Printer Ink Cost Calculator
Calculate your true printing cost per page and monthly/yearly ink expenses.
Compare inkjet vs. laser costs for better budgeting.
Cost per page is the single most important metric for evaluating a printer’s true long-term cost — yet most buyers focus only on the upfront printer price, which is almost always misleading.
Core formulas:
Cost per Page = Cartridge Price / Cartridge Page Yield
Monthly Ink Cost = Pages Printed per Month × Cost per Page
Annual Ink Cost = Monthly Cost × 12
Total Annual Cost = Annual Ink + Annual Paper + Printer Amortization
Page yield: The number of pages a cartridge is rated to print, measured by the ISO/IEC 24711/24712 standard (5% page coverage — a lightly printed business letter). Heavy graphics or full-page photos can reduce actual yield by 50–70%.
Cost per page benchmarks by printer technology (2025):
| Printer Type | B&W CPP | Color CPP | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Budget inkjet | $0.05–0.08 | $0.15–0.25 | High CPP, low upfront cost |
| Mid-range inkjet | $0.03–0.05 | $0.08–0.14 | Balanced |
| EcoTank / ink tank | $0.003–0.008 | $0.01–0.03 | Very low CPP, higher upfront |
| Laser (mono) | $0.02–0.04 | — | Best for high-volume B&W |
| Color laser | $0.04–0.07 | $0.12–0.20 | Fast, high volume |
| Photo inkjet | $0.05–0.10 | $0.25–0.50 | Optimized for photos |
Worked example: Your printer’s black cartridge costs $28.99 and yields 450 pages. Color cartridge set costs $42.99 and yields 300 pages. You print 60 pages/month (80% black, 20% color).
- B&W CPP = $28.99 / 450 = $0.064/page
- Color CPP = $42.99 / 300 = $0.143/page
- Monthly cost = (48 × $0.064) + (12 × $0.143) = $3.07 + $1.72 = $4.79/month
- Annual ink cost = $57.48/year
Money-saving strategies:
- Draft mode reduces ink use by 30–50% for internal documents
- Third-party cartridges can cost 40–70% less — quality varies by brand
- Remanufactured cartridges are a middle ground option
- Ink subscription services (HP Instant Ink, Epson ReadyPrint) make sense for moderate printers — check your CPP carefully
- Print duplex (both sides) cuts paper costs in half
- For 200+ pages/month: ink tank printers pay back their higher cost within 6–12 months