How Much Does It Cost to 3D Print? (2026 Guide + Free Calculator)
How much does it really cost to 3D print something? Less than most people think. For a typical PLA figure, the filament is the main cost, electricity adds a few cents, and failed prints add a little more. In this guide we break down every cost with real 2026 numbers, show three worked examples, and give you a free tool to calculate the cost of your own prints in seconds.
Short answer: a 50 g PLA print costs about $1 to $1.20 in total. A large 300 g print costs around $7. Want your exact number? Use our free 3D Print Cost Calculator: open your STL file and it does the math for you.
The 4 costs of every 3D print
- Filament (or resin): the plastic your model is made of. This is usually 80 to 95% of the total.
- Electricity: the power your printer uses while heating and printing.
- Failed prints: spaghetti, warping and adhesion problems waste material and time.
- Wear and extras: nozzles, build plates, glue, and your own time for supports and post-processing.
1. Filament cost
Filament is sold by the kilogram. In 2026, a standard 1 kg spool costs roughly:
| Material | Typical price per kg | Cost per gram |
|---|---|---|
| PLA | $18 to $24 | about 2 cents |
| PETG | $20 to $26 | about 2.3 cents |
| ABS | $17 to $23 | about 2 cents |
| TPU (flexible) | $35 to $50 | about 4 cents |
The formula is simple: filament cost = weight in grams ÷ 1000 × price per kg. A 50 g print with $20/kg PLA costs 50 ÷ 1000 × 20 = $1.00.
Tip: the best way to know the weight is to slice the model. Cura, PrusaSlicer, Bambu Studio and Orca Slicer all show the grams of filament before you print. If you have not sliced yet, our cost calculator estimates the weight from your STL file, its walls and your infill.
2. Electricity cost
Most people overestimate this one. While printing, a typical FDM printer draws around 80 to 150 W on average. It uses more during the first minutes while the bed heats up, then much less.
The formula: electricity cost = watts ÷ 1000 × hours × price per kWh. The average US residential electricity price was about 18.6 cents per kWh in early 2026, according to EIA data.
Example: a printer using 105 W for a 3-hour print costs 0.105 × 3 × $0.186 = about 6 cents. Even a 15-hour print usually costs well under 50 cents in electricity.
3. Failed prints
Every maker has a failure from time to time: a print that lifts from the bed, a support that breaks, a clogged nozzle. A realistic way to include this is to add a failure rate of 5 to 15% to your material and electricity cost. Beginners should use the higher number; a well-tuned printer can use 5% or less.
4. Wear, extras and your time
Nozzles, PEI plates, belts and glue sticks all wear out slowly. For hobby printing, these costs are small per print and most people ignore them. If you sell prints, however, you should also count your time: preparing the file, removing supports, sanding and painting. This is often worth more than the plastic itself.
Worked examples (PLA, $20/kg, 18.6¢/kWh, 10% failure rate)
| Filament | Time and power | Filament cost | Electricity | Total with failures | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small keychain | 10 g | 1 h at 80 W | $0.20 | $0.01 | about $0.24 |
| Anime figure | 50 g | 3 h at 105 W | $1.00 | $0.06 | about $1.17 |
| Large bust | 300 g | 15 h at 150 W | $6.00 | $0.42 | about $7.06 |
As you can see, filament is by far the biggest cost. Cutting infill from 20% to 10% on a large model, or printing it hollow, often saves more money than anything else.
How to make your 3D prints cheaper
- Lower the infill. Decorative figures and busts rarely need more than 10 to 15% infill.
- Use fewer supports. Orient the model well and use tree supports to save filament.
- Check the model first. Open it in our free STL Viewer to see the real size and volume before slicing, so you do not print it at the wrong scale.
- Buy filament in bulk. Multi-spool packs often bring PLA under $18/kg.
- Dry your filament. Wet filament causes stringing and failed prints, which raises your failure rate.
- Use the right file format. If your slicer works better with 3MF, convert your file with our free STL Converter.
How to price 3D prints if you sell them
Start with your total cost (filament, electricity and failures), then add your time for preparation and post-processing, and finally a profit margin. Many sellers use a markup of 100% or more on top of their costs, because the material is cheap but the work is not. Our calculator has fields for labor and markup, and gives you a suggested selling price in USD, EUR, GBP or MAD.
Frequently asked questions
Is it cheaper to 3D print or to buy?
For small figures, parts and custom objects, printing is usually much cheaper: often a dollar or two of material. For simple mass-produced plastic items, buying can still be cheaper once you count your time.
How much electricity does a 3D printer use per month?
A hobbyist printing 10 to 15 hours a week with a 100 W printer uses roughly 4 to 6 kWh per month, which is around $1 at US average prices.
Is resin printing more expensive than filament?
Usually yes, per gram of printed model, because resin costs more than PLA and you also need isopropyl alcohol and gloves. Resin is still the best choice for very small, highly detailed miniatures.
Where can I find STL files to print?
Browse our STL shop for anime, movie, game and bust models ready to print. If you print a lot, a TOP STL membership gives you unlimited downloads of 388+ STL files from $13.33 per month.
Calculate your own print cost
Every printer, material and electricity bill is different. Open your STL file in our free 3D Print Cost Calculator, set your filament price and print time, and you get the exact cost and a suggested selling price in a few seconds. No sign-up, and your file never leaves your computer.
Sources: filament price ranges from Snapmaker’s 2026 filament pricing guide; average US residential electricity price from U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) data for March 2026; printer power figures from published measurements of popular FDM printers.
