You add filament to the cost, but what about electricity? Almost nobody measures it: it's eyeballed or ignored. Here's the approximate power draw of the printer types most used in LATAM shops, the formula to calculate your exact cost, and examples with assumed rates from several countries, so you stop giving away electricity on every part.
The electricity cost formula
Why electricity is almost never the problem (but you should still charge for it)
Electricity is usually the smallest cost of a print: material and labor weigh far more. But "small" isn't "zero". If you print, say, 200 hours a month and don't charge for power, that money leaves your pocket without you noticing: it gets diluted in the household or shop bill. You don't need an engineer to work it out: the printer's spec sheet and your electricity bill are enough.
How much each type of printer draws
The ranges below are approximate and indicative: they come from spec sheets and typical user measurements, not from our own testing. Your machine's real draw depends on bed temperature, material, shop ambient temperature, and any upgrades you've made. Confirm it with the manufacturer's spec sheet or, better, with a plug-in power meter.
Entry-level FDM (Ender 3 and similar)
Approx. 50-120 W while printing, with higher peaks when the bed heats up at the start. The heated bed is the biggest consumer, not the motors or the hotend.
Mid-range FDM (Prusa MK4, Bambu Lab P1S)
Approx. 70-150 W in steady printing, depending on spec sheet and material. More efficient bed and hotend, but more fans and electronics adding base draw.
Enclosed multicolor FDM (Bambu Lab X1C with AMS)
Approx. 100-200 W with the filament changer active. The enclosed chamber and the AMS add a constant draw, even with the printer paused.
Resin (MSLA / LCD)
Approx. 40-80 W while printing, well below FDM because there's no heated bed. But add the wash-and-cure station afterwards, which also draws power.
Approximate draw by common model (indicative, per spec sheet)
| Model / type | Approx. draw while printing | Approx. peak (bed heating) |
|---|---|---|
| Creality Ender 3 / Ender 3 V2 | approx. 60-90 W | approx. 200-270 W |
| Creality Ender 3 S1 / K1 | approx. 80-120 W | approx. 250-350 W |
| Prusa MK3S / MK4 | approx. 70-100 W | approx. 150-200 W |
| Bambu Lab A1 / P1S | approx. 80-130 W | approx. 200-250 W |
| Bambu Lab X1 Carbon (with AMS) | approx. 100-180 W | approx. 250-300 W |
| MSLA resin (Elegoo, Anycubic, Phrozen) | approx. 40-70 W | approx. 60-90 W |
Note: these numbers are not the maximum printed on the power supply. That figure is the PSU's limit, not normal draw, and it's usually much higher. If you want the exact number for your printer, a power meter plugged between the wall and the PSU costs little and gives you the real figure in minutes.
The formula, step by step
Electricity cost = (watts ÷ 1,000) × print hours × price per kWh. The result is the kilowatt-hours consumed, multiplied by what your utility charges for each one. That price per kWh is on your bill: look for "rate" or "price per kWh", not the total due.
Step 1: get the watts
From the manufacturer's spec sheet or, better, from a real power meter. Use the printing average, not the bed-heating peak.
Step 2: add up total hours
The time your slicer (Cura, PrusaSlicer, Bambu Studio) shows for that part. If you print several parts together, use the total plate time.
Step 3: apply your electricity rate
The price per kWh on your current bill, not one from months ago. In countries with tiered rates (pricier the more you use), use the tier you normally land in.
Examples with rates from several countries (assumed)
Same calculation, same machine (an entry-level FDM at an assumed 80 W average) and three different durations. The kWh rates in each table are round values chosen for the example, not official figures: real rates vary by country, region, consumption tier, and month. Replace them with the one on your bill.
Mexico — example at $2.5 MXN/kWh (assumed)
| Print duration | Calculation | Electricity cost |
|---|---|---|
| 2 hours (keychain, small figure) | 0.08 kW × 2 h × $2.5 | $0.40 MXN |
| 8 hours (medium part) | 0.08 kW × 8 h × $2.5 | $1.60 MXN |
| 24 hours (large part, overnight) | 0.08 kW × 24 h × $2.5 | $4.80 MXN |
Argentina — example at $150 ARS/kWh (assumed)
| Print duration | Calculation | Electricity cost |
|---|---|---|
| 2 hours | 0.08 kW × 2 h × $150 | $24.00 ARS |
| 8 hours | 0.08 kW × 8 h × $150 | $96.00 ARS |
| 24 hours | 0.08 kW × 24 h × $150 | $288.00 ARS |
Colombia — example at $800 COP/kWh (assumed)
| Print duration | Calculation | Electricity cost |
|---|---|---|
| 2 hours | 0.08 kW × 2 h × $800 | $128.00 COP |
| 8 hours | 0.08 kW × 8 h × $800 | $512.00 COP |
| 24 hours | 0.08 kW × 24 h × $800 | $1,536.00 COP |
Peru — example at S/ 0.70 PEN/kWh (assumed)
| Print duration | Calculation | Electricity cost |
|---|---|---|
| 2 hours | 0.08 kW × 2 h × 0.70 | S/ 0.11 |
| 8 hours | 0.08 kW × 8 h × 0.70 | S/ 0.45 |
| 24 hours | 0.08 kW × 24 h × 0.70 | S/ 1.34 |
A 150 W machine nearly doubles the bill
If your printer draws 150 W instead of 80 W (an enclosed one with AMS, for example), the same 8-hour print from the Mexico example goes from $1.60 to $3.00 MXN (0.15 kW × 8 h × $2.5). Still little per part, but with several printers running back to back, the monthly difference does show on the bill.
How electricity compares with the other costs
It depends on your rate and the part, so it's better to calculate it with your numbers than to trust a generic percentage. Let's stay with the hypothetical Mexico example: the 8-hour part costs $1.60 MXN in electricity. If that part uses 100 g of PLA and you assume a spool at $400 MXN per kilo ($0.40 per gram), material comes to $40 MXN. Electricity equals 4% of material (1.60 ÷ 40). Small, but not zero.
And at volume it adds up. Suppose a shop that prints 300 hours a month at that same assumed rate:
Hypothetical example: a 300-hour month at $2.5 MXN/kWh
| Machine | Calculation | Monthly electricity cost |
|---|---|---|
| One 80 W printer | 0.08 kW × 300 h × $2.5 | $60.00 MXN |
| One 150 W printer | 0.15 kW × 300 h × $2.5 | $112.50 MXN |
| Five 80 W printers | 5 × $60.00 | $300.00 MXN per month |
If you don't charge for electricity, that $300 MXN a month ($3,600 a year, in the example) comes straight out of your profit without anyone seeing it. With your real rate and hours the number changes, but the logic is the same: charge for it on every part.
Common mistakes when calculating power draw
How many watts does an Ender 3 3D printer use?+
How do you calculate the electricity cost of a 3D print?+
Does a resin printer use more or less electricity than an FDM printer?+
Is a power meter worth buying?+
What percentage of a part's cost is electricity?+
Don't calculate it by hand every time
The free calculator at minegocio3d.com/calculadora adds electricity, material, machine wear, and labor automatically, with the rate from your bill. And if you want to store each printer's cost per hour and use it in every quote, MiNegocio3D does it from 17 USD a month, with a 7-day free trial, no card required, and a 30-day guarantee.