Print Cost Calculator

Get the real cost of a 3D print — not just filament. Electricity, printer wear, and failure rate included.

Filament
From slicer estimate. OrcaSlicer / Bambu Studio shows this after slicing.
1 kg spool = 1000 g. 500 g spool = 500 g.
Print time & electricity
FDM printers typically average 80–180 W. Bambu X1C ≈ 150 W. Ender 3 ≈ 70 W.
US average ≈ $0.13/kWh. Check your utility bill for your actual rate.
Printer wear & failure rate
Consumer FDM printers typically last 2,000–8,000 print hours. 5,000 is a reasonable midpoint.
What % of your prints fail or need reprinting. Beginners: 25%. Experienced: 5–10%.

Cost breakdown

Filament—
Electricity—
Printer wear—
Subtotal—
Failure buffer—
Total cost—

How to read your slicer's estimates

OrcaSlicer / Bambu Studio
After slicing, the bottom bar shows filament used in grams and estimated print time. Use those numbers directly.
PrusaSlicer
After slicing, check the bottom left panel. It shows "Used filament [mm]" and "Used filament [g]". Use the gram value.
Ultimaker Cura
After slicing, the bottom right shows estimated filament length in meters. Multiply meters × (π × (diameter/2)² × density) to convert to grams. For 1.75 mm PLA: g ≈ meters × 2.98. For easier workflow, use OrcaSlicer which shows grams directly.