print?
Usually electricity. A modern desktop printer averaging about 105 W costs roughly $0.02 an hour to run at the US average electricity price.
Is 3D printing cheaper than buying the part?
For small plastic parts you would otherwise order online, often yes — the material and power for a small print cost well under a dollar. Once you count your time, it depends on how long the part takes to prepare and finish.
How much does a 1 kg spool of filament cost?
Standard PLA and PETG commonly sell for around $15–25 per kilogram in the US; specialty materials such as silk, carbon-fiber blends and nylon cost more. Use your actual spool price in the calculator.
Sources
Estimates for planning. Results depend on the numbers you enter — use the gram, hour and ml figures from your slicer, and your real material and power prices. Material densities are typical values; check your spool or bottle datasheet for exact figures.