Filament Cost Calculator
Get the real material cost for any 3D print. Enter the grams from your slicer, your spool price, and how much waste you typically see. No sign-up, no app download. Results update as you type, and the URL updates so you can share or bookmark.
How this works
3D print filament is sold by the kilogram, but prints use grams. The math: convert grams to kg, multiply by price per kg, then add a waste factor. Waste covers priming, skirts, brims, and small-scale failures, not full print failures, which need to be amortized separately.
This calculator does not convert between currencies or unit systems. If your spool price is in Euros, select EUR. If you bought a 750 g spool for $25, your price per kg is $33.33. A quick spool pricing reference lives in the FAQ below.
Frequently asked
- How do I figure out the grams used?
- Your slicer (Bambu Studio, PrusaSlicer, OrcaSlicer, Cura) shows estimated filament weight next to the estimated print time. Copy that number. If you only have length in meters, multiply by density: PLA is ~3.0 g/m for 1.75mm filament.
- Why add a waste factor?
- Real prints waste filament on priming the nozzle, skirts, brims, and occasional short failures. 5% is typical for PLA on a well-tuned printer. PETG and TPU run 7–8% because of stringing and purge. ABS often hits 10% because of warping failures.
- Does this include electricity or printer wear?
- No, this is material cost only. For electricity, use the Electricity Cost Calculator. For full per-print cost including printer depreciation, use the Print Pricing guide.
- How do I convert spool price to price per kg?
- Divide the spool price by its weight in kilograms. A $25 spool weighing 1 kg is $25/kg. A $25 spool weighing 750 g is $33.33/kg.
- Is my data saved anywhere?
- No. All calculation happens in your browser. The URL is updated so you can bookmark or share the exact inputs, but nothing is sent to a server.