Printing Cost Per Page Calculator
Cost of a printed page including paper, with the monthly and yearly total and when the cartridge runs out.
Results
What this tool does
The printer's own price barely matters next to this number over a few years, which is exactly why cheap printers take expensive cartridges. Comparing two machines properly means comparing cost per page and the cartridge yield, not the box price.
Formula
cost per page = cartridge price ÷ pages + paper
Variables
| Symbol | Meaning | Unit |
|---|---|---|
cp | Cartridge price | — |
yl | Pages per cartridge | — |
pr | Price per pack of paper | — |
ps | Sheets per pack | — |
pm | Pages per month | — |
PP | Cost per page | — |
IN | Cost per page | — |
MO | Cost per month | — |
YR | Total cost per year | — |
CM | Months | — |
Worked example
- Cartridge price32
- Pages per cartridge400
- Price per pack of paper5.5
- Sheets per pack500
- Pages per month120
- Cost per page0.09100
- Cost per page0.08000
- Cost per month10.92
- Total cost per year131.04
- Months3.3
Limitations
- The result is an estimate based only on the values you type. Real situations often include factors this calculator does not know about.
- The tool works with whatever currency you use for the inputs; it does not convert between currencies.
- Coverage and consumption figures vary between products. Take the values from the manufacturer's datasheet for the product you are actually using.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my cartridge never reach its stated yield?
Because published yields are measured on a standard test page with about five percent coverage, which is a short business letter, not a photo or a dense report. Print anything heavier and the real yield falls proportionally. Inkjets also spend ink cleaning their heads, so a printer used rarely can get through a cartridge with very few pages to show for it.