3D Printer Running Cost Comparison

Compare the true cost per print of any two printers side by side — electricity, material, depreciation and maintenance included.

Choose printers

Printer A

Printer B

Print scenario

Quick scenarios

Print time (hours)

Print weight (g)

Electricity ($/kWh)

Material cost ($/g)

Printer A

Bambu Lab X1 Carbon

400W · £1149 · 6,000h lifespan

Electricity

$0.018/hr

$0.07

Material

80g × $0.003/g

$0.26

Depreciation + maintenance

$0.03/hr

$0.13

Total per print

$0.46

Printer B

Prusa MK4

240W · £799 · 8,000h lifespan

Cheaper ✓

Electricity

$0.011/hr

$0.04

Material

80g × $0.003/g

$0.26

Depreciation + maintenance

$0.02/hr

$0.07

Total per print

$0.37

Prusa MK4 is cheaper by $0.09 per print

Over 100 prints that saves $8.63 — over 1,000 prints: $86.33

Head-to-head breakdown

Cost type	Bambu Lab X1 Carbon	Prusa MK4	Difference
Electricity/hr	$0.02	$0.01 ✓	$0.01 less for MK4
Electricity (4h print)	$0.07	$0.04 ✓	$0.03 less for MK4
Material cost	$0.26	$0.26	—
Wear + maintenance	$0.13	$0.07 ✓	$0.06 less for MK4
Total per print	$0.46	$0.37 ✓	$0.09 less for MK4
Total per 100 prints	$45.80	$37.17 ✓	$8.63 less for MK4

Electricity cost per hour — popular printers

Based on £0.34/kWh (UK average 2025). Calculate your actual rate →

Printer	Wattage	Cost/hr (£0.34)	Cost/10hr print
Prusa Mini+	120W	£0.0408	£0.408
Bambu A1 Mini	180W	£0.0612	£0.612
Creality Ender-3 V3 SE	175W	£0.0595	£0.595
Anycubic Kobra 2	180W	£0.0612	£0.612
Elegoo Neptune 4	200W	£0.0680	£0.680
Prusa MK4	240W	£0.0816	£0.816
Bambu A1	250W	£0.0850	£0.850
Creality K1	350W	£0.1190	£1.190
Bambu P1S	350W	£0.1190	£1.190
Bambu X1 Carbon	400W	£0.1360	£1.360
Prusa XL	400W	£0.1360	£1.360
AnkerMake M7	450W	£0.1530	£1.530
Bambu H2D	1200W	£0.4080	£4.080

Which 3D printer is cheapest to run?

Running cost depends on three things: electricity consumption (watts × print time × your rate), printer depreciation (purchase price ÷ expected lifespan hours), and maintenance (nozzles, belts, lubricant).

Low-wattage printers like the Prusa Mini+ (120W) cost roughly half the electricity per hour of a Bambu X1 Carbon (400W). Over thousands of hours, that gap adds up — but a faster printer can produce more prints in the same time, often making up the difference.

Depreciation matters more than most people think. A £1,999 Prusa XL spread over 8,000 hours costs £0.25/hr in depreciation alone. A £229 Ender-3 V3 spread over 3,000 hours costs £0.076/hr — three times cheaper per hour to own, but may need replacing sooner.

For Etsy and print-on-demand sellers, the material cost usually dominates (often 60–80% of total cost), making printer choice less critical than filament price and waste reduction.