3D Print Cost Calculator: Filament Weight, Length and Cost

MaterialPLA · 1.23 g/cm³PETG · 1.27 g/cm³PCTG · 1.23 g/cm³Copolyester · 1.2 g/cm³ABS · 1.04 g/cm³ASA · 1.07 g/cm³Polycarbonate · 1.19 g/cm³Nylon · 1.11 g/cm³Polypropylene · 0.93 g/cm³HDPE · 1.1 g/cm³TPU · 1.2 g/cm³PVA · 1.19 g/cm³HIPS · 1.04 g/cm³Carbon fiber · 1.25 g/cm³Glass fiber · 1.23 g/cm³Wood PLA · 1.19 g/cm³Bronze PLA · 2.3 g/cm³Metallic PLA · 1.21 g/cm³Conductive and ESD · 1.23 g/cm³Flame retardant V-0 · 1.22 g/cm³Silk PLA · 1.22 g/cm³Matte PLA · 1.31 g/cm³PVB · 1.1 g/cm³PEEK and PEI · 1.3 g/cm³Glow in the dark · 1.25 g/cm³High-speed PLA · 1.24 g/cm³ Diameter1.75 mm2.85 mm

Part weight (g) Filament length (m) Price of the 1 kg spool

Print time (h) Average printer power (W) Electricity price (per kWh)

— meters of filament— grams— of material— of electricity— of total cost— of a 1 kg spool

How to use the 3D printing cost calculator

1. Pick the material. Each one carries the median density from its datasheets, which is what turns weight into length.
2. Enter the filament diameter your printer uses: 1.75 mm on most, 2.85 mm on some.
3. Type in the part weight from your slicer, or the filament length if that is what you know. The calculator fills in the other value.
4. Add the price of your 1 kg spool, the print time, the printer's average power and the electricity price to get the total cost.

How 3D print cost is calculated

The material cost is the part weight times the price per kilo. The electricity cost is the print hours times the average power in kilowatts times the price per kWh. The average power of a desktop printer depends mostly on the heated bed and the working temperature, so it runs higher with ABS or polycarbonate than with PLA. If your printer or smart plug measures consumption, use that figure.

To go from weight to length, divide the mass by the density and by the cross-section of the strand. That is why two materials with the same weight do not give the same number of meters: lighter ABS goes a lot further than PLA, and metal-filled filaments go much less far.

How many meters of filament are in a kilo, by material

What this filament calculator leaves out

• Supports, brims and purges: the slicer already adds them to the weight if you have them enabled; purges on multicolor printers can be a significant share.
• Failed prints and fit tests.
• Machine wear: nozzles, bed sheets, belts and the depreciation of the printer.
• Your time spent on design, setup and finishing, which on a commissioned job is usually the most expensive part.