Short answer
With PLA at €20 per kg, a €400 printer and 5% failed prints, a print costs about 4.6 euro cents per gram. That assumes 100 grams in about 10 hours. A 100 gram print then costs €4.59. Filament is 44% of that: the rest is print time and failed prints.
Cost by weight
| Weight | Print time | Filament | Electricity, printer and upkeep | Failed prints | Total | Per gram |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 g | 2.5 h | €0.50 | €0.59 | €0.06 | €1.15 | €0.046 |
| 50 g | 5 h | €1.00 | €1.18 | €0.11 | €2.29 | €0.046 |
| 100 g | 10 h | €2.00 | €2.36 | €0.23 | €4.59 | €0.046 |
| 200 g | 20 h | €4.00 | €4.72 | €0.46 | €9.18 | €0.046 |
| 500 g | 50 h | €10.00 | €11.80 | €1.15 | €22.95 | €0.046 |
Assumed: 0.1 print hours per gram, so a 50 gram print takes 5 hours. Complex or slowly printed models take longer and cost more per gram.
Per gram depends on print speed and filament price
| Print time per 100 g | €15 per kg | €20 per kg | €30 per kg | €50 per kg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 h | €0.028 | €0.033 | €0.044 | €0.065 |
| 10 h | €0.041 | €0.046 | €0.056 | €0.077 |
| 20 h | €0.065 | €0.071 | €0.081 | €0.102 |
Cost per gram for a 100 gram print. The range runs from 2.8 to 10.2 euro cents per gram.
How to work it out yourself
Cost per gram = (filament price ÷ 1000 + print hours per gram × cost per print hour) ÷ (1 − failure rate)
With a €400 printer, 120 W and €0.30 per kWh the machine cost is €0.236 per print hour. More in what a 3D printer costs per hour. Want it for your own print? Use the calculator.
Cost is not the same as selling price
If you sell prints, labor, margin and shipping come on top. See how to price 3D prints.
The numbers are estimates based on the stated assumptions.
Frequently asked questions
What does 3D printing cost per gram?
With PLA at €20 per kg, a €400 printer and 5% failed prints, a print costs about 4.6 euro cents per gram, assuming 100 grams takes about 10 hours to print. Depending on print speed and filament price it ranges from 2.8 to 10.2 euro cents per gram.
What does a 100 gram 3D print cost?
About €4.59 with PLA at €20 per kg and a 10-hour print, including electricity, depreciation, maintenance and failed prints.
Why do print services charge more per gram?
They also charge for labor, overhead, post-processing, shipping and profit. The cost per gram is therefore lower than the selling price per gram.
Is filament the biggest cost?
For standard prints filament is about 44% of the cost. Print time (depreciation, electricity, maintenance) and failed prints together weigh more.