Material economics · reviewed 19 June 2026
PLA vs PETG: which costs less per finished print?
Spool price is only the starting point. Compare landed price per kilogram, actual grams consumed, job time, waste, failure rate and finishing labour for the specific product.
Material-only comparison
material cost = grams consumed ÷ 1,000 × landed price per kgFor an illustrative 120 g job, PLA at USD 22/kg costs USD 2.64. PETG at USD 26/kg costs USD 3.12—a USD 0.48 material difference. These are assumptions, not current market prices.
The cheaper spool may not make the cheaper finished part
| Driver | Compare | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Landed material price | Product, delivery, tax and unusable remainder | Sticker price may omit acquisition cost |
| Consumed grams | Part, supports, purge and calibration waste | Slicer part weight may understate usage |
| Print duration | Actual job hours under the chosen profile | Changes wear, energy and capacity |
| Failure rate | Observed failures by material/job | A small spool saving can disappear after one failure |
| Hands-on labour | Preparation, cleanup and finishing minutes | Owner time is economically real |
| Product suitability | Your tested requirements | A low-cost unsuitable part is not a saving |
A fair test
- Use the same model and required quality.
- Record slicer estimates for each approved profile.
- Print a small repeatable batch.
- Measure consumed material, elapsed time, hands-on minutes and rejects.
- Enter each material as a separate calculator scenario.
Material choice is an engineering and product decision as well as a cost decision. Follow the filament and printer manufacturers’ current compatibility, ventilation, temperature and handling guidance; this page does not prescribe a material for a particular application.
Disclosure: no filament affiliate relationship exists. Example prices are judgment assumptions and do not represent observed supplier quotes or guaranteed savings.